Parents cutting back to pay 'voluntary' contributions to schools

One principal told the Society of St Vincent de Paul study: “We use the payment to cover the cost of running the school on a day-to-day basis.” File picture: Billy Higgins

Almost nine in 10 parents are cutting back or delaying spending in order to pay the voluntary contribution charge in post-primary schools, which can cost as much as €550 per child.

Furthermore, schools are increasingly using voluntary contributions to cover basic day-to-day running costs and on the likes of books, classroom materials and stationery, a new report has found.

Research conducted by Grant Thornton on behalf of the Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP) found that 86% of parents said their child’s schools requested a voluntary contribution while 80% said that these were not clearly communicated as being optional.

This is despite Department of Education guidance that it be made clear to parents that there is no compulsion to pay and a child’s place in the school was not dependent on it.

One parent told the survey: “It had to be paid or the child did not receive a homework notebook. Teacher would ask where’s your notebook, so all the class would know fees weren’t paid. Very embarrassing for child.” 

Another said they had to pay a fee for transition year on top so that was €600 before buying a book. The parent said:

It has seriously put a dent in our family finances, so much so that I had to borrow money from my family to buy uniforms and shoes.

The pressure on parents to pay these charges has been cited by charities as having a major impact on households as the cost-of-living crisis has deepened.

SVP national president Rose McGowan said many of the parents who took part in the research spoke about the stress caused by requests for contributions, going into debt, and feeling “ashamed” at struggling to meet the costs for their children. “This mirrors what we see when working with families who seek our help every year,” she said.

The survey also found large number of parents saying they must pay extra for school activities and clubs, and even classroom resources like printing fees. Parents said voluntary contributions range from €30 to €550 per child, with an average of €140 across all school types.

“Voluntary contributions are a symptom of the underfunding of the education system,” one principal told the study. “We use the payment to cover the cost of running the school on a day-to-day basis.” 

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SVP said its research showed that this voluntary charge has become “baked into school’s financial make-up”, and urged a step-change from Government. Its research and policy officer Niamh Dalziel said this required a “solution-focused approach” to the issue of voluntary contributions and all school charges.

“We also know that schools are underfunded,” she said. “During the period of austerity, the capitation grant, which covers the basic running costs for schools per pupil, was cut from €345 to €309. To maintain the real 2010 value adjusted for inflation to 2023, the grant should be €422 or 33% higher.” 

Ms Dalziel added that there are “cost-free actions” that could be taken immediately to reduce the burden on families. The charity proposed a new regulation on monitoring voluntary contributions, increasing the capitation grant and providing more transparency on educational funding expenditure.

The research came from an online survey of almost 1,500 parents and case studies with principals of six post-primary schools.