School transport hike proves education in Ireland isn’t free
School transport hike proves education in Ireland isn’t free - The Labour Party
Labour’s education spokesperson Eoghan Kenny TD has ugred Government to rethink the decision to increase school bus fees.
Deputy Kenny said:
“The latest blow for many families has been the increase in school transport fees, doubling from €50 to €100 for one child. For many rural families, school transport is not a luxury, it is a necessity. Increasing these costs at a time when families are already under pressure sends the wrong message and adds yet another financial barrier to education.
“The reality is that barriers still exist in our education system. They may not be official school fees, but they are financial barriers all the same. And those barriers hit hardest for families who are already under pressure. Education should be the great equaliser in our society, but it cannot be if access to education properly depends on what is in a parent or guardian’s bank account.
“As a former secondary school teacher, I saw these inequalities firsthand. I saw students worrying about contributions, about uniforms, about whether they could afford a device or a school trip. These may seem like small things, but they matter. They affect confidence, participation and opportunity. No child should feel different or excluded because of their family’s financial situation.
“The Labour Party has a clear ambition: education that is genuinely free for all children, not free in name, but free in reality. In our Alternative Budget, we set out practical measures to reduce the cost of education for families. These include moving towards free school transport for children, increasing and universalising the Back to School Allowance, tackling the reliance on so-called voluntary contributions, and investing more in schools serving disadvantaged communities through an expanded DEIS programme that will include all schools. These are practical steps that would make a real difference to families and help ensure that every child has the same opportunity to succeed.
“Ireland has made progress, but we still have a long way to go before education in this country is truly free. We need to stop pretending the problem does not exist and start addressing the real costs that families face.
“Free education should mean free education. Not hidden costs. Not voluntary contributions that are not really voluntary. Not expensive uniforms and mandatory devices. Not rising transport fees that make it harder for children to even get to school.
“Education is not a privilege. It is a right. And it should be a right that is available to every child equally, regardless of their background, their postcode, or their parents’ income. I urge Government to rethink this decision.”