Education isn’t free if parents go into debt. Tell the Government: End back-to-school rip-offs now.

Every child in Ireland deserves access to a free, fair, and fully-funded education. But for too many families, the reality is very different.

A new survey shows that in 2025, parents are now spending over €1,450 for a child in primary school and €1,560 for a child in secondary school—just to get them back through the school gates in September. One in three parents are going into debt to cover the costs. Over a third say they’ve had to deny their child an essential item. This isn’t right.

Labour has set out a practical, fully-costed plan to ease the pressure on families:

Make the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance universal, and restore the full €100 increase
Abolish all exam fees permanently
Make school transport free for all, with a €27 million investment
Ban voluntary contributions and increase capitation grants by 20%
Cover ingredient costs in practical subjects like Home Economics

We’re calling on the Government to urgently implement these proposals and finally deliver a truly free school system.

📢 Add your name today to demand an end to the back-to-school rip-off.

Every child deserves a fair start. No parent should be forced into debt to educate their child.

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