The practice of parents having to pay for additional classes at hundreds of national schools should be abolished, states a motion to be debated this weekend by the National Parent's Council (primary).
According to the chief executive of the council, Ms Fionnuala Kilfeather, hundreds of schools now require parents to pay for extra classes in PE, science, drama and sometimes foreign languages.
The motion from Carlow, Limerick and Dublin-based branches calls on the Department of Education to abolish the practice because poorer children often cannot pay and are placed at a disadvantage.
The motion will be debated at the annual conference of the council today and tomorrow in Oranmore, Co Galway.
Ms Kilfeather said education was meant to be free at national school level, but parents were still being asked to fork out for extra classes held during curriculum time.
She said this was normally to pay the wages of an extra teacher, not funded by the Department of Education.
She said the practice was happening in ordinary national schools, not fee-paying schools where parents realised they would have to make a contribution.
An amendment to the motion says the State should fund all activities that take place during school hours.
Last night the chairwoman of the counil, Ms Patricia Forde Brennan, said one issue which was occupying the minds of parents was school transport.
"A recent newspaper article announced that Minister Willie O'Dea has submitted a request to the Department of Finance for €14 million to increase the carrying capacity of the school bus fleet and thus allowing every second level student a bus seat. One might say about time," Ms Kilfeather said.
"However, the article went on to say that it was unlikely to happen as finance would be unwilling to bring in a supplementary estimate to fund the measure. If this is so, this irresponsible approach to my child's safety is indicative of a deeper neglect within both departments," she said.
" Safety does not appear to be a priority. That's why each child does not have a seat-belt, why there is no recognised first aid qualification for the bus driver or school escort [where one exists]
"It also helps to explain why there is no supervision of children before school and after school, when pupils are waiting for buses," she said.