asked the Minister for Education whether he is aware of the hardship imposed on many working-class families by the high cost of text books and primers used in the primary schools, and if he will ascertain what would be the cost of providing all necessary school books free for all primary school pupils.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Price of Primary School Books.
I am not aware that the cost of text books and primers used in national schools imposes any special hardship on working-class families. A scheme has been in operation for some years under which State grants are made towards the cost of providing text books for necessitous children attending national schools. It is not proposed to extend that scheme so as to provide for the supply of free books for all national school children. It is estimated that the cost of providing books free to all national school children would be about £95,000 per annum.
Has the Minister considered the manner in which the practice of changing text books and primers in use in the schools is imposing additional hardship? Has he also considered the fact that the existence of the special fund to which he referred means, in many cases, that a means test operates which embarrasses both parents and pupils in applying for these books?
On the latter question, where children are in the position of being necessitous, that fact is fairly obvious. I have not come up against any really serious difficulty with regard to the question of deciding whether children are necessitous or not. As a matter of fact, in quite a number of cases the full grant is never taken up in the school. As regards the change of books, the decision as to what books will be used in the school rests with the manager. If there are any special cases where, as a result of a continual changing of books, unnecessary hardship arises, I should be glad to have particulars of such cases, because I do not think there is any real necessity for it.