School Costs Survey 2019: Briefing Paper

Abstract

A child’s right to primary education is enshrined in the Irish constitution yet, the substantial financial cost of sending a child to primary school means access to education is not free and anything but equal1 . Since 2005, Barnardos has been highlighting the costs incurred by parents in preparing their children to return to school in September. Each year, parents describe the substantial costs imposed on them and the impact that this financial burden has on them and on their household budget. In doing so, they clearly demonstrate that the mantra of free education rings hollow.