–for back-to-school bargains

WITH the opening of schools for the new school year fast approaching, parents are already on the hunt for bargains in downtown Georgetown while shopping for school supplies for

their children.

The Guyana Chronicle went on a walkabout in the city along Regent Street and encountered several parents who were busy checking out various stores, looking for bargains to equip their children in time for the opening of school in September.

A single-parent mother who was shopping for school uniforms and other supplies for her only child told this newspaper that while there are a wide range of items to choose from, she is looking for quality products which will last.

She is of the opinion that buying inferior brands of footwear and schoolbags is a waste of time and money; she prefers to buy quality for her daughter, as she is certain it will outlast the sub-standard products on the market.

She said it would take about $60,000 to fully equip her daughter with school clothes and the other items she needs for school; and in order to afford it, she has been saving up for months to ensure her child is properly attired for the new school term.

BARGAIN HUNTING
We also came across Savika Mangal, who made the journey all the way from the Corentyne, with her children in tow, to comb the smaller stores along Avenue of the Republic.

The mother-of-three said that this year, she is seeking bargains because the prices of stationery, uniforms, shoes, bags and others items have increased drastically.

She said it would take about $40,000 to $50,000 to fully outfit one child for school, and with three children, aged nine, 10 and 12, she is trying to make do with the little cash she has in hand.

Ms Mangal said the reason she came to Georgetown was to see if the prices are better here than on the Corentyne, but pretty soon learnt she would have been better off staying at home, as prices are steep just about everywhere.

She’s, however, resigned herself that since she is here, she might as well make the best of it; but that doesn’t mean she won’t be looking around for whatever bargain she could find, and is hoping to get everything because she doesn’t want to have to return to Georgetown anytime soon.

Samuel Singh, a father of two, told the Guyana Chronicle while in Guyana Stores that he is finding it very difficult to buy everything for his children because it is too costly.

A fisherman by trade, Singh said it takes about $25,000 to $30,000 to outfit one child from head to toe for the new school year, and that he was hoping to get all he wants at one place.

But there’s just one small catch: The prices just keep getting higher very year! And no child wants to return to school with the same old uniforms they wore last year. He’s in a right fix, he said, as he has to fully outfit two children aged six and nine.

A very excited Sulaiman Alladin, who was in the company of his siblings and parents, told the Guyana Chronicle on Tuesday that he was out shopping for school uniforms.
Having won a place at St. Roses High, he was hoping to get everything he needs so he can make a good first impression at his new school.
His parents were all for accommodating him, but their one regret is never having benefitted from the school voucher programme. They’re from La Grange, on the West Bank Demerara.

Another parent, Christopher McCoy, said he’s already bought his son’s uniform, and that alone cost him about $10,000. He is yet to buy stationery and shoes among other “fine-fine things”.

RECYCLED UNIFORMS
While some are shopping for new school uniforms, others have no choice but to recycle the previous school year’s uniforms for their children.

A single-mother of five told the Guyana Chronicle that at least two of her children will be returning to school with their old uniforms, simply because she cannot afford to buy new ones.

The woman explained that though she is a “domestic”, she ensures that all her children attend school regularly, even if it means they have to wear old things.

Another parent, who said his children are all boys, said that some old school things will be recycled for the new term, as there is nothing he can do about it.

Some children will be going to school for the very first time; others to a new school; and yet others to a new class for the upcoming new school year all across Guyana, and even the Caribbean.