I see today in the Examiner that student loans from BoI will be charged at 5.1% interest, and 10.8% for postgrads. In Britain, under a Tory government, the rate is 1.5%.

What a shock were in a recession and told we need to slash wages and welfare and yet things like school books actually increase in price.The book publishers like alot of groups in this country seem to have the government over a barrel or in there pockets because rather than come down in price, there seems to be a monopoly of ways of increasing each year and also new ways to stop having books handed down or sold on. Prices go up on other goods and services yet IBEC, ISME and the likes bitch and whinge that there lot can’t afford the minimum wage and crap well lads maybe ye should ask the government why they can’t control price increases so people could then afford to take pay cuts

This Govt’s policies are driving up the price of everything, while they leave us with less in our pockets…All to pay the Unsecured Gamblers.

No chance Govt or their Advisors will reduce their own Salaries, Expenses & Perks….!!!

its a monopoly between the shops that sell the uniforms and books and the companys that make them. schools have to share the blame because they design the uniforms and then let only one shop in an area sell them. the major retailers do carry uniforms at a fraction of the price but the schools are clever enough to complicate their designs so that they have to be bought in a certain shop. what would happen if i sent my kids to school in a generic iniform available from the main retailers? what would happen if we all did this?

The secondary school my kids attend have now insisted that an a4 zipped mesh folder is bought for each folder, school tie is now compulsory and they have introduced for 1st years this year an outdoor jacket as compulsory!