This is unheard of. During a press conference on Tuesday, the Families of France association released the figures from its survey on the cost of starting the school year. Unsurprisingly, this is on the rise, but it is rather the scale of its rise that is striking: +4.5% compared to last year!
For this beginning of the 2022 academic year, the entrance fee for a student in 6th ESO is 208.12 euros compared to 199.34 euros in 2021, an increase of 8.48 euros. This is simply its strongest annual increase since 2017.
Hard hit sporting goods
Three different items make up this cost. The main one continues to be school supplies, the cost of which increases by just under two euros to reach an average of 103.34 euros. It is especially sporting goods that feed this increase in the cost of the start of the school year, since its amount goes from 47.84 euros to 55.19 euros for a child who enters secondary school. This drastic evolution is explained by the fact that the latter are manufactured for the most part in China and, therefore, are especially exposed to the rise in fuel prices.
Stationery expenses decreased very slightly, 25 cents, to 49.59 euros. But the Families of France association insists on the unstable nature of this amount. In fact, stationery prices will continue to rise next month due to the doubling of the price of pulp.
An increase greater than the back-to-school allowance
The disclosure of these figures by the Families of France association occurs on the day of the payment of the back-to-school subsidy to more than three million French households. Within the framework of the purchasing power protection law, this aid was revalued to 4% after an initial increase of 1.8% decided in April. These operations therefore make it possible to cover the exceptional increase in the cost of going back to school during the last year.
But the association still offers some advice to reduce the bill, while inflation reached 6.1% annual in July. Families of France suggests repurposing supplies where possible, buying second-hand or refurbished items and spreading spending across various types of stores to target those with the lowest prices. Finally, the association also calls on schools to review the discount lists.
Source: BFM TV
