OVER A QUARTER of secondary school parents said they were very concerned that they would not be able to meet back to school costs this year, according to a new survey.

The annual Back to School Survey from children’s charity Barnardos also found that just under a quarter (24%) of secondary school parents surveyed said they had to take out a loan or borrow from friends in order to meet back to school costs.

A total of 1,100 parents were surveyed in relation to the cost of sending a child to primary or secondary school education.

Barnardos calculated that the average cost the basics needed for for a fourth class pupil is €320, while the amount needed for a first year pupil is €972 and a fifth year pupil is €863.

One parent of a primary school pupil told Barnardos that they “lie awake in bed with anxiety thinking how will we meet the uniform needs along with the grocery bill”.

“It is a very difficult and such a stressful time… We both work and we have eaten through our savings since January due to the rise in the cost of living for everything,” the parent said.

It’s a very worrying time in our lives with another child joining primary school in 2024 and wondering how will we cope.

Other survey results include:

• Half of primary (50%) and two-thirds of secondary school parents (66%) stated they are worried about meeting costs this year
• One third of primary school (35%) and half (50%) of secondary school parents said cost of living increases have made it much more difficult to meet costs
• One-third (32%) of secondary school parents stated they had to pay over €300 for digital costs for their child

Commenting on the results of the survey, Barnardos CEO Suzanne Connolly called on the government to introduce free schoolbooks to all secondary school children. This comes after school books were made free for primary school children last year.

“Barnardos believes that no parent should face financial pressure in trying to meet what are essential costs for their children’s education. Parents repeatedly tell us of the need for the government to do more to reduce the struggles they face each summer,” Connolly said.

Barnardos is calling on the government to take further steps in providing free education by introducing free schoolbooks for all, ensuring all schools allow for low-cost uniforms, ending voluntary contributions and maintaining the recent increase in the back to school clothing and footwear allowance.

Why do schools still rely on parents to pay for essentials? The Noteworthy team wants to find out. Support this project here.