by Marcella Staken

The Society of St. Vincent De Paul (SVP) sees access to education as a critical enabler for exiting social exclusion and poverty.

In August 2017, SVP received 5,000 calls from parents requesting back-to-school help. Per the latest available date, this figure is expected to be exceeded by 20% this year.

Behind these figures, SVP members see the anxiety and stress of parents trying to juggle their low incomes to meet school costs.

Curricular sport and music costs, exam fees, trips and fund-raising ventures are additional expenses on top of the substantial amounts incurred at the start of each school year for school books, uniforms and footwear, digital devices and school transport – the list goes on.

SVP members report that transition year is a major source of financial stress for families. On average, completing transition year can cost between €300 ($390) and €900 ($1175) per pupil.

One parent was extremely upset to receive reminder text messages concerning a voluntary contribution.

She was a first-time caller to SVP. This was traumatic for her, as she regularly receives phone calls from her bank because she is in mortgage arrears.

Separately, a one-parent family with four children and one child starting first year were confronted with costs of €700 ($915) for an iPad, a €250 ($325) registration fee, and voluntary fees for two other children at €180 ($235) each.

We have also heard of low-income families going to moneylenders to fund school trips, particularly in transition year, as they cannot afford to pay.

While many SVP conferences do not give financial assistance towards voluntary contributions, they provide food vouchers. This allows parents to use money for the weekly food bill to pay voluntary contributions.

In other instances, conference members work with the school on behalf of families to negotiate fee waivers. We fully acknowledge that cuts to the capitation rates have meant that schools have little option but to ask for voluntary contributions.

Ultimately, schools should not have to ask families to subsidize running costs and parents should not have to choose between food or paying a contribution towards their child’s education.

Access to a free primary education is enshrined in the Constitution. SVP, therefore, wants an end to the practice of voluntary contributions.

In the 2019 budget we are asking for the commitment to restore capitation rates to 2010 levels, which was made in the Action Plan for Education 2016-2019 to be honored.

Over the medium term we are asking for the department to carry out an independent assessment of the adequacy of the capitation rates and incrementally increase funding to schools so that all children have access to a high-quality, free and inclusive primary and secondary education. SVP also recommends funding for the school book rental scheme be increased by €20 million in the 2019 budget.

This would allow more schools to avail of the scheme and reduce costs to parents. In the longer term, we would like delivery of an entirely free school book scheme.

Parents on low incomes are most affected by school costs. School costs also prohibit the full participation of children from disadvantaged backgrounds in education.

Underachievement in school can have profound consequences for children now and in later life. SVP contends that non-fee-paying primary and secondary schools need to be adequately resourced, which would ensure schools can carry out their intended role to educate future generations in an equal and inclusive manner.

(Marcella Staken is social policy development officer with the Society of St. Vincent De Paul).

Source: The Connaught Telegraph, Ireland