Parents living on low incomes in Wales are struggling to meet increasing and diverse "hidden" costs of sending their children to school, according to  the End Child Poverty Network Cymru.

The coalition of children’s  and advice charities and professionals is concerned by the growing list of additional costs associated with sending a child to school – from school uniforms, mandatory school equipment and branded sports kit, school course trips, cultural, sports and international trips, textbooks, specialist computer software, text books, school meals, transport and after-school activities.

Figures obtained by End Child Poverty Network Cymru for UN Eradication of Poverty Day (October 17) suggest that collectively in the UK parents pay a staggering £129 billion to put their children through the State education system in the form of additional, associated or hidden costs. This works out at an average of almost £14,000 per child  over their entire school career representing an annual cost per child of around £1,300.

School trips are identified by ECPNC as regular added cost requirements where low income parents feel under particular pressure. The average cost of a school trip is estimated at £186 per trip.

This is a particular problem when a field trip is part of coursework or when, for example, there is an overnight stay to introduce children to their new secondary school.  These can be enormously beneficial to children, say educationalist, but poor children learn not to even take the information letter home from school, according to End Child Poverty Network Cymru.

School uniforms bought from supermarkets can be relatively cheap but there are still schools requiring parents to buy through them or through a particular supplier. This can cost twice the Assembly uniform grant of £80, if additional specially-branded sport kit is included.

Internet and transport costs can also be addition cost factors in rural and deprived areas. In the South Wales Valleys, for example, internet access in households is estimated at only 26%. School project-based internet research may mean incurring additional after-school transport costs.

Assistant Children’s Commissioner, Sara Reid said:

"Education offers children and young people the opportunity to fulfil their potential and can help those living in poverty especially to overcome many of the challenges they face.  It is of increasing concern that even state schooling is not without additional costs which have a disproportionate impact on families who are already struggling. The need to pay not only for additional trips and materials, but for things which are actually necessary if a child is to have the best educational experience and attainment, places many of our young people at a disadvantage in a system that is meant to treat them as equals."

Sean O’Neill, coordinator of End Child Poverty Network Cymru said:

"School has traditionally been regarded as a place to learn, to make friends and to participate in a range of events and activities, regardless of family background, income and other defining factors.  School can also act as a leveller - giving a collective identity to children and young people within a community.  Yet as parents are increasingly called upon to pay a considerable amount of money for school uniforms, trips, activities, transitional events, meals and classroom materials, school also has the potential to isolate, exclude and stigmatise children, especially those in low-income families"

Jayne Isaac, Policy Officer of the children’s charity, NCH Cymru, said:

"School should be a place to learn, to make friends and to participate in a range of events and activities, regardless of family background, income and other defining factors.  School can act as a leveller - giving a collective identity to children and young people within a community.  Yet as parents are increasingly called upon to pay a considerable amount of money for school uniforms, trips, activities, transition events, meals and classroom materials, school also has the potential to isolate, exclude and stigmatise children, especially those in low-income families.  Every child in Wales may indeed have a right to free education, but these ‘hidden’ additional costs of schooling are exposing an increasing number of children and families to financial hardship. Every child in Wales may indeed have a right to free education, but these ‘hidden’ additional costs of schooling are exposing an increasing number of children and families to financial hardship"