Uniform prices among main cause for concern as Cork parents fearful of back-to-school costs

PARENTS of children across Cork have been described as fearful due to the ongoing rise in the cost of living, with increasing costs incurred on families ahead of the back-to-school season.

“The main fear for parents is the ongoing rise in the cost of living,” said Gerry Garvey, regional co-ordinator for St Vincent De Paul South West.

“Neither wages nor social welfare has kept pace. People are really struggling.

“It’s almost a wider societal issue, and we have to keep pushing for the minimum essential standard of living.

“We should be investing in education as a country, it shouldn’t fall on an individual person or a school. Politicians need to vote on investing in education,” he added.

“The free books scheme has improved this to some extent, but hopefully this will be extended further to the higher levels of secondary school.

“Uniforms and other general costs are still quite high, and they are the main cause for concern.”

Figures, revealed by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC), show that on average, parents spend approximately €169 on uniforms per child, and a further €99 on specific PE items.

This data was compiled by the CCPC following a survey of 1,202 parents of primary and secondary school children, highlighting the back-to-school costs families are facing.

These costs are in addition to the money spent on required materials, such as laptops or tablets, that fall outside the Primary Schoolbooks Scheme, which was implemented by the Department of Education last year.

An extension of this scheme for the 2024/25 academic term was further introduced for junior cycle students in post primary school earlier this year.

Despite these accommodations, the survey revealed that 84% of parents are still requested to pay financial contributions to their children’s school, to the average value of €167 (€211 in secondary schools and €129 in primary).

The findings also showed that one in four parents say their child is required to purchase a laptop or tablet, up to the cost of €501, for their schoolwork, rising to one in three for secondary schools, up to the cost of €562.

Barnardos Ireland, meanwhile, has said that Budget 2025 provides the Government with an opportunity to start fulfilling their commitment to make Ireland a world leader in eliminating child poverty.

“The Government must be commended on the real progress that has been made to reduce back-to-school costs over the past few years,” said Barnardos Ireland CEO Suzanne Connolly.

“However, many families will still face unnecessary financial pressures in the run-up to the return to school this September.

“It is important that the Government keeps the positive momentum going and extends free schoolbooks for all those in secondary schools,” she added.

“Further steps need to be taken to eliminate voluntary contributions and ensure schools don’t burden families with costs of digital devices.”