School year will hit households with 10% increases in tuition

The start of the 2024 school year will hit households with increases of up to 10% in tuition at all levels, although there will be slight compensation in the lists of school supplies.

A tour of La República through galleries of Round table notes that, although the list of supplies can average S/600 (36% of the basic family basket), prices have remained stable compared to the 2022 campaign. This de-escalation of some supplies responds to a more competitive offer, according to ADEX.

For example, a button: in the case of pens from China (main supplier), although imports in 2023 grew 76.9%, the total net weight of the imported rose by 104.4%, which means that the products They were cheaper.

In the case of uniforms, an important moderation is also observed. The Asociation Gamarra Peru highlighted that prices remain at an average of S/50 per unit, a situation that is also replicated in the Industrial park from Villa El Salvador, where a pair of children’s shoes costs between S/60 and S/80.

Juan Carlos Odardirector of Phase Consultores, explains that the school campaign boosts the consumption of textile goods (uniforms) and printed goods (books, notebooks), but is much less volatile than others.

For this reason, it does not mark as many changes from one year to the next, unlike Christmas or Mother’s Day. “What can be seen is the jump in sales only that month or months prior to the start of classes, although not so much in percentage change rate,” relates.

Enrollments continue to rise

This is not the case with school enrollments. According to the INEI, education in Peru in 2023 was 6.4% more expensive than in 2022. If we disaggregate only school education, levels rose more than 10%, on average.

Susana Díaz, manager of Institutional Development of the Association of Friends Private Schools (Adecopa)points out that this year the rate of enrollment and pensions will continue to rise and again anticipates progress of between 5% and 10%.

Díaz explains that these increases are due to the fact that, during the pandemic, the Minedu It forced schools to cut their prices because classes were taught remotely, without considering associated expenses that generated losses, such as the payment of forms. Now, the curve resumes its course, but recession also hits.

“There is a lack of fluidity in payment. The levels where the biggest problems are seen are the initial ones, because parents are looking for a cheaper nest that is closer to the house,” he says.

Data

• Promotions. According to INEI, the increase in secondary school enrollment in 2023 was 17.5% compared to the previous year. In universities it rose 8%.
• Support. The MEF has allocated S/290 million for the purchase of 1 million school kits, but they would arrive in July.