Mr. Paul Rolston:

The NPCPP welcomes the opportunity to engage with this committee and with its partners in education.

Our original submission on this matter highlighted some specific areas of concern to the organisation regarding the focus of this meeting, including books and technology costs. This opening statement, however, refers to the realities and broader core requirements and concerns of parents and guardians.

Post-primary education in Ireland is supposed to have been free since Donogh O’Malley’s courageous and insightful decision in 1967. Unfortunately, the funding required for schools to properly meet this commitment has failed to keep up with the demands in the changing education system and gradually, but increasingly, parents are required to subsidise Government responsibilities for education. This situation is, at the very least, disappointing but in reality is negligent of the governmental responsibilities undertaken and promised by Donogh O’Malley to ensure that all children have access to the solid foundation that stems from a full and balanced secondary education.

Parental support to ensure the availability of basic requirements in school through so-called voluntary contributions, which are no longer voluntary in most cases and, therefore, amount to school fees, is absolutely unacceptable and must be addressed as a priority. Our nation's children must have access at no cost to secondary education as committed to by the State. The relationship between a school and a parent should revolve around educational, and not financial, matters, a point made by Ms Lynch with reference to primary education, which I reiterate. Pupils should never suffer any consequences or be in any way highlighted or segregated due to the inability of their parents to meet these costs.

NPCPP strongly urges committee members to demand the return of proper and real free secondary education for our children. Returning school capitation grants to pre-2010 levels would be a positive step in this regard and we ask that this be a demand for delivery in the upcoming budget.

We must strive to return to a position where all basic requirements for effective education in our schools are met by Government. This will allow parents to further invest as they may see fit in some additional education or beneficial activities to enhance their children's learning and preparation for entry into adult life in Ireland. The benefits of a well-educated nation are widely acknowledged and, therefore, the net returns on such action and investment will generate significant benefits for our country and economy. This investment will, in turn, create a more attractive Ireland to which our emigrated children can return and in which multinational businesses and other world-leading organisations will invest.

NPCPP currently receives many complaints from angry parents whose children have been denied school lockers, school diaries, access to daily activities and other basic educational requirements because a parent has been unable to pay a voluntary contribution. Children are, at times, isolated and highlighted amongst their peers because of their parents' financial circumstances. Such practice is a disgrace, totally unacceptable and must cease immediately.

Back to school and college time at the end of August has become one of the most stressful times for parents with so many costs and charges landing at the same time. Parents can be in dreadfully stressed situations.

Our submission on this subject highlighted some of the areas, specifically costs in respect of books and technological areas.

At this stage, we wish to focus in a broader sense on the ongoing excessive costs that parents undertake, effectively subsidising the State's responsibilities. Provision to spread the costs that arise at a particular time of the year, August, which is one of the most stressful times for parents, must be made. Many parents now borrow to meet such requirements. Others are not in a position to avail of, or even approach, a reputable lender such as the credit union. The NPCPP respectfully suggests that some process must be designed whereby Government supported or underwritten facilities should be available to enable families to spread their education costs, including campus accommodation at third level, throughout the year. I was in the Public Gallery when that matter was discussed earlier. The costs in that regard, which again land on parents in August, are excessive. Across the board, for parents it appears that August is a month to run away from rather than to enjoy as a holiday period. The mental stress on parents and students brought about by the costs of education landing in only a two-month period must be acknowledged and addressed.

Parents face excessive costs for basic educational requirements at primary, post-primary and third levels. Most families in Ireland have two to three children and will experience those costs together. They will straddle these three areas of education during the education of their families. Core funding cannot be viewed separately or in isolation for each level. Parents must deal with all of them at the same time of the year so co-ordinating costs and investigation of these matters must take account of that. The State must do the same as parents and deal with these matters so that, potentially, a family has the opportunity to spread the costs and not face an August of fear and stress.

Investment in education has long been demonstrated and confirmed to be the most worthy spend of a nation's government. The return to the State, our economy and society is not in doubt-----