German spine-protecting schoolbags have become luxury items, presenting parents with a difficult choice

As the new semester is approaching, German parents are busy preparing stationery for their children for the new semester. However, parents of first-grade new students are caught in a dilemma. According to a recent report by the German newspaper Tagesspiegel, preparations for German primary school enrollment seem to have evolved into a display of family assets.

Among them, a "Scout" brand spine-protecting schoolbag with a price as high as 399 euros is called the "Porsche among schoolbags". It has a shiny appearance, is fully equipped, and also offers a four-year warranty. In a schoolbag specialty store in downtown Berlin, there are at least 10 brands and 250 types of schoolbags, most of which cost more than 220 euros. The reason these schoolbags are popular is mainly because of their spine-protecting function. They have an air pump system that can adjust the back cushion according to the curvature of the spine.

Although the German education department stipulates that primary school students must use spine-protecting schoolbags, it does not limit the brand. However, the current environment makes parents feel brand pressure. Because in the eyes of many people, schoolbags are the first status symbol in a child's life. Although there are also some simple styles of schoolbags with prices lower than 200 euros, most parents are reluctant to choose them, fearing that their children will be "inferior".

A test purchase by a welfare association in Germany shows that the cost of stationery for primary school students' enrollment is between 135 and 165 euros, and this does not include the expensive schoolbag. The person in charge of the association complained that some families on subsistence allowances simply cannot afford these expenses. The association calls on schools to provide enrollment stationery packages and increase welfare supplies to help families on subsistence allowances. After all, spending hundreds of euros is also a big burden for ordinary working families.

With the arrival of the new semester, German parents are facing a difficult choice when choosing schoolbags and stationery for their children. And how to balance educational needs and economic pressure has also become an urgent problem to be solved.