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 Daily news from the Canaries and the islands' biggest English language newspaper on-line Education special Back to school The early part of September is overshadowed for many families by the start of the Autumn school term.  The choice of rucksacks is still a cause for concern. According to the users and consumers organisation, OCU, over 65 per cent of school children between 11 and 14 years of age have to carry between five and eight kilos on their backs daily. Orthopaedic traumatologists claim that properly designed and chosen, the standard rucksack may actually be beneficial to the children’s health. The weight of the bag pulls back the shoulders and makes them walk straight and it is distributed evenly between the two shoulders, whereas they consider the pull-along bags on wheels less manageable and believe that they can force the wrist and cause injuries as they have only one anchorage point. Think seriously about buying from a specialist store such as Decathlon, who kit out hikers all year round and know what they’re talking about. Further information on choosing a rucksack is available on our website. How to save cash Shop around. Be wary of ‘lost leaders’ from hypermarkets. They may be cheaper on highlighted items, but you’ll pay more on other things. It always pays to look around and compare the prices and quality of goods on offer. If you’re stuck for time, think about getting together with some other mums from your child's class and sharing the cost comparison work. Be wary of all-in packs offered from the schools, it may seem cheaper but you could end up paying almost a third more. Make a list and stick to it. If a box of eight coloured pencils is stipulated, why buy a box of 30? It may be only a few euros more but do the same on every item and watch the overall costs soar. Wherever possible go shopping without your child who will inevitably want the fashion item of the moment which will be five times more expensive and usually last half the time. There is no rule that says that school material has to be new every year. You are bound to have blue and black biros at home for example, pencils, rubbers and pencil sharpeners etc. If you purchased a good rucksack last year and your child looked after it, that too can still be used. Check out the big hypermarkets for packs of school material. They are often better quality and last longer than short term cheaper options which end up with broken pencil leads and dried up pens. Make the most of the Sales The Canarian Government are phasing in multi-year textbooks in some subjects with a grant to the school, but the parents must apply for them. Check with your school which school years are benefitting in 2010. The books must be returned to the school at the end of the school year and will remain current for at least four years. Encourage your child to use the library, many textbooks which are not in daily use are available there and your child also learns to search for information by him or herself. Classic literature from books published up to the mid 19th century are available on google at http://books.google.com. Whenever possible try and spread the expense. Many supermarkets have ‘vuelta al cole’ offers in July and August. Look out for extra curricular activities that are grant aided you can save up to 50 per cent of the overall cost. Encourage your children to look after their uniforms and other school materials and make it clear that badly treated items will not be replaced at will. The parent’s association is a good place to press for more adaptable uniforms so that you can buy off-the-peg grey, black or navy skirts and trousers for example rather than the maroon design with the blue piping which has to be obtained from the expensive school outfitters. Good choices for off the peg are Marks & Spencers, H & M or own brand labels of AlCampo and Carrefour. Sometimes the school or playschool try and insist on supplying the uniform themselves and your child ends up as a logo-toting walking advert for them. It goes without saying that the items are usually much more expensive too. It is unlikely that they are licensed to sell clothes, so if you are worried that your child may ‘pay’ for any complaint you may make to the authorities, try and get your local clothing store to do it for you under the unfair competition laws.
| Canary Islands - 08.02.2012 - Yesterday's ugly scenes at Bilbao airport, where Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary had to be given a police escort after his provocation of former Spanair employees, prompted a furious reaction against the head of the airline by Canarian MP Ana Oramas. more... Las Palmas - 08.02.2012 - The snags preventing the release of tickets for the concert by rock legend Bruce Springsteen in Gran Canaria have now been resolved and the gig has been confirmed 100%, say the organisers. more... La Laguna - 07.02.2012 - A well-known Tenerife lawyer is the focus of police attention in a money-laundering and fraud investigation ordered by a La Laguna judge. more... Canary Islands - 07.02.2012 - Relations between the Canarian government and the new Spanish government sank further yesterday when the region's tourism minister was apparently snubbed by his national counterpart. more... Canary Islands - 07.02.2012 - Two Britons who had to be rescued again after getting into trouble on their bid to cross the Atlantic in a pedal boat could face a hefty fine for the latest mobilisation of air and sea rescue resources. more...    Banish the blues They tell us that this is one of the most depressing times of the year more...   | E-Zigarette Die E-Zigarette Classic ist das robuste Modell für den täglichen Gebrauch. www.elektrische-zigarette.eu Rent a car Tenerife We have been in the rent a car business since 1976 in Tenerife. Our experience - your advantage. www.hermanns-cars.com Electronic Cigarette The Electronic Cigarette SLIM is recommended for smokers with few consume, occasional smokers and to go. www.liquid-shop.eu Real Estate Tenerife We are a real estate company, constituted in the year 2002, and nevertheless our professional team possesses a long trajectory in the real estate sector in the north of Tenerife. www.optima-tenerife.es ic media group |
