June Tinsley, Head of Advocacy at children’s charity Barnados, has said that the Irish education system has "inequality and unfairness" at its core.
Speaking on RTÉ Radio 1's Morning Ireland, Tinsley explained that the differences between schools underpins the unfairness of the system.
"The key problem is that time and time again parents are saying to us that they’re very frustrated by the fact there’s a lack of consistency across the charges imposed on them."
"As one parent said to me, he pays over €100 for books, €45 for a voluntary contribution, for his child, and yet his niece of a similar age in a different school nearby pays €65 for everything. It’s that discrepancies that’s perpetuating the cost being a huge barrier for parents.”
So is it the differences in cost that is the main issue? Or the cost of education itself which Barnados are critical of? Tinsley said that they worked out the average cost for a child in 2016 and deduced that the cost is still too high.
"For a senior infant pupil it costs on average €340, for a 4th Class pupil €395, and for a 1st Year pupil at second level its €795. In some areas it’s gone down slightly, but those figures have been kind of consistent for the last decade. If you have more than one child in the system, all the costs add up."
The education system is so chronically underfunded that there’s an expectation on parents to fill the void. In essence, parents should not be paying for lighting, heating or toilet rolls which the voluntary continuations seem to be covering”
There are arguments that if a family is able to pay, then they should pay but Tinsley argues that as education is a constitutional right. It should be upheld and be genuinely free.
Barnados has worked out the cost to the Government of making this a reality for parents: "It works out at about €103 million extra that’s required by the Department to provide a genuinely free primary education system. That cost would cover all school books, all workbooks, there would be no expectation to pay a voluntary contribution. It would restore the capitation rates back to 2010 levels."
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Tinsley added that with these measures: "No parents would have to pay classroom resources fees or photocopying.”
In the meantime, Barnados is urging schools to reform policy to help ease financial burdens for families: "We would be urging schools to review their school uniform policy from a value for money perspective." She added: "Explore the options of getting a plain coloured uniform to allow parents to iron on a crest. But at the very minimum, not expect parents to pay a voluntary contribution, which can be up to €250.”
