Burden of '˜back to school costs'

The survey, carried out by the online sales app '˜Shpock', revealed that roughly one in five parents (21%) in the South East feel that '˜back to school costs' are a burden on their financial budget.

Other results highlighted that:

- 21 percent of parents need to set aside money for their children's return to school.

- 20 percent feel pressurised to buy branded goods when purchasing items such as school bags.

- One in four parents feel their school does not provide sufficient support in keeping costs down.

- One in ten parents are willing to go into debt to ensure their children get the school supplies they need.

The survey revealed that to address the issue many parents are willing to purchase second hand items with 35 percent stating they would buy previously owned school items.