Many parents in Ireland may have difficulties meeting the expenses associated with putting a child through the country's education system, a new survey has revealed.

The research, conducted by Bank of Ireland Life in association with Schooldays.ie, found half of respondents said the last school year has been very difficult, as two-thirds of families have seen their earnings fall over the period.

It revealed 77 per cent of parents think school uniforms are too expensive, with half planning to buy a larger size so they will not have to spend again next year.

Around 160,000 families are expected to apply for the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance in order to help them meet these costs, the Irish Independent reported last week.

Annemarie Wade of Schooldays.ie noted "our second hand books section is the busiest section on our website during the summer months", with many parents looking to raise funds by selling their old materials.

She added the site's Back to School pages are also extremely popular as people search for information on textbook offers and make use of a new facility allowing them to sell on second hand uniforms.

Written by Donal Walsh
 

Comments