How much does preparing a first-grader for school cost? LA.LV calculates supply prices
Ahead of the new school year, Latvian outlet LA.LV compared several schools' first-grader supply lists and found total costs ranging from roughly 11 to nearly 97 euros, depending on the school. Clothing, shoes and sportswear were excluded from the calculation as prices vary too widely.
As September 1 approaches, parents in Latvia are again facing the question of how much it will cost to prepare a child for the new school year. The list is usually longest for first-graders, since most supplies — from pencil cases to glue and scissors — must be bought from scratch, whereas older students often already have some items left from previous years.
LA.LV reviewed supply lists published by several schools and calculated approximate costs using prices from the "ROLLING" online store, choosing the cheapest available option for each item. The calculation excludes sportswear, sports shoes, indoor shoes and other clothing, since prices for these vary significantly depending on parents' choices.
Costs differ significantly between schools
At Riga's Fricis Brīvzemnieks Primary School, basic supplies for a first-grader — a pencil case, glue stick, scissors, notebooks, folders and a school bag — cost about 55.72 euros in total, with the pencil case and its contents alone accounting for 19.61 euros. Adding the visual arts and technology materials listed by the school brings the total to roughly 96.72 euros.
At Vecpiebalga Primary School, where the list includes more notebooks, the basic set costs about 56.13 euros, rising to 63.27 euros once an apron for art classes is added. At Riga's Natālija Draudziņa Secondary School, the items included in the calculation total about 50.90 euros. At Cēsis Primary School No. 1, which has a simpler list, notebooks alone cost around 11 euros, though a pencil case and backpack are still needed on top of that.
LA.LV notes that these figures are only approximate — prices may differ between stores, and actual costs depend on each school's requirements and parents' choices.
What the law requires
Under Latvia's Education Law, parents are required, within their financial means, to provide the individual learning supplies their child needs — including stationery, clothing, footwear and materials used during the learning process.
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