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With parents getting more information on how their schools are operating and how classes will take place, they are adjusting these budgets accordingly.
As per a recent back to school YouGov survey, it's indicated that more than 93 per cent of the parents are looking to purchase at least one item to get their kids ready for school this year.
Furthermore, 53 per cent of the shoppers prefer both physical and online stores to buy the school supplies. About 26 per cent said they would prefer only physical stores, while 18 per cent claim that they prefer only online stores for shopping.
With multiple people learning and working simultaneously in the household, many are shelling out to get everyone their own device.
Pakistani expat in Abu Dhabi, Uzma Tabbassum, who is a teacher and a mother of two, said: "We have made purchases for school reopening. One of the laptops that we earlier had was becoming slow. I have twins studying in the same grade and till now both my daughter and son were using one laptop. But now as I have to return to work, I had to buy a new laptop for my son Abdullah as students of secondary schools will have online learning for the first two weeks. Hence, I had to spend around Dh4,000 buying a new laptop for the upcoming academic session. Otherwise, how will they study?"
Echoing similar sentiments, Canadian expat Mousa Nimer said: "My primary expenses this year would be buying stationery items and I need to make sure that my son's iPad is school-friendly. So, that's a significant cost depending on the model, as gadgets are always expensive."
Mona Chatterjee, mother of a 15-year-old Dubai student, said major expense during this school year are electronic items. "My daughter needed a good pair of headphones, a power bank and a printer. So, I spent around Dh350 on all these minor items apart from a new tablet which cost me around Dh2,000. Other purchases for the new school year include a study table and a comfortable chair where my daughter can sit for long hours while her online classes are on."
The influence of Covid-19 is also evident in the types of products parents are planning to buy, as students gear up for the new term after the summer break.
Some parents underline a few back-to-school supplies are necessary to keep their wards motivated for a new school year.
Syrian resident Majd Al Khatib said he didn't buy the usual things the way he does every year. "I bought only basic stationery to make the children feel excited about going back to school which is something they have been waiting for impatiently since Term 3 was online. In addition, as we've chosen blended learning, use of stationery and other materials is likely to be far less. Needless to say, masks and sanitisers are in the shopping list, which are the unusual items this year."
nandini@khaleejtimes.com
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