SVP fields hundreds of calls from strapped parents ahead of school return

Many of the 300 calls to SVP related to requests for financial help with parental contributions, schoolbooks, digital equipment, and help with the cost of school uniforms.

St Vincent de Paul has warned of the back-to-school pressures on families after revealing it fielded 300 calls from parents last week in relation to the costs of the new term.

The charity said the number of calls it has received this year for help with school costs are up 10% compared to previous years.

It said many of the calls related to requests for financial help with parental contributions, schoolbooks, digital equipment, and help with the cost of school uniforms.

The warning from the charity comes just weeks after the annual Barnardos' Back To School survey of parents found many respondents felt under financial pressure in meeting the costs of the upcoming school year.

That found that more than 50% of parents said they were concerned about the cost of returning to school, with one-third saying the situation would be made more difficult as a result of Covid. One-in-five parents told Barnardos they take out some form of loan to pay for school costs.

What's your view on this issue?

You can tell us here

Members of SVP said they are particularly concerned about the number of calls they are receiving from worried parents in relation to the cost of iPads and tablets, with many of those devices costing between €600 and €800.

SVP said this is impossible for struggling families to afford and that it had provided support to low-income families struggling with the cost of digital devices and internet costs during previous lockdowns.

Rose McGowan, SVP National President, said: “With schools on track to reopen next week, children and young people can look forward to meeting up with their friends and resuming some normality after a tough 18 months.

"Unfortunately, however, even in normal times school can be a daily struggle for students from low-income families, especially if they don’t have everything they need to learn or if they feel different from their peers.

"For struggling parents, the preparation for the new school year is a huge source of stress, in particular the anxiety associated with the prospect of requests for contributions or other expenses for extra-curricular activities.” 

Back-to-school financial pressures mount as SVP receives almost 300 calls a day from worried parents. The level of demand underlines the need for greater investment to ensure that all children and can access and participate in education on an equal footing https://t.co/LzkxxzHLq4 pic.twitter.com/P3Cp20nbi4

— SVP - Ireland (@SVP_Ireland) August 26, 2021

Marcella Stakem, SVP Research and Policy Officer, said: “We are keenly aware that the inequalities that existed before the pandemic in the education system remain and, in many cases, have worsened.

"Returning to normal should not be what we aspire to for children and young people – they deserve so much better. We need to ensure that we have a properly funded and inclusive education system, that is genuinely free for everyone."

In its pre-Budget submission, SVP made a range of recommendations, including scrapping ‘voluntary’ contributions in non-fee paying primary and secondary schools and making schoolbooks free for all primary and secondary students.

It also suggested addressing digital poverty for low-income households by ensuring sufficient resources are allocated to implement the forthcoming digital schools’ strategy, and providing a dedicated and fully resourced fund for activities in schools such as music, drama, sport, including swimming lessons and personal development courses.