Dublin South West TD Seán Crowe has described a Barnardos Survey on back to school costs as exploding the myth of free education with parents having to struggle financially to meet the rising costs of sending a pupil to school.
Deputy Seán Crowe said:

“The Government’s propagated myth of free education has been blown away by this latest Barnardos survey into the cost of sending a pupil back to school.

“Parents right across the country are now in the grip of enormous pressure as they prepare to send a child or young adult off to education to a primary, secondary or a university setting.

“The findings suggest that sending one child to primary school costs €340 and to secondary school costs a whopping €775. These annual rising costs are huge and for parents with more than one child of school going age, they are financially crippling.

“It is not about buying a school uniform and school books and that’s the end of it. There are additional costs that add to this and they vary from one school to another such as the use of iPads or the emphasis placed on so called voluntary contributions.

“The incremental costs of an education are driving many people further and further into debt, with additional pressure on voluntary organisations such as St. Vincent de Paul who try to assist families with these mounting costs.

“The idea of a student loan for university students is being suggested but has created a monster of debt in other countries.

“Barnardos believe that investment by the Government of €103 million would overnight provide for all primary school books, remove the voluntary contribution and classroom resources fees, restore the capitation rates back to 2010 levels and provide free transport for those using the badly depleted School Transport Scheme.

“This initiative would immediately give relief and take some of the financial strain off hard pressed parents The Government needs to wake up to the reality facing parents and the actual cost of sending pupils and young adult into education.

“Meaningless words of support from Ministers of Education in previous years were just that. We need initiatives like Barnardos turned into action. If not another year will have passed, without anything realistically being done about the annual back to school rip off.”