'Mum guilt': parents battle growing school costs

Back-to-school costs are putting extra pressure on household budgets as the holidays draw to an end. (Bianca De Marchi/AAP PHOTOS)

Australian families struggling with rising back-to-school costs could get a helping hand if a minor party's policy gains traction. 

Between 2021 and 2022, public school fees, charges and contributions rose 20 per cent, and now school supplies are set to cost $694 for primary students and $1149 for high schoolers, according to comparison website Finder.