Positive Steps Needed To Alleviate Back-To School Financial Burden On Families In Cobh

Cllr John Mulvihill snr has said the crippling costs faced by families as children return to school this week will place an unprecedented pressure on many families in Cobh. “With more and more and more people now out of work, and many others on reduced incomes, and already under severe financial pressure, this is a problem that the Minister for Education Mary Coughlan needs to take the issue by the scruff of the neck.

Cllr Mulvihill continued “Labour has previously published the findings of research indicating that it can cost as much as €1200 per child to cover the costs of uniforms, books, voluntary contributions, stationery etc. The fact of the matter is that with a bit of lateral thinking on the part of the Minister and a bit of political will, many of these costs could be reduced dramatically. “For instance, many schools require students to wear a specialised uniform which can prove to be particularly expensive when compared to those available in the chain stores. “Minister Coughlan needs to put much greater pressure on schools in this regard. I don’t accept the view that schools are entirely independent and that the Minister is powerless to act. At the very least she should publish a set of guidelines for schools in this regard, to ensure that all families are given the option of purchasing the less expensive uniforms.

“In addition schools should operate guidelines on the type of sports gear required to avoid pressures on parents to purchase designer labels. The Department of Social and Family Affairs and the Department of Education and Science should assist schools in formulating these guidelines.

Cllr John Mulvihill went on to state “The Minister must also put greater pressure on schools to operate a book rental scheme. These schemes are operating in many if not most schools around the country, but there are still many where they are not. Book rental schemes can save families hundreds of euro and the Minister must incentivise schools to put such arrangements in place. “I also believe that there should be an up-to-date review of the Aid for School Books Grant Scheme to take account of changing prices and changes in the use of textbooks and that the National Council for Curriculum Assessment should consider the cost of school books when drawing up new or amending existing curricula.

“The cost of running a school is all too often being passed on directly to parents in the form of voluntary contributions and various administration fees, but this cost could be reduced if schools could in some way pool their purchasing power.

“An Garda Siochana secures substantial savings from service providers like the ESB by having one account that covers all stations. There is no reason that the Dept of Education could not negotiate such a deal for our schools. Indeed there is no reason a similar arrangement could not be put in place for the providers of other goods and services such as cleaning and stationery.

“Finally, as highlighted by the Labour Party, the arrangements in place in the HSE for processing applications for the Back-To-School Allowance have proven to be completely inadequate. A massive backlog has built up and it is clear that thousands of families who are entitled to receive payment under the scheme will not receive it in time. The response this week where the HSE has reallocated staff to speed up the processing of these applications is too little too late, and these steps should have been taken weeks ago.”