More on the children’s schooling

I may be done with the back-to-school shopping for 48 children last week, but that doesn’t mean I am done with matters pertaining to my many children’s schooling.

There are still a few other families who had agreed to buy first and submit their receipts to me later so I can reimburse them. Then there are the lists of workbooks/fees that need to be paid to the various schools when school reopens in January. And there are those who may need bicycles as their transportation to school. Not forgetting, I will also have to list down the amount needed for those who need to pay monthly bus/van fares to school.

So yeah, still lots of stuff for me to do before and after school reopens. I’ve already booked 3 bicycles from the bicycle shop I usually go to when any of my children need bicycles. One had already been delivered to Ika today. The other 2 bicycles is expected to be delivered next week.

Some of my clients have already given me the list of workbooks to be bought and other payments that need to be paid to the children’s various schools. Not cheap, from what I’ve seen so far. There’s one primary school which included a “program kecemerlangan” charging RM200 for each year 6 student and RM85 for those in years 4 and 5. Add in whatever else that need to be paid to the school and each year 6 student end up having to pay over RM300 while students in years 4 and 5 have to pay close to RM200. Some schools require students to buy scientific calculators and track bottoms from the school instead of buying on thier own outside.

Even average-income earners usually would find their budget rather tight at the beginning of each school year. Imagine a single mother who works as an assistant at a food stall and has 4 school-going children…

That was why in the first place, we came up with our Children Education Fund and later followed by the Education Sponsorship for Children Programme.

Ah well, I’d better now list down everything properly in my computer so that I’d have a record of all the payments made & need to be made!