PersonalFinance Difficult sums: how to balance books at start of school year

IT'S THAT time of the year again. New books, schoolbags and uniforms are being bought; dance, swimming and piano lessons are being signed up for; and parents are feeling the back-to-school pinch.

Research carried out by Bank of Ireland Life found that parents spend an average of €376 per child preparing them for the return to school.

Half of those surveyed felt that school books were the most unnecessarily expensive element of their children's education. Regular changes to the curriculum mean that secondhand books are not always an option.

Are there any supports out there for parents who are sinking under the weight of these back-to-school costs?

In certain cases the St Vincent de Paul Society will provide education grants to second-level students to help them to cope with the high cost of books and materials and to encourage them to stay in school and complete their studies.

In addition, the Department of Education operates a school book grant scheme which allocates funding to cover some of the cost of school books for needy primary and secondary-school children (as identified by their school principal).

Parents should also investigate whether they are eligible for the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance (BSCFA), a State support designed to help those on social welfare or low incomes. The current rate is €200 for children aged between two and 11, and €305 for children aged between 12 and 22.

The chief executive of children's charity Barnardos, Fergus Finlay, says that although the allowance goes some way towards covering the costs it is not reflective of the true costs of uniforms and footwear.

"Uniforms are expensive, with individual pinafores and skirts costing up to €90 each. This puts real pressure on parents," Finlay explains.

"The BSCFA is aimed at families in need, yet the income guidelines governing eligibility results in some families in low-paid employment, particularly lone-parent families, being ineligible."

Barnardos is calling on the Government to increase the allowance from €200 to €250 for younger children and from €305 to €350 for older children, and for the income limits to be brought into line with those that apply to the Family Income Supplement.