With the school year fast approaching, one mother in New Westminster, B.C. says a policy at her daughter’s school forces her to buy supplies she doesn’t need and already has.
Alice Cavanagh, says her daughter Elizabeth’s school -- Ecole Qayqayt Elementary -- does the school supply shopping for its students each year, at a price of up to $50 per student. But there is no clear opt-out option. That has left Cavanagh with leftover scissors, glue and pencil sharpeners that were bought the year before and that are still good.
"It seems wasteful to me," said Cavanagh told CTV Vancouver. "It seems financially wasteful as well as environmentally wasteful."
"It's not huge, but I know if I bought only what she needed this year, it would be around $20."
Cavanagh says Qayqayt's principal told her it’s the only way to ensure each child has the proper supplies for the school year.
The New Westminster School District says it is reviewing how their schools manage supplies. Parents can expect any changes to be enacted for the 2019-2020 school year.
With a report from CTV Vancouver's Allison Hurst
