‘No family should fear education’

It’s only a matter of time before education will be completely priced out for financially struggling families.

That’s according to Cork Penny Dinners Volunteer Coordinator Caitriona Twomey who said that the number of people in Cork who are struggling financially is increasing every year and that “no family should have to fear education”.

“Surely it's only a matter of time before the Government wakes up and realises that school costs don't just impact the people that are on the social welfare or a very low wage, but people that have good jobs and mortgages too. They're all struggling,” said Ms Twomey.

“When you have working men and women struggling, that's a sure sign that there's something wrong,” she added.

Meanwhile St Vincent de Paul (SVP) has urged the Government to reduce the costs of education by making school books free and abolishing voluntary contributions as calls for help to the charity increased for the third year in a row.
Last week SVP took between 250 and 300 calls per day from parents worried about the mounting financial strain of putting their children through school.
“Access to education is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty but if children don’t have the right materials for learning or if they feel different from their peers, it has a really big impact on their progression and experiences in school,” said Kieran Stafford, SVP National President.
“We strongly believe that all children should have access to quality, free primary and secondary education.”
This year SVP recorded an increase of four per cent in requests for help with school costs in Ireland, less than the 20 per cent jump recorded in 2018.
The smaller rise in calls this year may suggest that the increase in the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance in 2019 has lifted some of the pressure on struggling families.
However, with requests increasing for a third year in a row, SVP said that much greater investment in the education system is needed so that costs aren’t a “barrier to participation” at primary and secondary level.
Last week the charity put forward a number of proposals to immediately alleviate much of the financial stress on parents in a submission made to a Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills.
The first proposal is to make school books free across all primary and secondary schools that would begin with a €20 million investment in Budget 2020.
Marcella Stakem, SVP Policy Officer, said: “If school books were free, it would significantly reduce the financial stress placed on parents and ensure that all pupils, irrespective of the household income, could access the educational resources required to participate and progress with their education.”
The second proposal is to end the voluntary contribution system in all non-fee paying primary and secondary schools and to restore capitation grants to 2010 levels in Budget 2020.
In 2017, SVP spent €3.6 million on education, supporting children and young people at pre-school, primary, secondary and third level.
A spokesperson for the Department of Education and Skills said that Minister Joe McHugh recognises the cost pressures on parents and has recently reiterated his commitment to tackling school costs. 
The spokesperson said that the minister will shortly publish the Student Parent Charter Bill which will require schools to consult with parents on issues such as back to school costs.