She’s a mother of three children — two of whom have just begun their second year at St Augustine’s College in Kyabram — and she’s worried about the future when her third is old enough to attend school.
It’s a reality that many parents have to live with amid a cost-of-living crisis.
From books, stationery and textbooks to camp and excursion fees and musical instruments — add all the costs together and an expensive reality begins to set in.
But the “big killer” for Nadia was the uniforms.
“I remember being really shocked at how expensive it all was,” Nadia said.
“It was a big strain … just getting the school uniform together because they needed something for summer, something for winter, then sport — it was a big killer.”
Nadia isn’t alone in this feeling.
A 2022 study found parents paid, on average, $444 in school fees, $641 on camps and sporting equipment, $525 on electronic devices and $473 on uniforms and textbooks.
Victorian Council of Social Service director of policy and advocacy Deborah Fewster said the number of Victorian families struggling to pay for extra expenses was increasing.
“Out-of-pocket costs of uniforms, stationery, excursions, camps, electronic devices and sporting equipment can add up to thousands of dollars per year for each child in a family,” she said.
“Every child should get a great education … regardless of family income.”
Parents of 2025 students have the option to alleviate costs through the new School Saving Bonus scheme.
Announced last November, the School Saving Bonus is a $400 voucher that was sent out to parents of students to use towards additional costs in the 2025 school year.
The scheme was delivered to parents and carers of over 700,000 students across the state with the intention of alleviating pressures brought on by the cost-of living crisis.
The Victorian Government projected 60 per cent of the vouchers would be used towards school activities while 20 per cent would be spent on uniforms and textbooks.
The bonus $400 applied to every student, so a family with two or more student-aged children received multiple vouchers.
However, families such as Nadia’s who met a certain threshold were ineligible.
“It would have been a huge pressure off to get those school supplies (using the $400 bonus),” Nadia said.
“But I know there’s a lot of families out there that it would have been a great help to.
“I just couldn’t imagine not being able to send your kids to school in the right uniform, with fitted shoes or with a bit of balance in their lunchboxes.
“Kids notice stuff like that, and it does take a toll on the child themselves.”
To alleviate future costs that will eventually be brought on by her son entering school, she is saving shoes and uniforms worn by her daughters to pass on to him.
She’s also been scrolling the school’s privately run second-hand uniform Facebook page where parents of current or past students sell uniforms at a highly discounted price.
“I thought (the page) was a great idea, especially for families with multiple kids like me … and especially if the clothes are of high quality, they will last a while even if they are second hand,” she said.
However, the VCOSS is pushing for the government to alleviate these costs all together to take stress off families for necessary purchases like uniforms.
“VCOSS is asking the Victorian Government to continue to back students and families in this year’s budget by supporting the cost of digital devices, textbooks and stationery as part of the standard curriculum,” Deborah Fewster said.
Though Nadia managed to scrape together the $700 for uniforms this year, she’s deeply concerned that these mounting costs are pushing many local families to breaking point.
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