A challenging back-to-school season?

Parents must educate children on the importance of being empathetic and humane before becoming excellent in their studies. It is imperative that every student nurtures all of their holistic and leadership skills with the guidance of parents.

The back-to-school season this year came with a very challenging time, this may be due to post covid sides effects, which most probably cause very high inflation rates, globally.  However, when there’s a will, there will always be a way out. Therefore, in times like this, most parents have to change/adjust their priorities to avoid compromising the future of their kids. Consequently, I would like to propose some tips to help parents prepare best for the new school year as follows: 1. Search for discounted items in shopping malls or online platforms. Especially here in Saudi Arabia, now that Saudi National day is a month away; some shops are already on massive sales, so parents may take advantage of that. 2. Opt-in for homemade snacks/cookies from time to time as a very economical yet greater option for your kids to still have their mother's delicacies during lunchtime in school. I believe this would cut down a significant amount of money for buying snacks/biscuits/cookies from shopping malls or restaurants. 3. Take advantage of credit/prepared cards that offer some cash back once the shopping is conducted. This is one of the easiest and most effective ways to save money during high inflation. Have a blessed season!!

As a mother of 3 and working as a librarian in a French school in Dubai, I can see much of the disruption this international situation is bringing. As a school member we face delivery problems with the school supplies, especially because in a French school a lot of material is coming from Europe. As a mother, I was already used to make my children reuse folders, bags and every piece of material from previous years as much as possible. When not wearing a uniform, my children have just the necessary clothes and not expensive ones and also second hands pieces coming from family and friends. For myself I don’t spend a lot for clothes and I’m glad to reuse some from my family’s old ones. I was already doing the same before the war and the economic crisis, not because of financial issues, but because I don’t like to waste and I try to help nature and environment. I will still spend money for traveling, after school activities and free time activities, but will probably avoid some of the luxury food, like French or Italian cheese or sushi. In general this crisis will help us by teaching us to waste less and be aware of the value of what we have. The nature will be helped and we might be able to rise a better future generation.

I think that there are many concerns for parents, teachers and administrators as we return. Many schools will be doing face-to-face classes for the first time, depending on where they live. As a parent, my first concern is to make up for the lag many children face after two years on online classes. Do we develop a standard test to determine where students are at in terms of expected learning outcomes? How accurately have our children been evaluated and promoted? Regarding cutting costs, I think parents need to help children recycle items from previous years. Do we really need a new backpack? Can parents group together to purchase supplies in bulk to lower costs or can schools purchase in bulk and create school packs that would pass on the discount to the parents? I prefer the latter as this way teachers get the appropriate supplies actually needed. As another comment suggested, high quality low cost foods like oatmeal, beans (refried bean in tortillas etc) and nuts can help families offer healthy alternatives to chips and croissants.

Well, many parents are quite new to the region and school related expenses compared to their home countries might seem overwhelmingly high. There’s a big scale of financial adjustment which parents need to plan for their kids’ school years in UAE. Proper calculation and comparison of the school fees (and packages included in the fee structure), transportation facilities, meals options, even basic supplies such as notebooks and HB pencils’ prices are a must. For my daughter I have selected a school which provides extended hours (from 7am to 7pm) with extra-curriculum activities, so that she is fully occupied and taken care of while I’m working. That saves me at least 3,500 AED per month, as I don’t need to hire a nanny. We haven’t opted for a school bus, as I am able to drop and pick her up myself, that saves another 8,200 AED per year. The school provides all necessary books and devices to all students, so we don’t have to spend on that either. Lastly, as a certified freelance nutritionist I’m happy to prepare my daughter’s school lunch myself, as that gives me an opportunity not only to save money, but also make sure that her meals are balanced and packed with all necessary micro- and macronutrients for her health and growth.

In Qatar the cost of living has for sure has risen. This is in connection with the current global and regional inflation as well as from the preparations of the upcoming FIFA World Cup. However, there is always an ever given curiosity among all the expats in Qatar of the World Cup as well as what’s in store once the storm settles down. Let’s stay positive

As a mom and living in Qatar is like very influential, so many advertisements, promotions, offers and all the marketing pictures sitting right on every parents head. It’s making back to school thing is like a race.. it’s just another year , my tip is for parents is you don’t need to buy everything which you can use for this year , for example bags, shoes, stationeries ex We can always manage things by cut off extra cost to spend which is really important. And I always try to make my children understand let’s be greatful with what we have and it’s okay to use same stationeries and wear same clothes. It’s not only about money also discipline

We can see a rise in requesting used/old books so that parents can manage to bring other school items to meet the budget. And now they have to make sure that they buy masks and sanitizers for their children because not all schools provide those. We can see that it's a rough start but at least kids will be able to socialize with their peers and classmates again.

In Lebanon, there are many challenges for Back To School First the inflation didn't only affect the parents but in so many ways the schools staff and unfortunately many think that schooling is not a priority and so the teachers salary are still very very very low according to the inflation rates And also we should state the fact that the food and petrol price are skyrocketing due to many factors this will affect in many ways the back to school process since many parents will be accommodating the needs of their children by changing schools where they won't be paying transportation (close to their homes) and the food problem is in many ways the worst that can be seen in these days Many families don't have the lowest cost to feed their children at least two meals per day and they can't even send the children to school with a proper lunch and they are cutting short their food intake which will be the cause of many health problems in the near future These problems are a portion of the overall situation.

Parents who are struggling to pay schools fee in the first place are the one who are looking now for alternatives in school supplies. For example they can buy cheaper brands of pencils and colors instead of the expensive brands like Fabre castle. Others are slightly affected with the inflation especially the one who can afford top British and American schools fees, and they are just struggling to find the high quality brands in shops these days due to the insufficient stock of imported material. It is a huge dilemma for parents on what to spend on and what not, as everyone wants the best for their little ones.