How much do you spend on your child’s comprehensive education? We know that private schooling will cost more than most of us have available and therefore we chose to attend the local comprehensive. But I seem to be spending more and more on comprehensive education as the cost of school rises.
There have always been costs associated with a comprehensive education. A school uniform is a must, as is a few pairs of shoes a year and the odd school trip but I am now spending more and more on my children’s comprehensive education. I am propping up the system because I can but should I?
The Costs Parents Often Forget
Many of these costs are hidden but I have tallied up just what I am spending at each month and it really is a large financial commitment. Parental choice is somewhat of a red herring in Education. We have the right to choose but those choices are affected by how much money we can invest in our children’s education.
The good schools are competitive places, if you are lucky enough to get the school you choose then there are often associated costs. I pay £11 per week on a bus pass for Dylan which equates to £44 a month typically. Transport costs are often forgotten when applying for schools. Multiply this by having a couple of children at the same school and it can outprice some families from their first-choice school.
My youngest daughter is quite an academic child and has a good chance of getting into a local grammar school and the educational advantages that could bring. Many think it doesn’t matter which school you attend but a quick look at that the schools with the best educational results in Gloucestershire will quickly highlight that out of the ten highest achieving schools 7 of them are grammar school. Of course, I want to give her this educational advantage because we all want our children to do well.
Private Tuition Costs
Primary schools are pushed to cover the national curriculum and don’t have the time to spend on teaching children how to take the 11+ exam and how to prepare for it – and before you start that they don’t need tutoring – would you take a test (driving test, citizenship test, exam at work) without any prep? The cost of this for me is £11 per week. This is for group tuition the price would double or triple for individual sessions.
My son is in some pretty large classes and has needed some extra support to ensure he gets the GCSE grades he needs in Maths. It has changed since I did Maths and he needs a subject specialist otherwise he risks being forced to redo the GCSE next year. Therefore I also find myself paying £30 a week for him to have an hours tuition a week. This has boosted his confidence and hopefully will help him secure the grade he needs.
This shows that now I am paying £52 a week on transport and tuition. I am also spending on resources, many of which are great but the cost adds up. Preparing for GCSE’s and buying revision aids cost but again Dylan doesn’t really know how to revise independently.
I don’t begrudge these costs, far from it but it is something that we are not talking about. Education is getting expensive and it only continues to increase. I have written about how much University costs for teenagers today and again it is a cost that we are picking up. I currently give our eldest £50 a week for her living costs. This tallied up shows that we are supporting our children’s to the cost of over £400 a month. And this is over and above the usually packed lunches and uniform costs
What happens for those who cannot afford this? They are left behind and disadvantaged. We are heading into a general election and I feel that this gap is only going to expand if people don’t vote for a government that invests in the public services. If you are unsure on how to vote, look to the public sector and consider where your nurses, teachers, GP’s and health care assistants are voting.
One Response
I have never thought of it like this before, my eldest has just started sixth form and we must spend a fortune on travel and art supplies (she is doing art a level) and text books each month x