Back-to-school costs pushing some families into debt

Andy From Sligo

some families are having to take out loans to pay the costs to send their kids back to school.

A survey found that the average cost of sending children to school is €340 for a child in senior infants, €395 for fourth class pupils, and €775 for a child in first year of secondary school.

Whats your view(s)?

should the education system should be free?

lawlolawl

If only there was some kind of childrens allowance paid to parents by the state.

me_irl

I think people should really budget when deciding to have snowflake no. 2... or 3.

Peregrine

me_irl wrote: »

I think people should really budget when deciding to have snowflake no. 2... or 3.

Yeah. Back in my day, the smartest one was sent to school and the rest were sent to the mines. People have gotten soft these days. Amirite?

me_irl

Peregrine wrote: »

Yeah. Back in my day, the smartest one was sent to school and the rest were sent to the mines. People have gotten soft these days. Amirite?

No no no, they're minERS. :pac:

Thoie

I agree that the cost of books is too high, and there should really be more work done to keep the costs of those down. However every year we're treated to the same "oh no, the back to school costs".

Schools go back around the same time every year, you generally know what age your own child is, it's not a surprise, and with all the articles about how much it costs, people have the chance to save up for 12 months towards it. €15 a week would cover it all. If you can't afford to save €15 a week there are usually schemes from the health boards/social welfare to help.

Those costs are also assuming everything brand new - hand-me-downs seem to be a thing of the past.

Story Bud?

It's getting cheaper at least.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057621641/3?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

They have even included the annual cost of lunch for the kids in the figures. The children have to be fed anyway and it isn't a cost up front when going back to school.

Andy From Sligo

its compulsory that you got to send your children to school, your in trouble if you dont and then your hit with all the expense that goes with it.

zl1whqvjs75cdy

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

its compulsory that you got to send your children to school, your in trouble if you dont and then your hit with all the expense that goes with it.

You can home school them if you like.

Story Bud?

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

its compulsory that you got to send your children to school, your in trouble if you dont and then your hit with all the expense that goes with it.

No it's not.

It's compulsory that your child meets a minimum standard of education, you can do it yourself if you'd prefer Andy. Save yourself a few bob.

Andy From Sligo

lawlolawl wrote: »

If only there was some kind of childrens allowance paid to parents by the state.

there is, we know that - so why are the parents still strapped for the money? - they wouldnt be spending the allowance on fags and booze would they?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

its compulsory that you got to send your children to school, your in trouble if you dont and then your hit with all the expense that goes with it.

Such is life. Taxes, motor insurance, TV licence, utility bills, mortgage payments/rent... It all comes with the territory.

Andy From Sligo

Story Bud? wrote: »

No it's not.

It's compulsory that your child meets a minimum standard of education, you can do it yourself if you'd prefer Andy.

mine are long gone past the stage thanks be to god, and I dont have any plans to have any more any time soon

Jawgap

If you can't afford them don't have them.

SEPT 23 1989

the school buke cartels in this country are a major problem

Andy From Sligo

Gregory Quaint Passenger wrote: »

Such is life. Taxes, motor insurance, TV licence, utility bills, mortgage payments/rent... It all comes with the territory.

yeah but there are those in life that can afford it and those that cannot and a lot of the time its no good people whinging that couples shouldnt have had kids in the first place if they cannot afford to bring them up.

jackofalltrades

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

some families are having to take out loans to pay the costs to send their kids back to school.

A survey found that the average cost of sending children to school is €340 for a child in senior infants, €395 for fourth class pupils, and €775 for a child in first year of secondary school.

Whats your view(s)?

should the education system should be free?

I'd like to see a link to the survey, see exactly what's included.
I think previous surveys have included the costs of things that you would have to buy anyway.
I think voluntary contributions should be done away with or actually made voluntary.
Back in my day(I know that was some time ago) but teachers used to be quite heavy handed when it come to collecting this.
Also school uniforms should be made as cheap as possible, no excuse for a local shop to be charging a fortune just cause a jumper has a crest on it.

Andy From Sligo

donkeyoaty0099 wrote: »

You can home school them if you like.

do you not need to be qualified as a teacher no?

Story Bud?

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

do you not need to be qualified as a teacher no?

No.

Speedwell

Jawgap wrote: »

If you can't afford them don't have them.

Or don't have one of the parents die, or don't lose your job, or don't become ill, or don't be the victim of fraud, theft, or other crime, or...

Andy From Sligo

I know when my 2 went to school the schools changed the books every year so we had to buy new ones and they werent cheap along with other stuff. - I presume its the same these days, and then the uniforms and everything else

Jawgap

Speedwell wrote: »

Or don't have one of the parents die, or don't lose your job, or don't become ill, or don't be the victim of fraud, theft, or other crime, or...

I'm all for helping out people who've been desperately unlucky (including granting them mortgage debt relief) - so yeah, if someone has been prudent and hardworking and life has just dealt them up a sh1t deal I'd be all for them getting a big chunk of help to alleviate some of the lesser burdens they might have to deal with......

.....but my understanding is that the surveys and complaints don't just come from the unlucky and the unfortunate - it's a general across-the-board whinge.

Maybe instead of whinging about these things parents should organise, get on the Parents Council of their school and the governing body and change the uniform and book policies to make them more family friendly and cheaper.....

.......or they could just keep whinging.

Jawgap

Speedwell wrote: »

Or don't have one of the parents die, or don't lose your job, or don't become ill, or don't be the victim of fraud, theft, or other crime, or...

btw- you forgot to add family break-up. I know from personal experience how traumatic and expensive that can be

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

Any time I read a thread by you Andy, my blood pressure which is normally on the low side, Sky rockets and I am always tempted to write a massive post to argue against it, until I remember - all your threads seem to have the same theme, and I can't help but feel you like the reactions disagreeing with you more than the ones agreeing with you.

Widdershins

Story Bud? wrote: »

No it's not.

It's compulsory that your child meets a minimum standard of education, you can do it yourself if you'd prefer Andy. Save yourself a few bob.

You'd still need educational supplies , books , etc. I don't know that you would save .


Seems like a lot of money to me . I thought schools were using IPAD or laptops now ?

There is a grant for the purchase of schoolbooks.

s4uv3

Look. Tough as it is, you gotta pay your way in this life.
I'd move heaven and hell to get the few hundred bob together to get my child educated, and be damn glad to live in a country with access to such a wonderful education and for such little cost.

Waaahhhhh, we can't go to Santa Ponza now cos school books. Waaahhhhhh. :rolleyes:

Andy From Sligo

jackofalltrades wrote: »

I'd like to see a link to the survey, see exactly what's included.
.

I think it was Barnardo's who produced the survey.

This is what Irish League of Credit Unions have amounted it up to:

On average primary school parents are spending €145 on uniforms per child, secondary school parents spending €234 per child



31% of parents find themselves in debt covering back to school costs, borrowing an average of €357



In 2016 - 60% of parents will shop online for back to school items, up significantly from 47% in 2015



Dunnes Stores is considered best value for school clothing (21%) followed by Marks & Spencer (19%), Tesco (15%) and specialty shop (12%)



79% parents expected to make ‘voluntary contribution to school averaging €118 per child, up from €112 in 2015



37% of parents feel under pressure to buy branded school supplies, down from 42% in 2015, pressure more evident in secondary school parents



Only 14% % of parents eligible for back-to-school allowance believe the back to school allowance is sufficient to cover school costs

http://www.creditunion.ie/communications/pressreleases/2016/title,10212,en.php

Story Bud?

Widdershins wrote: »

You'd still need educational supplies , books , etc. I don't know that you would save .

Oh I agree, I suspect it would cost you more in the long run to self educate your child. I was responding to Andy who thought because it was compulsory to send your child to school that it shouldn't cost you a shiny penny.

Thoie

Comparatively easy things schools could do:

• Use generic, easily available, uniforms. If they really want a crest, sell it separately and people can sew it on to jumpers. The same crest could last years.
• Stop the nonsense of special tracksuits.
• Stop using workbooks that have to be written in - let the kids write in copybooks. Consider it a learning opportunity and teach them how to cross reference their work properly.
• Stop changing text books (or editions) so frequently. The curriculum doesn't change that often, there's no need for the books to change so often either.

OldNotWIse

If you cant afford them don't have them. In the same way that people don't get dogs and then moan about the cost of vaccinating and doggie daycare and Royal Canin.

I do think the school book thing is a joke and a cartel but I'd bet that if the money that is spent on lavish communions and confirmations was re-routed to back to school costs, there wouldn't be an issue.