Families’ budgets stretched as Eid coincides with new school year

AMMAN — With the start of the school year and the approach of Eid Al Adha, parents are faced with additional expenses that some say they will struggle to meet.  

Tuition fees, Eid expenses and money for new clothes and stationery are beyond the financial capabilities of families across the social classes, several parents told The Jordan Times.  

During Eid Al Adha, the feast of sacrifice which marks the end of the Muslim pilgrimage season, it is traditional to buy new clothes for children and to give money to female relatives. Some families also buy a sheep or a goat to sacrifice. 

Noha Maslamani, a mother of three and a member of the Parent Teacher Association at a private school in Amman, said that expenses were adding up as the new school year and Eid approach. 

“With the two events taking place at almost the same time, our sons and daughters start expecting too much of us, especially as they always need new stationery, books and clothes,” she said.

Some bookshops and clothes retailers take advantage of occasions like Eid and the beginning of a new academic year to raise prices, Maslamani added. Another parent, Salim Mahadin, said the books and stationery were too expensive, especially as some schools had raised their tuition fees. 

“Most schools in the capital raised their tuition fees. When we went to buy the books this year, we were surprised by the amount we had to pay. We also have Eid expenses,” he told The Jordan Times.

Economist Wajdi Makhamreh said that as the two occasions coincide, families’ budgets are hit hard.  

“The social behaviour of people should change — the visits, gifts, money spent on Eid and school stationery. Parents and students should work on cutting down on the expenses,” Makhamreh told The Jordan Times.

“Private school administrations have raised tuition fees. Studies show that around 10,000 students have transferred from private to public schools as a result. The economic status of families is unstable and unemployment rates are on the rise,” he added.

The Education Ministry said that by the end of working hours on Monday, 15,324 students had been transferred from private schools to public ones, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

“The budgets Jordanian families save for education are too high. Many families choose to enrol their children in private schools just to show off; the same goes for Eid behaviour,” Makhamreh said.

Jamal Fariz, a board member at the Amman Chamber of Commerce, said there were discounts at many stores and bookshops to ease the pressure on families. 

“We are in a festive season. Many occasions require new clothes and tools, but due to the recession witnessed in the market, vendors and traders make the most out of these occasions and sell their products at discounts,” Fariz told The Jordan Times.

“If they cut down the price, they sell more products, which is a win-win situation since the customer is satisfied and the retailer registers more profit. Discounts and offers are usually more common during the season prior to Eid or the start of the school year,” he added.