### Families May Spend Over 2,000 Pesos Per Child for Back-to-School Season
With the new school year starting on August 26, the back-to-school season has begun, triggering a surge in sales for stationery stores and uniform retailers. According to estimates, parents in Mexico could spend upwards of 2,000 pesos on school-related expenses per child.
Brenda Ramos, the manager of “La Lagunilla” uniform store, noted that the peak sales periods are in August and September, with an influx of up to 100 customers daily in the weeks leading up to the start of the school term. “Most parents buy sports uniforms due to wear and tear, but they also purchase shirts and sweaters. We offer affordable prices,” Ramos explained.
Dayana Juárez, whose eight-year-old attends Francisco I. Madero public elementary school, mentioned that this year, the school did not request fees for cleaning supplies, which saved her some money. “I reused pencils, scissors, and other items from last year. The only things I bought were notebooks, highlighters, uniforms, a backpack, and a water bottle, spending around 3,600 pesos,” she shared.
Esther Solís, a mother of two children attending José Clemente Orozco elementary school, indicated that she will continue using last year’s uniforms as they are still in good condition. She plans to invest approximately 700 pesos in new supplies such as crayons, pencils, notebooks, and a box of school essentials.
René Sánchez, a father with two children at Miguel Hidalgo elementary, reported that renewing uniform shirts and purchasing school supplies has cost him up to 3,500 pesos for both children. “They are very active, and their pants wore out quickly,” he remarked.
The Secretariat of Public Education (SEP) recommends a basic list of supplies for the 2024-2025 school year. For grades one through three, the suggested items include large quad notebooks, a lined notebook, pencils, an eraser, a sharpener, blunt-tip scissors, a glue stick, and either colored pencils or wax crayons. The cost ranges from 300 to 600 pesos depending on the brand.
For grades four through six, the list expands to include small quad notebooks, a bicolor pen, a ballpoint pen, a highlighter, and a geometry set, with expenses ranging from 450 to 800 pesos.
A complete set of uniforms, which includes shirts, polo shirts, vests, sweaters, pants or skirts, and gym pants, can cost approximately 1,500 pesos for boys and 1,700 pesos for girls. Shoes add an additional expense of at least 300 pesos.
Julián Palombo, the president of the National Chamber of Commerce, Services and Tourism of Tijuana (CANACO), noted that this year, the back-to-school fair will not be held. Nevertheless, he encouraged merchants to offer competitive prices. “We urge all sellers to be more objective about procuring products at the best prices for schools,” he said.
### Secondary Article: Back-to-School Spending in Other Regions
Across various regions, the back-to-school expenses are similarly burdening parents’ budgets. In the United States, the National Retail Federation reported that families are expected to spend an average of $890 on school supplies this year, up from $849 in 2023. The increase is driven largely by the higher costs of electronics, which are now essential for remote learning and homework.
In the United Kingdom, a study by The Guardian revealed that parents spend an average of £193 per child on uniforms alone. School fees and additional costs for extracurricular activities and textbooks can add several hundred pounds to the total expenditure.
In Australia, a report by the Australian Scholarships Group (ASG) stated that the average cost of sending a child to a government-run primary school is over A$4,455 annually. This figure rises significantly for private schooling, where fees and additional costs can exceed A$20,000 per year.
These figures underline a global trend where back-to-school expenses continue to rise, impacting family budgets around the world.