School's out for summer, but parents have some tough homework to do. Back to school costs have increased again this year and, for many, the maths just doesn't add up.
Some six in 10 parents say back to school costs are a financial burden, according to an Irish League of Credit Unions (Ilcu) survey. Of course they do. Average net monthly income clocks in at around €3,000. And it is estimated that a parent of a primary school child will pay €1,186 to get them in the school gate this year.
If you’ve got a child in secondary school, the survey says, you can add €1,491 to that. With such a big outlay, it can take months to get a family’s finances back on track.
How to pay
Parents are using a mix of monthly income, savings and debt to pay for school costs, according to the Ilcu survey. Over a third are dipping into their savings, which, with interest rates on savings so low, is the cheapest way to pay.
Dublin parents are most likely to use their credit card for back to school bills with almost a third going this route, according to the survey.
Using the credit card can be a useful way to spread the hit, but only if you are disciplined in paying it back. If you have a credit card debt and are only making the minimum monthly repayment, the debt drags on.
Your household income must be below a certain limit, depending on your family composition to avail of the State's <a class="search" href='javascript:window.parent.actionEventData({$contentId:"7.1213540", $action:"view", $target:"work"})' polopoly:contentid="7.1213540" polopoly:searchtag="tag_event">Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance</a>
For example, if you put the entire back to school cost for your primary school child of €1,186 on a credit card with an APR of 18 per cent and monthly repayments of €50, your child will be two and half years older by the time you pay it down.
By increasing your monthly repayment by as much as you can afford, and stopping using the credit card, you will clear the debt faster. Set up a standing order or direct debit for the monthly repayment (or even put a payment reminder on your phone) to pay by the due date to avoid adding costly late payment fees to the total.
Suited and booted
If your child goes to a uniform-wearing school, the hope is you save on clothes for at least nine months of the year. It doesn’t feel like it this time of year, however.
A five year-old starting at one South Dublin school this September will need a crested jumper, a pair of pants, a tracksuit, shorts and a tie, and then a spare of all of these. The bill is €120. Add to that two shirts, two polo t-shirts, five pairs of white socks and a particular type of black shoe with black soles, and you edge closer to the €200 mark.
Of course your child will grow and probably need the same again next year, one size up. By then, you'll know to hit your school's second-hand uniform sale where you can kit your child out for a fraction of that, or at the very least get your spares there.
A shout-out on a local parents' Facebook group will also yield results with parents only too glad to offload uniforms outgrown. Reduce, reuse, recycle is what the kids are taught, so why not practise it?
If your school provides a uniform list linked to a particular shop, don’t be afraid to go elsewhere. Schools with an ounce of sense will allow the purchase of matching generic, non-branded uniforms.
A tracksuit bottom from the official provider of said South Dublin school costs €14; you can get a near identical one for €5 at Dunnes Stores. A crested school jumper is €28. Again, you can get a near identical version from Marks & Spencer for €6.60. Schools attuned to families' needs allow their uniform provider to sell the crests separately for a couple of euro and you can sew or iron them on yourself.
Back to school allowance
Many parents rely on the State's Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance to cover costs. You may qualify if you are receiving a social welfare payment (including the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment), or taking part in an approved employment scheme or training course.
Your household income must be below a certain limit too, depending on your family composition. For example, if you have four children, your weekly income limit, including wages, income from some social welfare or HSE payments and a means testing of any maintenance, savings and investments, must be €723.70 or less.
If you qualify, for children aged 4-11, the allowance is €150 per child. That rises to €275 for those in second level. So it's not going to pay for everything, but it's better than nothing. You can apply on mywelfare.ie.
Borrower and a lender be
Schoolbooks top the list of the most expensive item for parents of secondary school students at around €210. Ask your school if they run a second-hand book sale. If they operate a book rental scheme, say you want to participate.
These schemes loan textbooks to children and charge a small deposit and rental fee. The books are owned by the board of management and are rented out each year. Books must be returned at the end of the year in good condition.
About three quarters of primary school parents say they have access to a book rental scheme compared to just 40 per cent of post primary parents, according to a Barnardos survey.
If there is a scheme, primary parents will still pay about €50 for books with post-primary parents paying €115 according to the charity. And not all schemes include workbooks and stationary.
If you school doesn’t have a scheme, offering to help set one up will reduce costs for yourself and everyone else. You can help too by donating good quality books that your child no longer needs.
Low income families and those experiencing financial hardship should ask their principal about the availability of Free Education Scheme book funding from the Department of Education, which is administered at the principal's discretion. If none of these options is available to you, you could also ask your local bookshop if they offer instalment plans.
Voluntary contribution
Primary schools in Ireland are funded through a capitation grant scheme from Government. This means the school’s board of management gets a certain amount of money for each child enrolled.
This money is used to pay expenses such as electricity, oil, insurance, telephone – but it’s rarely enough. Some 65 per cent of primary and 75 per cent of secondary schools ask for a voluntary contribution to bridge the gap, according to Barnardos. The contribution averages €80 for primary school pupils and €125 for those in secondary school.
There is no uniform approach to how parents are asked for the money, how it is spent or how much it should be – it’s no wonder it’s contentious.
The contribution has to be on a voluntary basis however and you are under no obligation to pay it, says the National Parents Council. Speak to the principal if you have difficulty. "No child or family should be named or shamed for not contributing." Certainly your child's place at the school is not contingent on it.
School transport
Transport costs hit those in rural areas hardest. Although subsidised, the cost of the School Transport Scheme is still €100 for a primary school pupil (with a maximum of €220 per family) and €350 per secondary school student, with a maximum of €650 per family. It's payable in full by July 30th, or else half by then with regular payments with the balance to be cleared by the end of November.
Eligible children who have a medical card do not have to pay the charge. Children with special needs are eligible for free transport to and from special schools or to special classes.
Exam fees
In a normal year, parents of children doing the Junior Cert or Leaving Cert are asked to pay €109 and €116 respectively for the exam. This is payable after Christmas. The fees were waived for 2021 examinations. The months ahead will tell whether they will return. Those with a medical card are exempt from the fees.
Child benefit cliff
The vast majority of children are now aged at least five when they start school, about 80.5 per cent of them for the 2019-20 school year, according to Department of Education figures. Someone needs to tell the Department of Social Protection however.
This increase in school starting age means most children now start their Leaving Cert year aged 18, the age at which child benefit stops. That leaves families down €140 a month, or €1,680 a year, in their final year of school. That really doesn’t add up.
