'Voluntary' contributions, digital devices and other costs make education anything but free

If Ireland is to be a country where every child can achieve their right to education, we must ensure that education is not only free in name, but free in practice, writes Niamh Dalziel of the Society of Saint Vincent De Paul

Mona Sheils (left) and Sean McGovern (right) at the launch of the Barnardos Back to School Survey 2025. Picture: Patrick Bolger Photography

With just a few weeks to go before the 2025/2026 school year begins the back-to-school advertisements are prompting those parents who have not already done so to get shopping for their children's essential school needs.

From uniforms and digital devices to so-called voluntary contributions and exam fees, the cost of sending a child to school in Ireland continues to place an enormous strain on households—particularly those already facing poverty and disadvantage.