Romanian parents are investing more than ever in their children’s education: the budget for the new school year has increased by 300 RON compared to 2024
A new iSense Solutions study shows that the relationship between school and family, the quality of education and the emotional well-being of children are the main expectations of parents for the 2025-2026 school year.
Parents’ expectations
For six out of ten parents, the biggest expectation from the new school year is a good and open relationship between school and family, mentioned by 63% of respondents. Equally, 63% want a safe and friendly environment for their children and 61% emphasize teachers who are dedicated and involved in their pupils’ development.
More than half of parents – 58% – consider quality education with well-structured and relevant lessons essential. Complementing this, 42% of parents want their children to be involved in creative and social projects and 35% value the diversity of extracurricular activities.
It is noteworthy that 56% of parents want modern and interactive teaching methods adapted to today’s needs. However, only 29% of the respondents consider it important to use technology to support learning and only 19% prioritize the integration of artificial intelligence into the educational process, indicating a certain reluctance or need for further information about the benefits of these tools.
School budget and procurement
In terms of financial resources, parents allocated an average of 1377 RON for necessary purchases at the beginning of the school year, about 300 RON more than in 2024, when the average amount was 1080 RON.
The most frequently bought products are school supplies, already bought or planned by 93% of parents, and clothing or footwear, targeted by 95% of respondents.
Textbooks and sports items are mostly planned for purchase in the run-up to the start of school, indicating that the shopping process is still ongoing.
Technology products such as laptops and tablets are already purchased by 34% of parents and are yet to be bought by another 18%, while almost half (48%) do not consider them necessary.
School furniture is already purchased or planned for purchase by 45% of parents. In contrast, smartwatches and cell phones are purchased at a lower rate, with over 65% of parents saying they will not buy them for this school year.
Buying behaviors
Purchasing habits show that 54% of parents do their school shopping no more than one to two weeks before the start of the school year, while 24% prefer to postpone purchases until after the start of classes, thus adapting to the real needs that arise. Only 7% of parents choose to prepare more than a month in advance.
In terms of purchasing channels, technology products – laptops, tablets, phones and smartwatches – are predominantly bought online, with more than half of parents opting for this option.
By contrast, school supplies, clothing and sports equipment are mostly bought in physical stores, with percentages ranging from 63% to 78%.
Pocket money and extracurricular activities
The survey shows that 64% of parents give their children pocket money for school. On average, a child receives 75 RON a week and the mode of giving is predominantly cash, with 83% of parents opting for cash, while only 17% use a card.
In terms of extracurricular activities, the most popular are sports, practiced by 56% of students. Almost a third, 29%, take part in educational activities such as book clubs, programming or language clubs, while 23% choose artistic activities such as painting, drawing or singing. Practical and hobby activities are mentioned by 19% of children, while community and personal development activities are attended by smaller percentages, 17% and 16% respectively. However, 15% of schoolchildren are not involved in any extracurricular activities, which may indicate either lack of interest or barriers to access. The average monthly budget allocated to extracurricular activities is 493 RON.
“The results of the survey confirm that Romanian parents place great emphasis on the quality of the human relationship in education, the safety of children and the involvement of teachers. At the same time, financial investments for the beginning of the school year are higher than in 2024, and interest in extracurricular activities is diverse and growing. Technology and artificial intelligence remain secondary priorities, which shows that while parents appreciate the modernization of education, the integration of these tools requires better communication and a phased approach,” says Alina Zelezneac, Chief Research and Operations Officer, iSense Solutions.
The data presented is part of the iSense Solutions Omnibus study, a representative survey of the urban Internet-using population. The survey was conducted on a sample of 540 respondents, maximum margin of error +/- 4.1%, at a 95% confidence level, from August 18-22, 2025.
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