The Affordable Ireland Campaign has called on parent and students to join a pre-budget protest on September 19th to demand action on the cost of education.
The campaign said that “many parents will be counting the cost of sending their children back to school.”
The annual cost of sending a child to secondary schools is almost €3000 while primary school costs €1,800, once expenses such as transport, clothing, lunches and activities are included.
84% of parents in Ireland are asked to make financial contributions to their children’s schools, which average roughly €140 per child according to the campaign, and noting that parents are contributing over €23 million per year to keep schools going.
59% of parents said that covering back-to-school costs is a financial burden for them with many taking out loans to cover costs.
“The situation facing college students and their parents is no better; students who are eligible for free tuition could spend an average of €16,158 on college costs this year, an increase of almost €500 on last year,” they noted.
Daniel Walsh, President of Aontas na Mac Léinn in Éirinn (AMLE) urged students to join the protest and said “the cost of college crisis is the single greatest barrier to Higher Education in Ireland today.”
“Whether it’s soaring rents, the cost of transport, or student fees that still rank among the highest in Europe, our members are struggling every day just to make ends meet. The so-called “best years of your life” shouldn’t see students skipping meals, couch-surfing, or commuting 5 hours a day, but Government inaction on the cost of living means that that’s the reality for more and more students”.
Aontas na Mac Léinn in Éirinn are joining the call for “an Ireland that we can afford; an Ireland where education is a right, not a privilege, and where young people are empowered to reach their full potential through education and training.”