Stationery lists have many parents stressed out, as they rush to get everything in order before the 2026 school year begins. It’s back-to-schooland parents are scrambling to get those last-minute stationery items to complete the list. For many people, the yearly stationery lists come with a financial burden.
With many households relying on social grants or living from one salary to another, making ends meet is already tough. Each stationery list differs from school to school, with common items such as rulers, pencils, pens, and books being common among schools. However, over the years, many parents have expressed that the lists are becoming a little hard to manage.
A grandmother from Chatsworth, KwaZulu-Natal, posted on Facebook a picture of stationery and shared how she is a caregiver for her two grandchildren, and the parents are not around. “I’m currently renting, and whatever child support goes towards food rent is seen to by my elder son. If anyone has any spare stationery to share for my two grandkids, 2 different grades with the same stationery.” The Chatsworth grandmother is not the only caregiver or parent who has expressed concern with the school stationery supplies list, with many expressing thatit is financially too much.
