Parents under pressure

THE costs of books, uniforms and transport were among the biggest concerns of parents who took part in Barnardos’ online survey. These are some of their comments:

* “It is costing me €1,800 to send my three children to school this September. My husband is currently unemployed and we are really being stretched to meet the costs. We had to get a loan from the credit union to send our children to school — it’s a joke.”

* “Education is about learning not uniforms. Schools should just pick a colour rather than be tied to a crest. Where are we supposed to find the money to dress our children? Like every other parent, I will sort this out but to what cost — my electricity, my rent, something has to give so I can afford to send my child to school.”