Cost of school supplies drops

THE COST of getting children ready to go back to school has dropped by almost 9% this year, new figures have revealed.

As households across France prepare for the rentrée on September 2, research from Familles de France (FDF) found the average shopping list for an 11-year-old starting collège this year was €174.23 – down 8.7% on last year.

This is the second year running that prices have dropped - in 2008 they were down 7.7% on the previous year.

Stationery saw the biggest price drop – down 27.3% - while the cost of sports kit was up 0.9% on last year.

FDF found that it was in shops where the best bargains were to be found, not on the internet.

The group's president, Henri Joyeux, said: "The internet is a con – it costs about 20% more. I would strongly urge families not to buy online."

Another set of data, from the Confédération syndicale des familles is due out next Tuesday.

It is expected to show a drop, but not as big as the one claimed by the FDF, which has been examining the price of school supplies every year for the past 25 years.

The annual allocation de rentrée scolaire - a €1.5bn government aid to help low-income families buy school supplies - will be paid out tomorrow.

Almost three million families in France are eligible for the annual sum of €280.76 for six to ten-year-olds, €306.51 for 15 to 18-year-olds and €296.22 for those in-between.

To qualify, households must have had a 2007 net income less than €22,321 if they have one child or €27,472 for those with two children.

If you received the payout in a previous year, this year's will come automatically provided you have declared your 2007 income.

New applicants can sign up for the scheme by filling in this PDF form and sending it to their local Caisse d’Allocations Familiales.