ILCU Back to School Survey

The latest Irish League of Credit Unions (ILCU) survey on back to school costs shows the overall spend on school items is up for both primary and secondary schools. The cost of sending a child to primary school this coming year is €1,195, up €9 on last year, while parents of secondary school children can expect to pay an average of €1,518, up from €27 on last year.

The findings were revealed in a national survey of 764 parents of school children (out of a sample size of 2,460) by the Irish League of Credit Unions (ILCU). The survey was carried out by independent market research company, iReach Insights in June 2022.

The number of parents in debt over back to school costs has increased by 5% to 29%. Of these, over one fifth (21%) reported debts of over €500. The average debt parents find themselves incurring is €339 which is up (up €3) on last year’s figure.

The increased costs of living are evidently having an impact on school items with the most expensive secondary school item this year being transport at €213, up from €195 last year, reflecting rising fuel costs. School books and uniforms are also high at €210 and €195 respectively. After-school care is the top expense for primary school parents at €184, up €27 on last year, followed by extracurricular activities at €167.

Anita Bourke, Manager Kilmallock Credit Union said

“We experience first-hand the pressure of back to school costs on families and even more so this year with increasing inflation, the cost of sending children back to school is higher than it has have ever been before; the ILCU survey details this.

We would like to reassure our members that Kilmallock Credit Union is here to help. Our education loan at 6% (6.18% APR) is available. All our loans are reviewed within 48 hours and we have a number of different loan application repayment options and structures available. For members on a Department of Social Protection Payment A Household Budget deduction is available for smaller loan repayments also. New members can join and apply for a loan on the same day through our free mobile app, our website, or in any of our branches.. Our doors are open and we are more than happy to assist anyone who might need a little extra help at back-to-school time. That’s what the credit union is here for!”

Of considerable note in the survey is the sharp increase in parents saying they will deny their children extracurricular activities because they can’t afford them, rising to 67% from 46% in 2021. The survey also revealed that 65% of schools are still seeking so called ‘voluntary contributions’ at €124 for primary schools and €146 for secondary, an overall average increase of €11 on last year.

When it comes to funding back to school costs, the majority of parents (74%) use their general monthly income, with just over a third relying on their savings. The use of credit cards to purchase back to school items is up 6% to 23% from 2021 as is the number relying on a bank loan – 1% to 3%.

While there is a slight decrease in the amount of parents shopping online for school supplies (65%, down 3% vs 2021), two thirds of these parents do so to access better deals. Saving on petrol as a reason for shopping online has seen a significant jump to 31%, up 17% from last year.

Back to School Costs

  • Two thirds of Irish parents (66%) say the cost of Back to School is a financial burden
  • Parents spending €1,518 per secondary school child – up €27 on last year
  • At primary school level, parents are spending €1,195 – up €9 on last year
  • 29% are getting into debt compared to 24% in 2021 – average debt of €339
  • 1 in 10 (10%) of parents with school children are considering using an illegal moneylender, while 33% don’t know whether legal or illegal
  • Use of credit cards to purchase back to school items is up 6% to 23%
  • Significant jump in number of parents cutting back on extracurricular activities, rising to 67% from 46% last year
  • Voluntary contributions up on last year – €124 for primary schools and €146 for secondary
  • Many parents shopping online to save petrol, up to 31% from 17% from last year

Rising costs of living

  • 89% of parents say income or household costs affected by rising costs of living including 92% of parents with children in school
  • Over 90% seeing additional costs to groceries and utility bills
  • More than 1 in 3 (36%) of parents say they are struggling to make their household budget stretch to cover the additional cost of living increases
  • One in ten of those struggling falling into debt in an effort to cover household costs
  • 61% say increasing costs of food for children for school lunches is the biggest effect of the rising cost of living

Rising Costs of Living

This year’s survey also looked at the rising costs of living in general. 89% of respondents say their income or household costs have been affected by rising costs of living since the start of the year including 92% of parents with children in school. Over 90% are seeing additional costs for groceries with a similar number experiencing increased costs on household utility bills.

More than 1 in 3 (36%) of parents say they are struggling to make their household budget stretch to cover the additional cost of living increases. When school going costs are added the number who are struggling increases to 42%. One in ten (11%) of this cohort are falling into debt in an effort to cover household costs.

When asked what options they were considering to help with costs, 65% of this group said they are cancelling or reducing non-essential services and activities such as gym membership and subscription TV packages. Other options include trying to earn additional income (29%), taking a personal loan (18%), borrowing from family or friends (14%), or seeking debt and budgeting advice (8%).

Moneylenders

A small number of this group (3%) would consider going to a moneylender, including 6% of parents with school going children. When asked if the moneylender is legal or illegal, 1 in 10 (10%) of parents with school children are knowingly considering using an illegal moneylender. Two thirds (33%) of all respondents in this group worryingly didn’t know whether their potential moneylender was legal or illegal.

When parents were asked if the rising costs of living were affecting the costs of education, 61% said the Increasing costs of food for children for school lunches was the biggest effect, followed by costs of new school uniforms (53%) and costs of school trips or activities (45%).

More than half of parents with schoolchildren will have to balance working from either at home or the office with looking after their children over the school holidays. 45% said they would will be using annual leave allowance to balance work and school holidays while a third said they would be relying on family and friends to help out with looking after the children.

Post COVID 19 Concerns

When asked about the impacts of home schooling during the pandemic lockdown on their children, 82% of parents said that the biggest impact was that children missed their friends and social activities. Almost half said their child’s physical health had suffered with two thirds worried about their mental health. As regards their child’s education, the biggest concern for parents is the pressure on their children to catch up on missed teaching over the past two years. There was a marked drop from 2021 in parents’ concern of their child being exposed to COVID 19 as a result of returning to the classroom, down from 41% to 27%.

Education Loan

Kilmallock Credit Union are here to help. If you need a little help; its easy to apply for a loan with us. Use our handy loan calculator to see the repayments for your loan.