Education minister warns schools to stop pressing parents for payments

Many schools are breaking the law by demanding contributions from parents for summer trips and other extra services without making clear they are voluntary. The law was changed last year to make it illegal for schools to exclude children from excursions because their parents had not paid their dues. The average annual contribution is €57 but some schools ask for as much as €600 to fund overseas trips or bilingual classes which are not financed by government. A survey of...