BIG EXPENSE WITH RETURN TO SCHOOL

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29108, 21 January 1960, Page 8

BIG EXPENSE WITH RETURN TO SCHOOL

Although they may not have recovered from the financial demands of Christmas, many parents will soon be faced with the expense of preparing their sons and daughters for the school year.

This year it will cost at least £4O to equip a boy for his first year at a secondary school, and if the best quality clothes are bought it will cost considerably more. A girl can be equipped for school for £25 to ,£3O. If the son or daughter is going to a boarding school the cost will be higher. The list of clothes for a boy who is going to a secondary school for the first year will include (with approximate prices):

This list will cost at least £45. allowing for variation in prices at different shops. Credit Schemes Many shops in Christchurch have credit schemes which make the purchase of school clothes a less painful process than it has been in the past. The most expensive items are the suit, which with long trousers will cost approximately £l3, and the raincoat, which will cost at least £7.

If the boy is to be a boarder at his new school, however, the cost is much higher. Towels, pyjamas, slippers, a dressinggown, grey slacks, shirts for everyday wear, and other small items will have to be added to the list of purchases. These additions will raise the cost by at least £25, bringing the total to approximately £65. Later in the year the boy will find that he requires such things as more shirts and handkerchiefs, and also football shorts, jerseys and boots. The wise father, however, will say that the boy may grow in the summer term, and will manage to defer this expense until the beginning of the football season. Girls’ List If the daughter is starting at a secondary school the expense will not be as great. One Christchurch shop will supply a full

outfit for most girls’ schools for £25 to £3O. A list of clothes for the prospective secondary school girl will include (with approximate prices):—

Lace-up shoes will cost £3, and house shoes will cost £2 to £3. Gym. shoes will cost £l, and stockings, gloves, and other incidentals will add further to the list of purchases. If the girl is going to a boarding school another £lO to £l5 will be added to the cost.

Not only those parents whose children are starting in a new school will have to make purchases. The boy who is entering the fifth form will decide that he must have some ordinary sports clothes . . . “but Dad, I can’t

wear my uniform all the time.” This will mean buying a sports coat costing £6 to £lO, and a pair of sports trousers costing £4 to £6.

The boy who is entering the sixth form will decide that he must have an electric razor. Sometimes, however, the father has the foresight to give his son a razor for Christmas.

Most clothes will be bought by the end of January, but there is a great deal of last-minute buying on the day before the schools open. Most Christchurch shops also find that there is a certain amount of buying, mostly for things that have been forgotten, throughout February.

£ s d Suit . 13 0 0 Five shirts .... . 4 10 0 Six pairs socks . 2 8 0 One pair shoes .. . 3 0 0 Cap 0 18 6 Tie' 0 5' 6 Blazer 5 10 0 Slacks 3 10 0 Pullover 9 0 0 Raincoat . 7 0 0 Football gear .... . 6 10 0 Satchel . 1 10 0

£ s d Gym. tunic ... 4 10 0 Blazer .. 4 0 0 Raincoat .. .. 7 0 0 Pullover . • .. 2 10 0 Tie .. 0 5 6 Hat .. 0 17 6 Sports rompers .. 0 15 0 Three blouses .. 3 9 0