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When you pack your children off to school do you check the contents of their school bag? If not you may get a shock if you tot up the value of exactly what's in there when they leave the house every morning.
Forget a satchel stuffed with pencil case, exercise books and sandwiches; today's kids' carry a school bag worth an average £212 according to research from More Th>n insurance.
And with kids moving classes and leaving bags in school cloakrooms it's hardly surprising they lose nearly 25 of children aged 11 to 14 regularly take their mobile phone to school, and it's not a cheap one; worth an average £95 a time.
Gadgets such as iPads and netbooks are now considered school bag 'essentials' carried by up to 15 regularly pack a gaming console in their bag, even with many schools banning such items.
Matt Pernet from More Th>n insurance believes, 'the boom in consumer technology means children are twice as likely to pack gadgets like gaming consoles in their bag than they were 10 years ago which drives up the cost of the average schoolbag'. Once you factor in the cost of the school bag itself; often worth an average £15 it's easy to see how the schoolbag bill can put a further dent in most parents' already squeezed bank balances.
Top five items contained in most schoolbags:
• Mobile phone – £95
• Sports clothing and equipment - £41
• Trainers - £20
• Grooming products (hair gel, body spray, lip gloss) £14
• Exercise books and stationary £23
When it comes to losing items sadly it's mobile phones that top the 'lost property' list followed by stationary, sports kits', hats, gloves and scarves and school books.