Lebanese families face between $470 and $800 for supplies alone, plus transport and tuition, as private schools raise fees by up to $2,000 per child.
Preparing a single child for the school year costs Lebanese families $470 to $800 before transportation or tuition, according to calculations by The Beiruter. Supplies and stationery account for roughly $150, while a schoolbag, lunch box and bottles add $70 to $150. Uniforms, shoes and sportswear cost $100 to $200, and books another $150 to $300 depending on grade and school.
A family with two children faces $940 to $1,600 for back-to-school supplies alone; three children cost $1,410 to $2,400.
School transportation adds another layer of expense. Depending on location and distance, families pay $600 to $1,000 per child annually for transport. Two children therefore cost $1,200 to $2,000; three children cost $1,800 to $3,000.
Private schools are now raising tuition substantially. Lama Tawil, President of the Union of Parents' Committees in Private Schools, says schools have begun informing parents of fee increases ranging from $350 to $500 per child, with some institutions raising fees by as much as $2,000.
Tawil notes that private-school tuition in Lebanon has no institution charging below $3,500 per child annually.
