Back-to-school costs are a financial burden for three-quarters of parents and one-third cannot afford some of the school items needed, a new survey has found. The annual back-to-school costs survey published on Tuesday by the Irish League of Credit Unions (ILCU) has put the cost of sending a child to secondary school at €1,399, up €20 on last year. The costs associated with primary school children has fallen slightly, down €50 to €949. School trips are set to cost parents €190 this year, compared with €159 last year. Parents of primary school children say their average back-to-school related debt is €274, down from €367 in 2018.

Source: The Irish Times July 15, 2019 22:52 UTC