Buzzz Magazine highlights some of the concerns parents face with the upcoming ‘back to school’ scenario; we also offer some solutions that will hopefully make the transition a little smoother.
Claudette*, a mother of four children, two of whom are still in school, is feeling the pressure to provide as once again her children’s school fees have increased and she gets little to no support from their fathers. “Can you believe that dem raise the fees again? How dem expect poor people fi survive? Me daughter jus a go inna second form and is a bag a tings dem a ask fah and a whole heap a voucher dem send gi me! Auxiliary, lab fee and even one separate fi PTA! No man, dem people unconscionable cause is close to $30,000 dis and uniform and shoes no even factor in yet!”
Jason*, an accountant, is also feeling the financial burn. He laments that high schools in particular are getting ridiculous with their long laundry list of demands that are excessive and unwarranted. “My son just passed his GSAT and I am faced with paying for his ‘package’ to high school? Who came up with this form of extortion? Why am I paying to collect a book list, vouchers, school rules etc.? The Ministry of Education should do something about this!”
Apart from school fees, uniforms, books and shoes, another expense many are faced with is the school medical. In the past parents could simply take their child to their personal physician at their convenience during the summer holidays but many schools are now insisting that medicals be done at the school by specific doctors assigned and on a specific date. This has become a point of contention for many parents who are inconvenienced with the stipulated times and some have also complained that the cost is actually higher than their private physician’s.
Lorraine’s* home is in Angels Estate, outside of Spanish Town; she works at the nearby GC Foster College but both her daughters attend school in Kingston which makes transportation a nightmare. “Getting my girls to school has not been easy at all as I have to get up at the crack of dawn to drive them to Kingston and then get back in time for my own job. I know I could send them to a nearer school but I just want them to get the best education possible. They get up so early though that I sometimes feel guilty about sacrificing so much of their sleep time and I wonder if it’s all worth it,” expressed a distressed Lorraine 38-year-old Angella* a mother of two kids in high school, is one of the more fortunate parents, remarking, “ I dread back-to-school, because I simply don’t have the time to run around and do all the essentials…shopping for books, uniform, the works; it is all stress… plus I have to find a new driver because Winston sick now”
With 3 children under the age of ten, a large portion of Aston’s* salary is spent on food especially on snacks for his kids lunch kits. More and more parents are struggling to adequately balance what they feed their children faced with the onslaught of commercials promoting brand-name cereals and snacks. The good old days of packing an orange, cheez trix and an omelette will not cut it anymore since children are a lot more demanding about what they take to school.
All of these parents are typical of many others who are either struggling financially, concerned that they are being taken for a ride by educational institutions or distressed by the copious tasks of preparing kids for school. Happily, here are some tips that can provide possible solutions to the back-to-school woes.
Establish a workable routine. For the younger children, setting a good routine is essential to make them not only love attending school but getting there on time and enjoying the whole process. Children under ten especially need to have a set sleep and meal schedule so that they are not groggy in the morning. This way they get off to school without unnecessary delays and drama.
Plan your day beforehand. Preparation is key to surviving in today’s busy world and when it comes to school-age children, one has got to be smart. Homework should be done in the evening before bed and not on the morning of school! School shoes need to be polished the night before and school bags packed and checked. Parents can also plan the night before what is on the menu for breakfast which should be something easy to prepare: cereal, eggs, toast, or fruits.
Do things the old-fashioned way. There is in fact a lot of merit to the traditional shopping methods our parents used. Today parents on a budget need school uniforms to last at least two grade levels and shoes to last at least an entire year, therefore they should buy uniforms that are longer and hem them until the child grows into the clothing. Shoes can also be bought one size bigger and stuffed with tissue or wrapping paper until these are no longer needed.
Iron weekly. No one really loves this chore but it takes up too much time in the mornings; expect a sky-high electricity bill if you iron every single morning. Iron on a Saturday or Sunday evening and watch your preparation anxiety decrease – not to mention your monthly light bill.
Buy in bulk! Thanks to Pricesmart and other similar wholesale outlets, parents can buy snacks, food and other items that children need at a fraction of the cost if they buy in bulk. Take advantage of wholesales and stock up on the kids’ favourite snacks.
Carpool. If your children and your neighbour’s children are all heading to schools in the same direction, why not car pool? It saves you time and petrol. Parents can make a roster and alternate days so that everyone has days off each week.
Let someone else do the work. Several communities, especially those in Portmore and Spanish Town, have for years devised this ingenious method of saving a little money. Hire a bus driver to carry all the children in one community going to one or two specific schools in one general direction. That way the driver does not have to make detoured pick-ups and it is more economic for each parent.
Save time and money banking online. You can pay school fees online without asking your boss for time off to stand in a long line at the bank. You also do not have to worry about being a victim of a crime as you will not carrying around any large sums of cash.
Buy used textbooks. All around Kingston and in a few other parts of the island, are used book sellers who buy, sell and trade in second hand books and over the last few years have stepped up their game to include text books into their literary provision. Second hand text books are available sometimes in almost mint condition. These books can sometimes be purchased for a third of the cost of a new book.
Access easy-to- repay loans. At times we just have to make the decision to take out a loan. These loan however should not put us in debt but be a means to an end where repayment terms and interest rates are reasonable. There are several institutions willing to give loans but only enter into such an agreement with reputable companies such as the Jamaica National Building Society (JNBS) which offers ‘back to school’ financing of up to $500,000 through their JN ‘EduCare’ Loan. Successful JN members do not need collateral and have 6 to 24 months to repay. First Regional Co-operative Credit Union also has a loan dubbed ‘Back to School Buzz’ designed to offset school expenses and assist with school preparations.
Bank on insurance. Once considered a luxury for the fortunate, insurance is important to safeguard the interests of people from uncertainty by providing payments at a given time. It is for this reason that the National Commercial Bank (NCB) has a well known plan known as the ‘Omni Educator’ which is a long term tax advantaged life insurance plan that bears fruit when children are ready to go off to university.
Time to stop lamenting about all the stresses of the back-to-school season and take heed to several of the suggestions mentioned above and beat the back-to-school woes.
*Names changed upon request
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Buzzz Magazine highlights some of the concerns parents face with the upcoming ‘back to school’ scenario; we also offer some solutions that will hopefully make the transition a little smoother.
Claudette*, a mother of four children, two of whom are still in school, is feeling the pressure to provide as once again her children’s school fees have increased and she gets little to no support from their fathers. “Can you believe that dem raise the fees again? How dem expect poor people fi survive? Me daughter jus a go inna second form and is a bag a tings dem a ask fah and a whole heap a voucher dem send gi me! Auxiliary, lab fee and even one separate fi PTA! No man, dem people unconscionable cause is close to $30,000 dis and uniform and shoes no even factor in yet!”
Jason*, an accountant, is also feeling the financial burn. He laments that high schools in particular are getting ridiculous with their long laundry list of demands that are excessive and unwarranted. “My son just passed his GSAT and I am faced with paying for his ‘package’ to high school? Who came up with this form of extortion? Why am I paying to collect a book list, vouchers, school rules etc.? The Ministry of Education should do something about this!”
Apart from school fees, uniforms, books and shoes, another expense many are faced with is the school medical. In the past parents could simply take their child to their personal physician at their convenience during the summer holidays but many schools are now insisting that medicals be done at the school by specific doctors assigned and on a specific date. This has become a point of contention for many parents who are inconvenienced with the stipulated times and some have also complained that the cost is actually higher than their private physician’s.
Lorraine’s* home is in Angels Estate, outside of Spanish Town; she works at the nearby GC Foster College but both her daughters attend school in Kingston which makes transportation a nightmare. “Getting my girls to school has not been easy at all as I have to get up at the crack of dawn to drive them to Kingston and then get back in time for my own job. I know I could send them to a nearer school but I just want them to get the best education possible. They get up so early though that I sometimes feel guilty about sacrificing so much of their sleep time and I wonder if it’s all worth it,” expressed a distressed Lorraine 38-year-old Angella* a mother of two kids in high school, is one of the more fortunate parents, remarking, “ I dread back-to-school, because I simply don’t have the time to run around and do all the essentials…shopping for books, uniform, the works; it is all stress… plus I have to find a new driver because Winston sick now”
With 3 children under the age of ten, a large portion of Aston’s* salary is spent on food especially on snacks for his kids lunch kits. More and more parents are struggling to adequately balance what they feed their children faced with the onslaught of commercials promoting brand-name cereals and snacks. The good old days of packing an orange, cheez trix and an omelette will not cut it anymore since children are a lot more demanding about what they take to school.
All of these parents are typical of many others who are either struggling financially, concerned that they are being taken for a ride by educational institutions or distressed by the copious tasks of preparing kids for school. Happily, here are some tips that can provide possible solutions to the back-to-school woes.
Establish a workable routine. For the younger children, setting a good routine is essential to make them not only love attending school but getting there on time and enjoying the whole process. Children under ten especially need to have a set sleep and meal schedule so that they are not groggy in the morning. This way they get off to school without unnecessary delays and drama.
Plan your day beforehand. Preparation is key to surviving in today’s busy world and when it comes to school-age children, one has got to be smart. Homework should be done in the evening before bed and not on the morning of school! School shoes need to be polished the night before and school bags packed and checked. Parents can also plan the night before what is on the menu for breakfast which should be something easy to prepare: cereal, eggs, toast, or fruits.
Do things the old-fashioned way. There is in fact a lot of merit to the traditional shopping methods our parents used. Today parents on a budget need school uniforms to last at least two grade levels and shoes to last at least an entire year, therefore they should buy uniforms that are longer and hem them until the child grows into the clothing. Shoes can also be bought one size bigger and stuffed with tissue or wrapping paper until these are no longer needed.
Iron weekly. No one really loves this chore but it takes up too much time in the mornings; expect a sky-high electricity bill if you iron every single morning. Iron on a Saturday or Sunday evening and watch your preparation anxiety decrease – not to mention your monthly light bill.
Buy in bulk! Thanks to Pricesmart and other similar wholesale outlets, parents can buy snacks, food and other items that children need at a fraction of the cost if they buy in bulk. Take advantage of wholesales and stock up on the kids’ favourite snacks.
Carpool. If your children and your neighbour’s children are all heading to schools in the same direction, why not car pool? It saves you time and petrol. Parents can make a roster and alternate days so that everyone has days off each week.
Let someone else do the work. Several communities, especially those in Portmore and Spanish Town, have for years devised this ingenious method of saving a little money. Hire a bus driver to carry all the children in one community going to one or two specific schools in one general direction. That way the driver does not have to make detoured pick-ups and it is more economic for each parent.
Save time and money banking online. You can pay school fees online without asking your boss for time off to stand in a long line at the bank. You also do not have to worry about being a victim of a crime as you will not carrying around any large sums of cash.
Buy used textbooks. All around Kingston and in a few other parts of the island, are used book sellers who buy, sell and trade in second hand books and over the last few years have stepped up their game to include text books into their literary provision. Second hand text books are available sometimes in almost mint condition. These books can sometimes be purchased for a third of the cost of a new book.
Access easy-to- repay loans. At times we just have to make the decision to take out a loan. These loan however should not put us in debt but be a means to an end where repayment terms and interest rates are reasonable. There are several institutions willing to give loans but only enter into such an agreement with reputable companies such as the Jamaica National Building Society (JNBS) which offers ‘back to school’ financing of up to $500,000 through their JN ‘EduCare’ Loan. Successful JN members do not need collateral and have 6 to 24 months to repay. First Regional Co-operative Credit Union also has a loan dubbed ‘Back to School Buzz’ designed to offset school expenses and assist with school preparations.
Bank on insurance. Once considered a luxury for the fortunate, insurance is important to safeguard the interests of people from uncertainty by providing payments at a given time. It is for this reason that the National Commercial Bank (NCB) has a well known plan known as the ‘Omni Educator’ which is a long term tax advantaged life insurance plan that bears fruit when children are ready to go off to university.
Time to stop lamenting about all the stresses of the back-to-school season and take heed to several of the suggestions mentioned above and beat the back-to-school woes.
*Names changed upon request
Share this post: