Spend or depart?

• The price of wisdom

Six year old Shehan is thrilled about starting a new school year but his parents' enthusiasm is somewhat restricted. The high cost of providing the school's booklist is their grouse. 

With four children, all attending a small school in the neighbourhood, Shehan's parents could only afford one new pair of shorts and a shirt and the most essential books for him. 

He has to share uniforms and other items such as coloured pencils and clay with his seven year old brother Ruwan. 

With four book lists to cope with, Sarath, their father, can only hope for a little help from relatives and consideration from the school.

It is not easy for any parent. One family admitted spending close to Rs.3000 on school items for their daughter. The expenses rose due to specifications by the school on the colours, items and quantity. And, that in many low income families is one month's salary.

"We spent about Rs.3000 on all these items for our daughter's schooling and what we find is that she has not used more than a few pages in some books by the end of the year. Yet, the next year the school sends a book list with similar quantities," said Ms. Nayani Atapattu whose daughter attends a leading school in Kollupitiya.

"Our cost was around one thousand rupees on uniforms and shoes alone," said Ms. K.Siriwardena of Wellawatte who had fortunately received timely gifts of bags and bottles for their little five year old from Wellawatte, entering a popular private boys' school.

"The shoes cost a little over Rs.300 and four shirts and four shorts were all that we managed to get sewn," she said.

But not many parents were as fortunate as the Siriwardenas. For the majority of parents, the only consolation was that the new school term commenced shortly after their annual bonus. However, families who celebrated Christmas last month were not among the happiest to have received the bonus for the festival.

"Thanks to the bonus we managed to buy most of Ryan's basic requirements for his first school year. But Christmas also cost a lot," said Ms. Ruth from Kalutara.

But, she said that at the Christian school in Kalutara Ryan is to attend, certain items have not been included in the booklist. "The school is to have a meeting to inform parents of the amount to be paid to the school for items such as glaze paper," she said. Some parents feel this would increase the cost while others believe it will reduce the burden on parents as all children will have the same items.

G.L.Siriyawathi from Rajagiriya was of the view that school uniforms cost the most. She said that a metre of material was about Rs.100 and sewing charges cost another one hundred rupees per item. And, the books?

Commenting on the prices, State Printing Corporation Chairman A. B. C. de Silva said that prices of stationery had risen since the introduction of GST.

"Not only are parents faced with a dilemma. 35,000 book manufacturers' livelihood has also been badly affected as a result of the high cost of imported paper," Mr. de Silva said.

In fact, Mr. de Silva said he would request the government to rid stationery of GST and to increase tax on imported finished items only and not on paper to grant some relief to both parties. Meanwhile many video parlours and grocery stores in the city were seen trying to cash in on the new school year by setting up bookstalls themselves. Schools themselves have begun to make a business out of the annual demand. 

In certain schools the booklist includes items which are only found in the school bookshop. Some schools even insist that the above items must be obtained from the school bookshop only, much to the ire of parents.

According to Ms. Menaka Fernando, whose children attend a popular boys' school in Moratuwa they have been asked to purchase a number of items from the school bookshop. 

"The reasoning they give is that the bookshop has specific items with the school name and child's name printed which will be more convenient," she said. At the same time, school authorities will collect money from parents to obtain other requirements for first year students.

Despite syllabuses being the same, each school be it government-run or private, seems to have its own requirements and policies when preparing the booklists. 

Many parents question if children of ages six, seven or even eight need so much stationery.However, the burden could lighten. According to Principals, the new education reforms with their emphasis on practical work would reduce the number of exercise books needed.

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