Mikhail Vetrov, president of the Association of Producers of Goods, Works and Services for Children, turned to the Minister of Education of the Russian Federation Sergey Kravtsov with a proposal to create a socially important list of goods and supplies for the school, which can be purchased at a minimum price or as part of social assistance.
Vetrov drew attention to the fact that in July 2023 the average price of a school set was 13.4 thousand rubles – 7% more than last year. In addition, in recent years, increasing the cost of the minimum set that is needed for the child’s fees at the beginning of the school year is said to have become a trend more and more.
According to the president of the Association, a school kit for a first grader costs much more than a kit for a sixth through eighth grader. And in some regions of the country, the cost of a child before Knowledge Day “can be comparable to the average monthly salary.”
As Vetrov noted, many families in the Russian Federation cannot afford such expenses, they are forced to take loans, which ultimately increases the level of the population’s debt burden. He believes that the cost of a game should be within the price limit available to a family with an average income. And the task of the initiative from him is “to provide better conditions for the acquisition of knowledge by the younger generation.”
It is proposed to organize the sale of such “folk” sets with the help of a socially oriented business based on educational institutions during the preparation for the new academic year.
Vera Sergeeva.
Photo: adobestock
