OREANDA-NEWS In 2024, the total cost of families to prepare schoolchildren for the beginning of the school year increased by more than 10 thousand rubles, 43,029 rubles a year earlier, to 53,548 rubles, or 24%, VTSIOM reported, referring to the results of surveys.

The last survey was conducted on August 17 among 1,600 Russian adults by phone. 27% of respondents have school children, 23% have school grandchildren. More than half of the respondents were able to name specific amounts of costs, depending on the item of expenditure. School fees by agreement with the administration and voluntary sponsorship are "apparently a less predictable category of spending, only 34% and 16% could name at least an approximate amount for them," sociologists noted.

Families have to spend the most on buying school uniforms, sports uniforms, and replacement shoes, which is an average of 24,919 rubles against 20,414 rubles in 2023.

The respondents will spend 6,883 rubles on textbooks and school notebooks (in 2023 it cost 4,688 rubles).

An average of 5,127 rubles are spent on the purchase of pencil cases and writing materials for one student this year, compared to 3,581 rubles a year earlier.

Buying a school briefcase, bag or satchel costs 4,590 rubles, which turned out to be somewhat cheaper compared to last year, when such expenses averaged 4,998 rubles.

In 2024, the voluntary sponsorship fee averages 4,650 rubles, a year ago it was 3,873 rubles, the survey showed. Contributions by agreement with the school administration and other parents, including for security, technical equipment of the classroom and detergents, amount to an average of 4,628 rubles, whereas last year 3,361 rubles had to be spent for these purposes.

And finally, flowers and gifts to teachers by September 1 this time will cost parents 2,771 rubles, a year ago it cost, on average, 2,113 rubles, sociologists say.