CHILDREN’S CHARITY BARNARDOS has called for all schools to introduce affordable uniform options.

Barnardos has today released its 2024 Back to School survey, which revealed that on average, primary school parents spent €119 on uniforms this year while secondary school parents spent €211.

In addition to this, 81% of parents said their children’s school did not offer an affordable uniform option and 76% said their school could do more to reduce the cost of their child’s uniform.   

Some 85% of primary school parents also said they were worried about meeting the cost of uniforms this year, while this number was 90% for secondary school parents.

Barnardos has called on the Department of Education to mandate that all schools introduce affordable uniform options and make sure they can demonstrate how they are adhering to the 2017 Departmental Circular on uniforms.

That 2017 Circular called on schools to introduce “cost-effective practices”, such as ensuring all elements of a school uniform can be purchased from various stores and that iron on or sew on crests should be used.

It also called for schools to ensure that, wherever possible, generic rather than branded items should be specified and that where an exclusive supply arrangement applies, it should be tendered for regularly.

The Barnardos Back to School survey involved over 900 responses from parents of primary and secondary school pupils, and 92% of survey respondents described themselves as being mothers.

One parent said they “would like to see non-crested uniforms that do not cost a small fortune”.

“No crested uniforms so we can buy the clothing in ordinary shops instead of paying a fortune,” said another parent.

Some 70% of primary school and 90% of secondary school parents who responded to the survey said their children had to wear crested/branded uniforms. 

Only 19% of primary and 4% of secondary school parents said their children had plain uniforms and 11% of primary and 7% of secondary parents said their child had no uniform.

Meanwhile, 76% of parents who receive the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance – which helps families with the cost of school uniforms and shoes – reported that it did not cover these costs.

Barnardos has recommended that this allowance be increased by €100.

One primary school parent told the survey: “€160 is not enough for a primary school given that the cost is €560 for everything.”

Voluntary contributions

Barnardos has also called for the establishment of a voluntary contribution code of practice for schools.

Some 78% of primary and 80% of secondary parents said their schools requested a voluntary contribution at the start of the school year. 

Over 60% primary school parents and two thirds of secondary school parents said that it did not feel voluntary.  

A considerable range in voluntary contributions was noted, with some schools requesting €20 from parents while others looked for over €300.

On average, €98 was the average contribution requested from primary school parents, and €124 for secondary school parents.

One parent noted that while it is called a voluntary contribution, “they email to let you know that you still haven’t paid it”.

School trips

Elsewhere, one quarter of secondary school parents reported spending over €300 on school trips last year.

Some 96% of primary school parents were asked to pay additional sums for school trips, while this figure was 99% for secondary school parents.

On average, primary school parents spent €65 on school trips, while secondary school parents spent €151 on average.

“I feel so guilty that I can’t afford to send her on all the trips the others appear to go on easily, so I feel she’s missing out,” said one primary school parent.

Books

Meanwhile, Barnardos is also calling for the free school books scheme to be extended to all secondary school years.

It currently applies to primary schools, while a Junior Cycle Schoolbooks Scheme will be introduced in secondary schools in the upcoming academic year.

The average cost of school books in 2024 for senior cycle secondary school is €202.

Barnardos has also called for the establishment of a digital educational fund for low income parents to access tablets and laptops for their children where required.

On average, primary school parents spent €51 on digital costs while secondary school parents spent €168, while 39% of secondary school parents meanwhile reported having to pay digital costs of over €300.

CEO of Barnardos Suzanne Connolly noted that the Government has “implemented positive reforms over the past two years around school costs, in particular in relation to schoolbooks”.

However, she warned that “too many parents are still struggling every summer to cover back to school costs”.

“Now is the time for the Government to continue introducing more measures to alleviate financial stress on parents, and to compel schools to do more to keep back to school costs at an affordable level,” Connolly added.