A quarter of parents say the cost of rearing their children has increased as a result of Covid-19, and nearly half find they are worse off financially due to the virus.

That’s according to a survey from insurance company Zurich, which also shows that almost two-thirds of families have savings in place to mitigate the financial strain of the pandemic.

The research, The Cost of Education in Ireland, shows that the average annual cost of sending a child to a state secondary school, at €1,891, is up by €156 on the 2019 figure.

Parents of primary school children now estimate it costs €668 per annum (up €180 on 2019) to keep their child in primary education, whereas the average calculated cost is actually €1,010 for one year of primary school.

Two-thirds believe primary schools are not doing enough to keep costs down, while almost three-quarters believe the same is true of secondary schools.

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Parents of primary school students are spending an average of €123 on schoolbooks and €97 on school uniforms each year. This compares to an average spend of €213 on schoolbooks and €159 on uniforms by parents of secondary school children.

For secondary students, the costs of grinds at €368, lunches at €224, and school trips at €220 were the highest-ticket items, while school trips topped the list at primary school with an average cost in 2020 of €202.

Zurich Head of  Life Retail Distribution and Propositions Jonathan Daly (pictured) commented: “The findings from this year’s research highlight the increased financial strain many families are under since the outbreak of the Covid-19 crisis. However, the pandemic has also highlighted the importance of saving money and early financial planning. 

“There is an opportunity now for families to make some of the money-saving habits sparked by the pandemic stick long-term. Opening a savings account when children are under a year old will allow you to prioritise education costs before they become a significant financial burden.”

Zurich provides a cost calculator for second level here, and the report can be read in its entirety here.