Dublin South West Sinn Féin TD, Seán Crowe, has said that Education Minister Ruairí Quinn needs to stop ‘dithering’ and do something practical to address the huge rise in back to school costs that are impacting negatively on parents.

Crowe, who was up to recently his party’s spokesperson on Education, was responding to Barnardo’s Annual School’s Survey which found that parents were forking out huge sums to send their child back to school.

Deputy Seán Crowe said;

“Education Minister Ruairí Quinn needs to stop his ‘dithering’ and do something practical to address the huge rise in back to school costs that are impacting negatively on parents throughout the length and breadth of the country.

“There is general agreement right across all sectors and those involved in education, that the cost of school books and uniforms has now reached unsustainable levels. These increases, combined with voluntary contributions and school transport fees, are making a bad financial situation even worse for hard pressed parents.

“The findings of Barnardo’s recent Annual School’s Survey, found that on average parents are paying €355 for a child in senior infants, €390 for children in 4th class in primary school, and €770 for children going into first year in secondary school.

“I would estimate that when you take into account the cost of uniforms, school books, tracksuits, shoes and runners, and other miscellaneous items, then the annual cost of equipping and clothing a child for school is nearly a thousand Euros.

“Clearly, in these very difficult times, thousands more families are struggling to meet this financial mountain, yet Minister Quinn is not doing anything practical to ease the financial burden on parents who are forced to meet the costs of what school boards of management are demanding.
“For instance Minister Quinn should insist that Boards of Management implement policies that will allow parents greater flexibility and freedom to purchase more affordable school uniforms.

“The Minister could also implement changes to existing legislation that will allow his Department to impose mandatory regulations on Boards of Management to ensure parents can buy far more affordable uniforms.

“The Minister needs to stop telling parents what he can’t do and start taking simple and practical cost saving measures that he can do.”

ENDS