Education should be free. It’s meant to be free.
Yet in the middle of a cost of living crisis families are forking out thousands of euros to send their children to school.
• The average cost of sending a child to secondary school is €1288. It is €1152 for primary school.
• In 2021 parents paid about €30 million in so-called “voluntary contributions” because the government fails to fund our schools properly.
It’s not surprising that many parents say that it’s much more difficult to meet school costs.
• Half of primary and two-thirds of secondary school parents say they are worried about meeting costs this year.
• One in four secondary school parents said they had to take out a loan or borrow from friends in order to meet back to school costs.
This is scandalous in one of the richest countries in the world. The government has a huge surplus to spend. This should be used to make education genuinely free.
If you agree, then get out and join the Cost Of Living Campaign protest on October 7th.