Response to School Uniform Costs Just Not Good Enough – Crowe

The failure of Education Minister, Jan O Sullivan to do more to reduce the back-to-school costs faced by many parents has been described as unacceptable by Sinn Féin Dublin South West TD Seán Crowe.

Crowe said that action and not more empty promises were needed to come from the new Education Minister.

Deputy Seán Crowe said

“It is simply not good enough that Minister O Sullivan is doing nothing to reduce the cost of a child returning or going to school for the first time.

“She has left it to hard pressed parents to lobby schools to introduce more affordable ways of paying for school uniforms and text books.

“It is true that each School Board of Management is responsible for matters of school policy and governance but they are also responsible to the school patron and ultimately, to the Minister for Education.

“The Minister has stuck to her and predecessors’ worn out and indifferent position that they cannot intervene and that they have no statutory powers to compel schools to adopt any particular policy regarding school uniforms.

“A more proactive approach in relation to school uniforms and the cost of school books is needed

“Surely it is therefore possible for this current Minister to intervene directly with school boards of management on vital issues like back-to-school costs.

“The current arrangement is unacceptable and beyond the resources of many hard pressed families.

“Minister O Sullivan needs to come out from behind her comfortable desk.

“Empty rhetoric at this particular time of year is simply not good enough especially when the punitive back-to-school costs are driving families to desperate measures like borrowing from illegal moneylenders.

“The new Minister needs to come up with energy and new ideas to tackle this yearly crisis that impacts so negatively on families at this time of year. Action is needed not more empty promises on costs like uniforms.”