Irish parents are coming under pressure to buy electronic devices for use in school, new data has shown, with more than 25 per cent saying they had to seek financial aid to purchase them.
The survey, which was carried out for online tech marketplace Refurbed, found 75 per cent of parents said electronic devices were necessary for education, with 61 per cent under pressure to invest in the devices. That was a 10 percentage point rise over the past two years. .
Just over a quarter of parents said they sought financial aid to purchase devices, including laptops and tablets, as families juggle the impact of the rising cost of living. About 26 per cent said they sought financial aid to make these purchases.
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Just under a third said the purchase of educational electronics led to financial stress, with the majority of parents spending more than €200. Half of parents spent between €100 and €300 on devices ahead of school reopening, down from 65 per cent in 2021, while 49 per cent spent in excess of that amount.
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The growth in companies offering refurbished technology has filtered through to this demographic, with more than two-thirds saying they would likely purchase refurbished technology for educational purposes once the cost savings and warranty protection were highlighted.
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Pádraig Power, senior marketing manager for Refurbed’s global operations and Ireland, said there was some education needed around refurbished technology to highlight the benefits to parents.
“There still is that bit of wariness around refurbished tech, particularly for people who haven’t bought it before,” he said. “So the thing they really want if they’re going to test it out is to make sure that they have the quality and the warranty for that.”
The survey initially flagged that only 27 per cent of parents said they preferred refurbished devices, compared to 63 per cent who wanted to buy new. That was reversed after some information on cost savings was provided. Only 14 per cent said they still had some level of hesitation.
“There’s been a new level of professionalism brought into Ireland with the refurbished market, and people are seeing that now,” he said. “They have bought before, they are seeing us around. And the fact that one of our founders is a board member of [refurbished technology body] Eurefas, it really helps push the quality of refurbished devices.”
More than 500 parents across the State were questioned as part of the survey.
Founded in 2017 by Peter Windischhofer, Kilian Kaminski and Jürgen Riedl, Refurbed launched in Ireland in March 2021, following a $17 million Series A fundraise the previous year. It aimed to tap into a growing interest in Ireland in more environmentally conscious, affordable technology.
