(Junior) asked the Minister for Education if he has any proposal for the supplying of free school books and school requisites for children attending school who through circumstances are unable to pay for same.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Supply of School Requisites.
Measures have already been taken which are calculated to reduce considerably the annual expenditure which parents incur in the provision of school books for their children. Other proposals which may still further reduce this expenditure are under consideration.
What are the measures which have been taken?
A considerable portion of the cost of the book equipment for pupils of national schools arose from the practice which prevailed in the past of changing the readers and text-books for each class from year to year. This practice, it was felt, could be altered without serious detriment to educational efficiency and, accordingly, instructions were recently issued to teachers that, in future, readers and other text-books for particular classes in a school should not be changed, unless in exceptional circumstances, for a period of years. A considerable saving in the annual expenditure which parents incurred in the provision of school books for their older children will be effected by this change.
Mr. Byrne
Will the Minister state the new proposals?
I am not in a position to give the Deputy details but I can assure him that the whole matter is receiving the consideration of my Department.
Mr. Byrne
Will the decision be announced to the House so that Deputies will be able to inform their poorer constituents who are unable to supply the money to provide books for their children and place them on an equality with the children of parents who are better off?
Will the Minister take steps to ensure that propaganda will not be indulged in here calculated to keep children away from school?
That is a separate question.
Mr. Byrne
Does the Deputy stand for children being punished for not having school books?