Germany before school starts: Inflation empties parents’ pockets

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Academic Lela Griessbach lives in Berlin. Her life is a balancing act between family and career. Not only did she prepare her lectures at the university, but she also looked after her two children.

Before the start of the school year, she and her husband receive a list from the school with the items needed for lessons, which can cost up to 300 euros per child.

“When I saw the list for the first time, I was shocked because there are a lot of things,” says Griessbach. “On the one hand, it's okay that there is a very good structure. Then you know what your child needs, but it is very expensive.”

Money from the office is not enough

Families with school-age children in Germany are faced with rising costs. According to the Federal Statistical Office, the cost of school supplies such as pens and books rose by 5 to 13 percent in July last year compared to the previous year.

Families in need receive 195 euros per child for school materials. But that is not enough, says the Berlin Child Protection Association. Backpacks alone, which protect the child's back, can cost 150 euros.

Some other costs vary from state to state. In Berlin, schooling is free from first to sixth grade. In Hamburg, it costs a maximum of 4 euros and 35 cents per meal.

Parents choose private schools

Although education at state schools is free, more and more parents are opting for private schools that charge fees. Professor Marcel Helbig works at the Leibniz Institute for Educational Trajectories as head of the “Structures and Systems” department. He says that many parents opt for private schools because they are afraid of increasing immigration to Germany.

If parents were asked what is better about private schools, they would emphasize the better educational program or curriculum, says Helbig. In fact, however, many parents would take into account the smaller number of immigrants and children from socially disadvantaged families in private schools.

Working mothers need a babysitter

Inflation in Germany has fallen to its lowest level in more than three years. But university lecturer Lela still feels the financial pressure. “I have the impression that costs are getting higher and higher because everything is getting more expensive,” she says.

On top of all the costs, she has to pay for a babysitter while she works after her children finish school. In her native Georgia, parents of children would receive more support because relatives play a larger role in childcare there.