Reference: Published by Bonny Fourie (IOL Property), 10 January 2024
Most individuals have a rough financial month in January, but parents of school-aged children have it especially tough because uniform and stationery fees can run into the thousands.
Even if you are frugal with your purchases and save as much clothing and stationery as possible from the previous year, the staples on school supply lists will harm your wallet.
This is complicated by the fact that some schools need uniform items that can only be purchased from their school shops or other unique suppliers, making comparison shopping impossible.
One Durban mother cut items like dictionaries and calculators from her children’s stationery lists, but she still had to pay R2,110 for her Grade 5 child’s supplies and R2,050 for her Grade 7 child’s stationery. And this will not even cover the entire year’s stationery expenses.
“This list only includes one set of retractable wax crayons each, and a few pens and white board markers, all items that will probably need to be replenished before the end of the second term.”
She also has to buy one pair of school shoes for R270, a few summer shirts for R140,00 each from the school shop, and two pairs of white sports takkies for R200 apiece.
“And this is not to forget the fact that in terms 3 and 4 they will need new winter shirts at R140 each, new school tracksuits (R535 each) as they have outgrown the ones they have, and socks that cost R60 a pair and can only be bought at their school shop as they are a custom style.”
A mother from Cape Town describes how her Grade 3 daughter’s school stationery for this year cost her R1,818.
“My son went to the same school two years ago, so stationery was basically anywhere between R4,000 and R5,000 for both of them.” Fortunately, his high school provides all of his books and stationery.” Costs will, of course, vary based on your school, the brands of products you buy, and the outlets you choose – or have to – buy them from. But, to give you a sense of how much stationery costs in various grades and schools around the country, IOL examined a few listings (at random) on Waltons’ Back to School website:
STATIONERY PRICES FOR GRADE 1
- Middelburg Primary School, Mpumalanga – R1,185
- Beaumont Primary School, Western Cape – R1,241
- Durban North Primary School, KZN – R1,551
- Laerskool Louis Trichardt, Limpopo – R2,385
- Rosebank Primary School, Gauteng – R2,463
STATIONERY PRICES FOR GRADE 4
- Gonubie Primary School, Eastern Cape – R655
- Muizenberg Junior, Western Cape – R1.047
- Seodin Primary School, Northern Cape – R1,345
- Brackenhurst Primary School, Gauteng – R1,742
- Penzance Primary School, KZN – R2,359
STATIONERY PRICES FOR GRADE 8
- Nico Malan High School, Eastern Cape – R789,60
- Bergvliet High School, Western Cape – R1,785
- Milner High School, North West – R1,897
- Boksburg High School, Gauteng – R2,972
- Durban High School, KZN – R3,017
STATIONERY PRICES FOR GRADE 12
- Rustenberg Girls’ High, Western Cape – R1,619
- Durban Girls’ High School, KZN – R2,852
- Hoerskool Rustenburg, North West – R3,087
- Pretoria Girls’ High, Gauteng – R4,103 Westville Girls’ High, KZN – R4,983
COSTS OF SCHOOL UNIFORMS
Aside from stationery, parents must purchase new school uniforms or replace clothes that no longer fit, are broken, or stained. Again, depending on where you buy and the brand or quality of the item, the prices vary as seen below:
WHITE SHORT-SLEEVED SCHOOL SHIRTS (without badge)
- Gem Schoolwear: R90 to R120 each
- Woolworths: R199 to R249 (2-pack)
- PEP: R22,99 to R84,99 each or R69,99 to R149,99 (2-pack)
BOYS’ LACE UP SCHOOL SHOES
- Gem Schoolwear: R280 to R410 a pair
- Woolworths: R199 to R399 a pair
- PEP: R59,99 to R269,99 a pair
GIRLS’ SCHOOL SHOES
- Gem Schoolwear: R150 to R380 a pair
- Woolworths: R199 to R349 a pair
- PEP: R119,99 to R279,99 a pair
BOYS’ SCHOOL SHORTS
- Gem Schoolwear: R110 each
- Woolworths: From R229 (2-pack)
- PEP: R22,99 to R64,99 each
WHITE ANKLET SOCKS
- Gem Schoolwear: R30 to R65 a pair
- Woolworths: R119 (5-pack)
- PEP: R15,99 to R17,99 a pair
SCHOOL SKIRTS
- Gem Schoolwear: R135 to R185 each
- Woolworths: From R239 each
- PEP: R22,99 to R62,99 each
PE clothing, jerseys, tracksuits, school bags, ties, long-sleeved shirts, and caps or hats are also required. Furthermore, parents with children attending new schools have limited freedom because they must buy practically everything brand new and all at once.