As parents, a new school year can be bittersweet. It is a joyful occasion because your kid is growing up, but can also stressful because you have a ton of back-to-school shopping to prepare for.
But, here’s a pro tip: just shop at Tesco for affordable back-to-school items all at once! Tesco is currently hosting great deals for a limited time with their Tesco Back to School 2020 (Kembali ke Sekolah 2020) from 7 December 2020 to 6 January 2021.
With Tesco’s Back to School campaign, parents have ample time to do their shopping while getting value for money. Plus, you can save the hassle of hopping from one shop to another just to get quality, yet affordable items.
In addition, Tesco is hosting a giveaway this year as part of the Back to School campaign where one Roly Eggy will be given for free when you spend RM50 or more!
So, to make shopping easier for the mums and dads out there, we have compiled a checklist of basic items for both primary and secondary school students. Just keep this checklist close when you shop and you probably won’t miss a thing – you’re welcome!
Primary school students
If your first child is entering primary one know that it is okay to tear up – they grow up so fast! But, primary one marks an important milestone for parents which is the start of the back-to-school saga.
Luckily, certain parts of their uniform are salvable for a few years (depending on how fast your child sizes up), and certain stationaries plus other items, such as pencil cases are reusable.
Primary back-to-school checklist
- School bag: Opt for a quality, durable bag to last them a few years. Get one with various compartments to separate their school supplies from textbooks and other items. Another option you can get for your young kids are trolley school bags as it will not weigh down their posture or restrict their body movement.
- Uniform: This is applicable for all primary school levels. Buy at least three pairs for each child so their uniforms can be washed on alternate days. For children advancing in primary school, do an inventory check on which uniforms can be reused and which ones you need to replace.
- Malay traditional uniform (baju melayu): Male Muslim school students may need to wear this on Fridays. We recommend getting two pairs.
- School shoes: Every child differs. Specifically, for primary one students, take into account if they are able to tie their shoe laces, or are they more comfortable with Velcro? In addition, make sure you factor in wiggle room for their school socks.
- School socks: We recommend getting at least three pairs so you can wash them on alternate days with their school uniforms.
- Sporty clothing: Buy at least two pairs of track pants and white t-shirts. The school may have their own school sporting t-shirts for physical education and sports events as well.
- Singlets: We suggest getting your child to wear this as inner clothing. As children are generally active, it provides a layer to prevent excessive body odour as they play about.
- Lunch bag and lunch containers: If you are planning to pack their lunch, make sure they have a dedicated bag to put their lunch containers in to avoid it from tumbling in their school bag. Opt for lunch containers with different compartments to separate the food dishes or items.
- Water bottle: To keep them hydrated as they go about their day and especially during physical activities.
- Stationaries: Pencil, sharpeners, erasers, coloured pencils, rulers and glue – these are the basics. They may need a sketchbook, paint and plastic scissors for art class.
- Pencil case: We recommend buying two separate ones, one to keep their coloured pencils for easy storage that will last.
- Book covers: This is essential to protect their exercise books and textbooks – it avoids any possible rips and dirt on the book covers, while making sure they last the entire year.
Secondary school students
As they grow into teens and young adults, their needs will differ – they may not want the same pencil case or even, keep using trolley bags.
Additionally, their stationaries may change all together with the subjects they take, and you will have to take account of other items such as heavier textbooks when back-to-school shopping.
Secondary back-to-school checklist
- School bag: Secondary school students will need a more durable, roomier bag. They will have to carry more textbooks (that can also be heavy!), exercise books and so forth. Find one with various compartments so they can easily locate their items during lessons. Look for straps that are padded to lessen the pain and weight on their shoulders.
- Uniform: Buy at least three pairs so their uniforms can be washed on alternate days. Do an inventory check on which uniforms can be reused and which ones you need to replace.
- Belt: This one is for the boys. It is not mandatory, but it can avoid any slumping trousers.
- Malay traditional uniform (baju melayu): Male Muslim students may need to wear this on specific days. We recommend getting two pairs.
- School shoes: Make sure to factor in wiggle room for socks.
- School socks: We recommend getting at least three pairs so you can wash them on alternate days with their school uniforms.
- Sporty clothing: Buy at least two pairs of track pants and white t-shirts. The school may have their own school t-shirt for physical activities as well.
- Singlets: As students are generally active, it provides a layer to prevent excessive body odour as they go about their day.
- Lunch bag and lunch containers: If you are planning to pack their lunch, make sure they have a dedicated bag to put their lunch containers in to avoid it from tumbling in their school bag. Opt for lunch containers with different compartments to separate the food dishes or items.
- Water bottle: To keep them hydrated as they go about their day and especially during physical activities.
- Basic stationaries: Pencil, pen sharpeners, highlighters, erasers, coloured pencils, rulers and glue – these are the basics. They may need sketchbook, paint and scissors for art class.
- Pencil case: Look for a large pencil case so they are able to keep all their stationaries together and have easy access to them with every lesson.
- Book covers: This is essential to protect their exercise and textbooks – it avoids any rips and dirt on the book covers, as well making sure they last the entire year.
Here are some quick tips to follow when shopping for back-to-school
You can head over to Tesco’s physical stores, but you can also access Tesco’s great back-to-school deals on their official store in Lazada. However, before you head out or checkout your cart, there are a few things you should be mindful of:
- Check your child’s size: Before clicking the ‘checkout’ button when shopping online, make sure you have the right size by checking the product measurements. You could also have your child try on their old school clothes so you can gauge how much you need to size up.
- Check out Tesco’s catalogue: To make it much easier to find what you’re looking for, go through Tesco’s Back to School campaign catalogue and list which items you want to purchase, according to your checklist.
- Make sure you shop at Tesco’s official Lazada store: To avoid any disappointments in quality, packaging or delivery, shopping from Tesco’s official store provides better peace-of-mind. At times, resellers or other sellers may provide counterfeit items that are not up to par with Tesco’s actual quality.
For more information on Tesco Back to School 2020 campaign, visit Tesco’s Facebook or official website. To start shopping online, you can view their official store on Lazada.
Happy shopping!