As the Covid-19 pandemic enters its second year, parents may find themselves having to fork out more for their children\u2019s schooling than they did pre-Covid-19, says Andr\u00e9 Wentzel, solutions manager at Sanlam.<\/p>\n
Wentzel said that to see a child through their schooling career \u2013 which includes primary, secondary, and tertiary schooling \u2013 parents are looking at upwards of R1 million in 2021 terms.<\/p>\n
He said that historically education costs have increased by 2 – 3% above general inflation meaning that, over time, they\u2019ve become a larger proportion of a household\u2019s budget.<\/p>\n
He added that this considers fees for:<\/p>\n
Besides preparing for monthly tuition fees, parents need to be prepared for the hidden costs brought about by the pandemic, said Wentzel.<\/p>\n
Devices<\/strong><\/p>\n “In 2020 many parents found themselves having to purchase online equipment such as laptops and other digital devices when schools were closed as a result of Covid-19, to ensure continuous learning via online platforms,” said Wentzel.<\/p>\n “Many private schools have reverted to online learning at the start of 2021 as a result of the 2-week reopening delay.<\/p>\n Wentzel said parents need to consider making provision for the costs of devices should schools\u2019 reopening be delayed even further, forcing more schools to revert to online learning.<\/p>\n “With computer coding and robotics on the cards as new subjects for more schools next year, according to the Department of Basic Education director-general, Mathanzima Mweli, this would also require electronic devices to be purchased.”<\/p>\n Health and safety costs<\/strong><\/p>\n To ensure your child adheres to Covid-19 safety regulations, Wentzel said that there will be costs involved for face masks, face shields and hand sanitiser.<\/p>\n Parents are also urged to ensure their children are taking multivitamins every day and should provide them with good nutrition to build up their immune systems against the virus.<\/p>\n He added that children are struggling with the emotional fallout of Covid-19 and may need professional support.<\/p>\n “While some schools are lucky enough to have counsellors onsite, learners may need the additional support of a life coach or psychologist and this can cost anything from R750 – R1,200 per session.”<\/p>\n Clinical psychologist, Irene Streeten, said that the Covid-19 pandemic has created various levels of anxiety. Lockdown has had a serious impact on socialisation which can cause children to become withdrawn and depressed, or even rebellious.<\/p>\n “While Covid-19 itself is the designated pandemic, anxiety and depression have been labelled the shadow pandemics because they are the two main emotional consequences of the pandemic and lockdown,” said Streeten.<\/p>\n Extras\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Retailer Game recently published data on how parents are preparing for the 2021 school year.<\/p>\n The data is based on a survey of more than 1,200 South Africans and covered questions around concerns and hidden costs of the \u2018back to school\u2019 period for parents.<\/p>\n More than three quarters (67%) of parents said they were concerned about finding funds for stationery and other school supplies, while 56% were concerned about mentally preparing their children to return to school.<\/p>\n However, the biggest concern for most parents (76%) is whether schools will again be shut down due to the Covid-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n When parents were asked to rank the annual costs of sending children to school (excluding school fees) from most to least expensive, the results were as follows:<\/p>\n When asked what they were spending annually on each child, outside of school fees, the majority (78%) said that they are spending less than R10,000, with 55% spending R5,000 or less.<\/p>\n Only 10% of respondents indicated that they are spending over R21,000.<\/p>\n This may decrease even further in 2021, as the survey found that 20% of the sample had taken a salary reduction since the beginning of lockdown, 17% were retrenched, and 11% had to close their businesses as a result of Covid-19 and lockdown.<\/p>\n \u201cSending children to school is certainly a priority for most parents in South Africa \u2013 however, it is also a huge source of financial strain,” said Katherine Madley, vice president of marketing at Game.<\/p>\n\n
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