Barnardos, a children’s charity, has expressed its support for the introduction of free schoolbooks for primary school children and is now urging the government to extend this scheme to all secondary school pupils. By implementing this change, Barnardos believes that a genuinely free school system can be established for all children. Additionally, the charity is advocating for schools to offer parents the option of purchasing low-cost uniforms.
In a recent back-to-school survey commissioned by Barnardos, it was discovered that the cost of outfitting a child for their first year of secondary school amounts to nearly €1,000. With the current cost-of-living crisis, more parents, especially single parents, are finding it increasingly challenging to cover the expenses of sending their children back to school. The survey found that one-third of primary school parents and half of secondary school parents have experienced difficulties due to rising living costs, with one in four parents going into debt to cover these expenses.
According to Barnardos, the average cost of essential items for a fourth-grade student is €320, while families have to spend €972 for a first-year secondary school student and €863 for a fifth-year student. The charity asserts that there is a direct correlation between the introduction of free schoolbooks for primary school children and the reduction in back-to-school costs. The survey also revealed that one-third of secondary school parents had to pay over €300 for digital expenses for their child.
Suzanne Connolly, the CEO of Barnardos, emphasized the need for the government to cover the costs of books for secondary school students. She commended the government’s decision last year to provide free schoolbooks for primary school children and called on them to continue this progress by extending the scheme to secondary school students. Connolly stressed that no parent should face financial pressure in meeting essential educational costs for their children. She added that Barnardos consistently hears from parents about the necessity for the government to do more to alleviate their struggles each summer.
Barnardos conducts an online survey of parents to ascertain the expenses they will incur for their child’s return to school in September. The charity received 1,148 responses, which represented the costs associated with 629 primary school pupils and 519 secondary school students.
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