It is ‘unacceptable’ to ask parents to pay voluntary contributions to keep schools running, Barnardos has warned.

The children’s charity has this morning launched a new survey which finds that the majority of parents are worried about back-to-school costs.

The Back-to-School Survey 2022 finds that two-thirds of primary school parents are worried about costs.

Meanwhile, three-quarters of secondary school parents are worried about the cost of sending their children back to school.

On Newstalk Breakfast this morning, Barnardo's CEO Suzanne Connolly said parents are “really, really worried” about the costs.

She said it now costs:

• On average, €424 to send a child to Fourth Class
• On average, €814 to send a child to First Year in secondary school.
• On average, €722 to send a child to Fifth Class.
• They are considerable costs for parents to have to come up with.
• One-in-five are needing to borrow to meet those costs which obviously is a real source of worry and stress for these parents.

“These are considerable costs for parents to have to come up with,” said Ms Connolly.

“One-in-five are needing to borrow to meet those costs, which obviously is a real source of worry and stress for these parents.”

'Voluntary' contributions

Barnardos is calling on the government to take three key actions in the Budget – introduce free schoolbooks, offer a non-branded uniform option and end ‘voluntary’ contributions.

“The stress placed on parents to come up with costs to run schools is unacceptable,” said Mc Connolly.

“The Government should be making school genuinely free for children, primary and secondary.”

Back-to-school

She said progress on reducing cots for parents has been “very slow” up to now – but insisted this year is the year to make a difference.

“We are expecting important measures to be introduced in this Budget 23,” she said.

“They are talking about a cost-of-living budget so we really expect that the issue of costs for parents in sending their children to school will be addressed.

“Certainly, at Barnardos we’re going to keep asking for these three key things we’re talking about to be introduced.

“We can afford it as a country. It is about the Government having the will to introduce these three key things.”

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