Financial pressure on parents as schools reopen in Ireland
DUBLIN: The closure of schools during the Covid period was saddening, but it did help to reduce the financial burden on parents. As the school prepares to reopen, parents’ concerns about the high cost of education are growing.
The daily phone calls to the Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP) attest to the rising number of parents who are unsure how to pay for their children’s school expenses. The SVP says more than 300 phone calls were received from parents in the past week alone.
The high costs of iPads and tables worries parents the most. Many of these devices are priced between €600 and €800, putting them out of reach for many low-income families.
According to a survey conducted by the Irish League of Credit Unions, school costs have risen significantly, pushing many families into debt. The survey found that the cost of sending a child to a primary school this year €1,200.
School uniforms, books, digital equipment and donations can scare parents. This comes at a time when many families are struggling with rising utility costs, with some energy providers raising prices three times this year. None of this is affordable for poor families.
Rose McGowan of SVP said school expenses would be a daily struggle for students from low-income families. Ms McGowan said that when schools were forced to switch to online learning due to the pandemic, it provided significant support to low-income families who were struggling with the cost of digital devices and internet access.
The SVP demanded that investment be given priority in measures to increase government assistance to support school costs. It has asked schools to understand the needs of low-income families at a time when many parents are unemployed and living on inadequate or reduced incomes.
Kindly click the link below to join WhatsApp group chat to get important news and breaking news from Irish Samachar
Comments are closed.