One in five parents in Northern Ireland have had to go without other things to pay for their child's education.

Parents spend on average £1,222 each year on their child's education, according to figures by the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People (NICCY).

The cost includes school uniforms, PE kits, transport, meals, voluntary contributions, educational trips, after school activities and school equipment.

The survey, commissioned by NICCY, shows that on average, parents spend £421 on a child who is in preschool and £1,005 on a primary school child. While the average for children attending post Primary schools is £1,611, the cost for those attending grammar schools is £1,990 and for those attending secondary schools is £1,518.

Koulla Yiasouma, Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People, said: "It is wholly unacceptable that parents are getting into debt to pay for essential education costs, going without or considering cost when choosing to send their child to a certain school or on an educational trip.

"This situation should not be tolerated and schools, along with the Education Authority and the Department of Education, must act so that disadvantage stops at the school gate and every child's experience of education is equal.

"It is concerning that while we receive similar funding for education, we choose to spend less of it on educating our children and young people directly.

"These figures suggest that there may be potential within existing resources to give more money to schools. This would require a re-examination of the cost of central administration.

"The practice of schools requesting fees, voluntary contributions and other costs must end as it discriminates against those who do not have the means to pay."

(CD)