Some parents struggling before school reopens next Monday

Parents preparing for the new school term are complaining that the cost of books and the number of items on school booklists are placing an unbearable financial strain on families, particularly those with multiple children.

Some parents said that they are struggling to purchase even the basic items needed for their children, while others said booklists for a single child can run into tens of thousands of dollars. Coleen, who has one child entering grade five, said she has been unable to complete her daughter’s back to-school shopping. The new academic year is slated to begin on September 7.

“Mi nuh pay fi her uniform yet. Mi only buy the cloth. No shoes, bag, nothing at all because mi nuh have no money,” she said. She added that her daughter’s booklist includes nine books, with some costing about $3,500 each.

“The voucher weh mi would get maybe can buy two book, and she need 12 hardcover book fi carry,” she said. For Deandra Braham, who has three children returning to school, the challenge is even greater.

“The one going primary school, her booklist is almost $50,000. Last year it wasn’t so challenging, but this year it hard. The high school booklist even more expensive than the primary,” she said. “A nuff parents a bawl because it’s not me alone nuh cover the booklist.”

Taneil Landell, of Waltham Park Road, said she has five children going back to school and their combined booklists have surpassed $100,000.

“It hard because mi haffi buy PEP book, fifth grade and basic school book. The booklist fi the five a dem come to over $100,000 and mi get fi buy them through PATH,” she admitted.

Landell was among parents who attended a back-to-school treat hosted by Member of Parliament (MP) for St Andrew South Western, Angela Brown Burke. Landell said it helped to ease some of the burden.

“It cover the bag and other things them need,” she said. She appealed directly to Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness for intervention.

“Andrew Holness, yuh need fi step in and please cut down the booklist fi the children because it too expensive for parents weh have multiple children. One booklist a $34,000. We cannot afford it.”

“Sometimes we nuh have nuh babyfather and we haffi hustle inna the street. The auxiliary fee dem high too, so we need yuh fi step in,” she added.

Brown Burke said the complaints from parents about expensive and lengthy booklists are widespread.

“Parents are saying that the school supplies, just in terms of the cost of it, is a lot for many of them, and especially when they have multiple children,” she said. “They tell me that even kindergarten, they are still getting a big booklist.”

“Sometimes they complain as well that you have this long booklist and that if they get to buy several of them, sometimes the kids don’t even use all of them,” she added.

She was speaking at her annual back-to-school event, which catered to about 300 children and provided book bags and school supplies. The children also benefited from medical and dental services. Brown Burke said the school supplies distributed included colouring books, crayons, pencils, sharpeners, erasers and pens, while some older children received additional items.

The MP said her assistance has also extended to paying some school fees and providing support for tertiary students. She said she has exhausted the $5 million allocated to education through the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) and also accessed $3 million for tertiary students.

“It still really is not enough because the need is so great,” she said, adding that children should not be singled out because their parents are unable to make payments, as it affects their psyche.

Brown Burke argued that more also needs to be done to address the contributions and auxiliary fees being requested by some schools.

“Different schools ask for different amounts. Some are more manageable than others,” she said. “I understand what that means, but I believe that there has to be another way, because some of the parents really just can’t afford it.”

She noted that the financial pressures facing families have been compounded by the effects of Hurricane Melissa, particularly for persons without regular employment. The MP, who has called for an increase in the CDF, said the current $20 million allocation is inadequate to meet the growing needs within communities.