This course parents will spend an average of 1,993 euros per child, according to an OCU report

It is unavoidable. The return to school implies an important outlay for families with children. But what does the return to children's classrooms really mean for our pockets?

An OCU report (Organization of consumers and users) talks about an average school spending in Spain of 1,993 euros per child, although he warns that there are great differences according to the type of school and the level of education.

Also, luckily, It is an annual calculation and does not completely affect (far from it) in the dreaded and hated 'September slope'.

In Babies and more 2019-2020 school calendar: what day classes start and end in each autonomous community

Important differences according to the type of teaching

There is no doubt that the schooling of our children implies a large amount in our family budget, although the disbursement varies greatly depending on the type of center and the level of studies taken.

According to the OCU survey data:

  • By type of center: from 1,176 euros for public education students to 6,171 euros for private students.
In Babies and more 13 things you should keep in mind when choosing a school for your children
  • By level of studies: It varies between the 1,837 average of Early Childhood Education, 2,079 in Primary, 1,920 in ESO and 2,061 in Baccalaureate.

In addition, fortunately we do not have to make all payments in September, but some are paid monthly, although it is undeniable that 'the September cost' receives this name for compelling reasons: almost 500 euros are going back on vacation, only in tuition, clothing, books and school supplies. And you have to keep adding.

What we spend the budget on

  • Uniform. Tracksuit, polo shirts, shoes, coat, pants or skirts ... Respondents say they spend an average of just over 170 euros, with differences between public and private centers, and whether or not children wear uniforms.

  • Textbooks. We will spend an average of 124 euros if the child goes to Infantil, and 264 euros if he is already in Baccalaureate.

  • School supplies. The pack is very extensive and encompasses from the backpack to the cards, notebooks, pencils or flute. You have to reserve between 80 and 100 euros for these expenses, which continue to 'bleed' our pockets also throughout the year.

  • Tuition, school insurance. On average 64 euros of these items must be added the fees of the Parent Associations (about 23 euros on average).

Deferred payments: 172 euros per month

The OCU survey also advances an average monthly expenditure per student next year of about 172 euros, again with important differences.

While in public schools it barely exceeds 90 euros, in private schools, it amounts to more than 600.

The main difference is in the costs of school fees or 'voluntary contribution', which are only paid in private or concerted centers and the monthly bill goes up a lot.

In Babies and more Extracurricular activities: which are the most chosen and how much we spend per child

Along with that expense, each month you have to add the cost of dining (and sometimes breakfast), the route (or transportation costs), extracurricular activities (languages, sports, music ...).

This expense, multiplied by the months of the course, is added to the 'annual' expenses (tuition, textbooks, school supplies, field trips, parents' association fees, etc.), which represent an average of 348 euros in the case of public education, 574 euros in the concerted one, and 672 in the case of private education, for each child.

And the result is those 1,993 euros on average, according to OCU calculations.

Report Sample

In order to obtain the data, the OCU conducted an online survey in July 2019 of 1,094 parents with children of school age (between 3 and 18 years) to know their forecast of expenses for the next course.

In total, they claim to have obtained information from almost 1,700 students from all over Spain: children and adolescents in Infant, Primary, ESO and Baccalaureate.

60% went to public centers, 33% to concerted centers and 7% to private schools.

The costs of returning to school have increased by 14% in the last 10 years

The Internet insurance comparator, Kelisto, has also conducted a survey on the subject that reflects an increase in family outlay that involves returning to our children's classrooms.

According to his report, in September we will spend a total average of 879 euros on average, almost 3% of the 29,871 euros spent by a home a year.

This figure contrasts with the evolution of the family budget, which has fallen, on average, by 1.8%, from 30,411 euros in 2009 to 29,871 euros in 2019.

The total cost in Spain of the return to school will mean an invoice of more than 7,500 million euros.

Of course, the report points out great differences between type of school, level of education and Autonomous Community.

  • Depending on the type of center: in publics, spending has skyrocketed 22.91% (586 euros on average per student), while in private ones, more than 26% (821 euros) has been cut.
In Babies and more The fees of the arranged schools are not deductible and families may have to return the tax deductible
  • By Autonomous Community: The households with the most difficulties in assuming the expenses of returning to school are those of the Valencian Community, where the school bill will represent almost 4% of its annual budget. After Extremadura (3.4%), Catalonia (3.3%), Castilla y León (3.2%), Madrid and Castilla-La Mancha (both with 3.1%).

At the opposite extreme are La Rioja and Navarra. In these autonomous communities, the invoice of the return to the classrooms will only represent 2.3% and 2.7%, respectively of family income.

The average amount of each scholarship or school aid granted in Spain has increased almost 50% in the last decade, although with great differences depending on the type of education.
  • Help and scholarships. Many families are only able to overcome the return to school thanks to the grants and scholarships granted by the State and the Autonomous Communities. In the last year, the total amount for this purpose increased by 2%, and exceeded 2,100 million euros (2,172.54 million), while the number of grants or scholarships granted increased by 3.19%, up to 3 ,4 millions.

Despite these increases, the average amount per scholarship fell 1.12%, from 638.04 euros to 630.9 euros.

In addition, over the past 10 years, The evolution of aid for different types of education has been very uneven: while the average amount for aid for university education has fallen by 4.44% (to 961.11 euros), in post-compulsory non-university education has increased by 12.35% (669.59 euros for aid) and in compulsory, early childhood education and special education, 125.87% (380.82 euros for aid) has skyrocketed.

Saving is possible and necessary

In a context in which one in four households claims to reach the end of the month "with difficulty" or "With much difficulty" and 36% do not have the capacity to face unforeseen expenses (according to Kalisto.es data) it is essential to compare the different offers that are in the market to cut the final expenditure that will be used to return to school.

You can save on textbooks, buying them second-hand; in school supplies, with Ikea offers for example, also with ideas for your study corner; or not saturating children with extracurricula that we want parents to do but do not ask our children, with tricks to save when the second baby arrives (reusing older clothes, for example) ...

In Babies and more Back to school: 17 savings tips that your pocket will appreciate

If we look for the tricks, we can save ourselves some money so that we are not attracted to the return of the holidays, which we already have enough to make the children adapt again to the early risers.

Photos | iStock

Video: How parents will spend their back to school budgets (March 2024).