Follow us

Generic filters
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Generic filters
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
22 Sep, 2021

SURVEY by Familles de France: Cost of the new school year up by 1,04 %

Cost of the new school year

For the 37th consecutive year, Familles de France has carried out its annual survey on the cost of the start of the new school year for a child entering secondary school.

The aim of this survey is threefold:

  •  To follow the evolution of the cost of the start of the school year over the years in all physical distribution channels (hypermarkets, supermarkets, and specialised shops) and digital distribution channels (e-commerce);
  • Advising families on the purchase of school supplies;
  • To ensure that the items are good value for money.

In July 2021, volunteers of Familles de France checked the prices of back-to-school items in their respective towns and in each distribution channel, according to a pre-established standard list  made up of 45 school items distributed as follows:

  • 17 stationery or filing supplies (notebooks, folders, etc.)
  • 25 non-paper supplies (kit equipment, school bag, calculator, etc.)
  • 3 sports items (a jogging suit, a pair of sports shoes, two pairs of socks)

Familles de France notes an increase of 1.04% in the cost of supplies for a pupil entering secondary school, reaching €199.34.

This cost is increasing overall in all physical distribution channels as follows:

+0.61% in hypermarkets for an average cost of €192.05,

+3.07% in supermarkets for an average cost of €195.48,

+0.80% in specialised shops for an average cost of €224.68.

However, the cost of online distribution fell by 1.79% to an average of €204.11.

By item of supplies, Familles de France notes an increase of 4.34% for stationery and an increase of 0.76% for sporting goods, while non-stationary supplies have fallen by 0.42%.

Concerning the back-to-school allowance (ARS), Familles de France firmly defends this system, which is more than ever useful to families in this context of impoverishment, while proposing ways to improve it:

  • Proposal 1: Adjust the amounts more precisely in order to better meet the needs of families,
  • Proposal 2: Extend the ARS from the age of 3,
  • Proposal 3: Maintain the cash payment.

Familles de France also welcomes the creation of the Pass’Sport and Pass’Culture, national supports for young people, dedicated respectively to encouraging sports and cultural activities.

For the start of the 2021 school year, Familles de France is also raising families’ awareness of the risks to children’s health and the environment associated with the composition of certain materials. It invites families to find their way around, in particular thanks to the labels, in order to integrate the health and environmental criteria into their purchasing decisions.

Familles de France provides a number of purchasing tips, such as choosing a school bag with the advice of a health professional.  Solidarity initiatives to reduce the cost of the new school year, such as bartering and collecting supplies, group buying or buying packs, are also detailed.

Finally, in its report Familles de France analyses the new COVID-19 health protocols for this back-to-school period, which is placed under the sign of presence onsite and not online, as well as the main budgetary prioirities of the National Education system.

See full report here (in French).


Photo: ©shironosov via Canva.com

Related Posts

ArticlesNews
EU Flag _ - Getty Images Signature
Monitoring Framework for Access to Affordable High-Quality Long-Term Care

Monitoring Framework for Access to Affordable High-Quality Long-Term Care

On 27 May 2025, after more than two years of work, the indicators sub-group of the Social Protection Committee has released its Monitoring Framework for the Council Recommendation on Access to Affordable High-Quality Long-Term Care (Council Recommendation on LTC). The monitoring framework includes indicators that will allow the European Union to better gather and compare data on long-term care at EU level, as well as to measure the Member States progress towards achieving the objectives of the Council Recommendation on LTC, which was adopted in 2022.

Read More

ArticlesNews
Map of the EU
2025 Insights on Family Policies – European Observatory on Family Policy

2025 Insights on Family Policies – European Observatory on Family Policy

A new editorial series called 2025 Insights on Family Policies is dedicated to examining contemporary developments in family policy across European contexts. Published by the European Observatory of Family Policy, the Insights series engages with critical debates on the design, implementation, and coordination of policies that support families in diverse and evolving societal landscapes. These deliverables will be published in different issues - The first insights of the series focusing on Italy.

Read More