Preparing a child for school has become a challenge for the family budget

With the start of the new school year, parents in Northern Cyprus face serious financial difficulties: prices for school supplies have risen so much that preparing a child for school has become a test for the family budget.

The cost of backpacks in stores starts at 499 Turkish lira and can reach 8,000 lira depending on the brand and quality. Lunch boxes and food bags cost from 350 to 1,100 lira, and thermos bottles will cost parents from 250 to 1,000 lira.

Writing supplies have also become more expensive. A simple graphite pencil costs around 30 lira, a mechanical one about 425. Highlighters sell for an average of 80 lira, erasers – 45, sharpeners – about 100, and correction fluid – also 100 lira.

Art supplies for schoolchildren are even more expensive. A set of colored pencils costs about 200 lira, watercolors – 370, pastels – 350, and a sketchbook – around 250 lira.

Paper products also hit the wallet hard. Small notebooks cost about 50 lira, large ones up to 280, and a pack of document folders – around 170 lira.

Many parents admit that prices are especially hard to bear in families with two or more children. Even a minimal set of school supplies requires significant expenses, and many families have to economize and reduce the shopping list to the essentials.

Thus, preparing for the school year this season has become a serious burden for families looking to balance quality and price. The high cost of school supplies has again highlighted the problem of rising education expenses amid economic instability.