Parents struggle to fund ‘free’ education

Cash-strapped parents facing onerous back-to-school costs could be pushed into the arms of moneylenders, the St Vincent De Paul has warned.

The annual Barnardos Schools Costs survey has again highlighted the considerable cost of sending children to school, with €735 the typical cost for a first-year pupil in secondary school.

While the survey suggested a fall in the overall costs associated with children starting a new school year, Barnardos said not enough was being done to ensure schools did all they could to lessen the financial burden on parents.