As the new school term begins in Italy, parents are facing higher costs again in 2025 according to consumer assocation reports.
Schools have already reopened in several northern Italian regions, and the rest of the country will follow suit this week as dates for the 2025/2026 school year range from September 8th to 16th.
As families stock up on school supplies and textbooks, many parents are feeling the pinch as costs are reportedly rising again this term.
In fact, the cost of textbooks and dictionaries has risen by up to 20 percent this year for students starting high school (scuola superiore), according to estimates from consumer group Federconsumatori.
On top of this, families need to cover the cost of school supplies including backpacks, pencil cases, workbooks, and specific equipment (such as set squares and triangles, compasses, calculators, etc).
So how much should Italian families expect to pay?
“As the new school year approaches, families will face unsustainable costs for textbooks and school supplies,” consumer association ADOC said.
The group estimated the total cost at €685 for a child starting high school and €488 for a child starting middle school.
Meanwhile, Federconsumatori puts the average cost of school supplies at around €658 for the year – not including textbooks.
READ ALSO: ‘Very underfunded, very strict’: What readers think of Italy’s schools
Federconsumatori estimates that the costs of sending a child to middle school will set Italian families back some €1,200, while sending a child to high school could cost over €1,460.
While elementary school textbooks are supplied free of charge across the country, costs for middle and high school textbooks generally range between €300 and €700 euros, with prices varying depending on the year and school.
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Consumer groups offered families some advice on how to save as the new term begins
How to save money on school supplies
- Avoid branded items. Children are easily influenced by TV and/or online ads and might push to get the most popular and fashionable articles on the market. However, off-brand items generally have the same features and durability as their more well-known counterparts and might go for 40 percent less.
- Buy from a local supermarket rather than a stationery shop. At this time of the year, many supermarket chains offer very favourable deals on school kits, with prices being sometimes 30 percent lower than in specialist shops.
- Don’t buy everything at once. Any item that is not immediately necessary can be bought at a later stage.
- Wait for teachers’ guidelines, especially when it comes to buying material for art or geometry classes. Knowing exactly what is required will save you from spending money on incorrect or unnecessary items.
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How to save money on textbooks
- Buy second-hand textbooks. Purchasing libri usati might allow you to save up to 50 percent on school books. But check the state of the items – especially their exercise pages – before buying. Also, keep in mind that past editions might no longer be accepted.
- Shop online or in supermarkets. Some supermarkets and online marketplaces sell textbooks at favourable prices, with discounts usually ranging between 10 and 20 percent.
- Buy digital textbooks. Again, not all schools allow this, but in some cases families have the option to buy the required set of textbooks in digital form. Children can then access the books via a PC, tablet or e-reader.
- Loan textbooks directly from the school. Not all schools do this but some allow for various forms of comodato d’uso whereby families can loan textbooks for the entire length of the school year and then return them when classes end in June.