SHAH ALAM, Dec 31 — Parents are using the school holidays to purchase school supplies in preparation for their children starting the new school term in the middle of next month.
Housewife Siti Aminah Mustafa, 52, said she made purchases for her two children according to her means, choosing brands that offer reasonable prices.
“For me, prices go up every year, but we also need to look for other brands that offer different and more affordable prices.
“For example, school uniforms are sometimes only worn occasionally as pupils often wear sports attire so that good-quality uniforms can be reused the following year,” she said.
Aminah added that the RM150 school assistance she received has also helped ease her financial burden for school-related expenses, including stationery, books, and school uniforms.
Meanwhile, retired teacher Mohd Yazid Abdul Rahman, 62, also took advantage of the school holidays to accompany his child in buying school supplies at the Mydin supermarket in Subang Jaya.
“So far, I have bought sports shoes and a new school bag. Usually, I would buy two sets of school uniforms, but since students are now allowed to wear sports attire, one set is sufficient,” he said.
Yazid noted that he usually spends the school holidays buying school supplies for his eight children, but this year he accompanied only one child to buy school necessities.
Siti Yang Masturah Mat Desa, 35, from Jalan Klang Lama, Puchong, also brought her two children to buy school uniforms and shoes in preparation for the new school session next year.
“I bought two sets of uniforms for the national school and another two sets for the religious school, which I think is sufficient.
“Stationery was purchased earlier, while existing items such as rulers and erasers that are still in good condition will be reused,” said Masturah, who is also a Kelas Al-Quran dan Fardu Ain teacher.
However, she said the increase in school supply prices is burdensome, with clothing expenses alone for her two children exceeding RM300, excluding stationery.
Meanwhile, Shazwani Samsudin, 33, was accompanied by her husband in looking for school supplies for their only child, who will be entering Year Two in the next school session.
“So far, we have only bought shoes, and later we will buy a shirt and trousers for our Year Two child. For me, the school expenses for one child are manageable as I am a housewife,” she told Media Selangor.
Earlier, a survey at Mydin Subang Jaya found that parents have begun taking advantage of the school holidays by bringing their children to buy school supplies and make early preparations for the school session starting in mid-January.
