Sir, – Your editorial made timely reading as I have just finished buying my six-year-old daughter's uniform, books and writing materials for the new school year ("Back-to-school costs: the fallacy of 'free' education", August 1st). My wife and I are extremely fortunate in that we can afford to spend the significant sum involved without any hardship. However, I'm conscious that there are many families in Ireland that are not so lucky.
Books and materials are provided free in Northern Ireland. Surely, we could at least, in the South, match this relatively low bar? – Yours, etc,
JOE McCARTHY,
Arbour Hill,
Dublin 7.
