KUCHING: As the new school year approaches, parents are feeling the financial strain of preparing their children for school.
With rising costs of school supplies, uniforms, and fees, many are taking proactive steps to manage expenses and ensure their children have what they need.
Anne Tajuddin, 32, housewife shared her strategy of only purchasing essential items.
“I only buy what is necessary and needed,” she said.
“If clothes or bags are still in good condition, I won’t buy new ones to avoid waste,” she said.
However, she acknowledges the challenge of keeping up with her growing child’s changing sizes. To ease the financial burden, she has been saving in advance to cover school fees and supplies.
For parents like Ainul, budgeting has become crucial, especially when transitioning a child to a new school.
Her son, Muhd Rayyan Syafiq, 13, is among those starting secondary school this year, requiring new textbooks, a school bag, stationery, and shoes.
“At first, managing the commitments, school fees, and rising costs was overwhelming,” she admitted.
“But my husband and I planned ahead and saved money for the school expenses and we were prepared to pay.”
She also observed that many parents are making sacrifices to provide the best for their children.
“Parents with multiple children have to balance both their time and finances carefully. With today’s economic situation, everything is getting more expensive,” she added.
As families navigate these challenges, early financial planning has proven to be an effective way to manage back-to-school expenses. For many parents, the goal remains the same—to ensure their children receive the best education possible despite the rising costs.
As for self-employed Mohd Huzaini Tahir, 37, he shares how he feels when this year sending his son to primary school.
“This year is my first time experiencing this because my first child is entering primary school. If I followed my heart, I would want to buy a lot of things. But I feel that the most important ones are just school uniforms, stationery, and comfortable shoes—something worth investing a little more in since children at this age are still very active,” he said.
“For my son, Muhammad Hans Haffiy, 7, I personally start saving early and buy things little by little so that it doesn’t feel overwhelming to purchase everything at once. Since I only have one child in school, I can still manage well so far,” he added.
“Alhamdulillah, I’m still feeling calm despite it being my first time sending my child to primary school. One of the challenges might be adjusting to a new routine, as school used to start at 8am, but now it will be earlier,” he explained.
Another major concern among parents is the issue of bullying. “I believe many parents share this worry. I just hope that all our children are protected from becoming either a bully or a victim,” he said.
