asked the Minister for Education if, in view of the severe hardship caused to many families due to the cost of school books, she intends to take any steps to reduce the cost of school books or increase the assistance available for families to purchase books; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - School Books.
11.
As the publication and sale of school books are in the hands of private companies it is not open to me to influence their pricing policy. However, I hope to increase the rate of grant towards the cost of school books in national schools in 1989.
The position in relation to second level schools is that only a small percentage of text books is prescribed by the Department and most of these are repeated in rotation, generally in a three to four year cycle. Publishers have produced anthologies of short stories, poetry, etc., which contain all the material required over a period of years. Other prescribed texts — for example, plays and novels — are repeated in the rotation already mentioned and they are notified to the schools two years in advance of the appropriate examination.
The syllabus planners try to avoid over-frequent changes and are conscious that they should avoid any unnecessary increase in costs. However, text books must be changed from time to time if teachers are to keep their work educationally stimulating, and if content and methodology are to be kept reasonably up to date.
The Department is aware of the financial strain placed on parents of school pupils in providing school text books for their children and has issued circulars to secondary school authorities reminding them of the desirability of changing non-prescribed text books as infrequently as possible in order to save parents undue expenditure.
Moreover aid is also provided by my Department towards the cost of school books for necessitous pupils. Despite the severe financial constraints at present it has been found possible to provide for an increase of approximately 20 per cent in the provision for this purpose in the post-primary sector in 1989.
I was waiting for the last sentence and I was delighted to hear the Minister say she intends to increase the rate of grant in 1989. The increase is to be 20 per cent. The Minister will be aware that the current rate of grant amounts to approximately £1.50 per pupil per year and a 20 per cent increase would bring that amount up to £1.80. Is the Minister aware that in the occupied, unfree part of our country, Northern Ireland, the rate of grant per pupil ranges from £26.60 sterling to over £40?
(Limerick East): On a point of order, I thought Deputy Mac Giolla had given up all that stuff about the occupied, unfree territory in Northern Ireland.
That is precisely the point I am making. In the so-called free portion of our country we get £1.50 per pupil per year for books and——
(Interruptions.)
Deputy Mac Giolla should be allowed to make his point, preferably by way of direct supplementary question.
The Chair should address his remarks to Deputy Noonan, who is interrupting my supplementary question.
I am ensuring the best of order for Deputy Mac Giolla.
I am sure the Minister is aware that the previous Government did nothing about increasing the level of the grant. Deputy Noonan was a Minister in that Government. I am asking the Minister to make a comparison between the amount of grant per pupil on Northern Ireland, ranging from £26.60 to £43 per pupil, and £1.50 here, now being increased to £1.80. Does the Minister consider this an adequate rate of grant? Now that the Minister for Finance has pennies pouring from heaven would she ask him at least to double or treble the rate of grant for schoolbooks.
I certainly will speak to my constituency colleague, the Minister for Finance. Prior to his becoming the Minister, we had already secured an increase, albeit a small one, in the grant to necessitous pupils at both primary and post-primary level. In all matters educational, as in any sphere of life, one would wish to have limitless money to apply. The case for necessitous pupils to receive more aid for school books is unchallenged. It is extremely necessary. I am glad we were able to ensure a modest increase for next year which will be announced in the budget.
In view of the recent report from the National Economic and Social Council and the report published yesterday by Dr. Patrick Clancy on educational access, which pointed out that expenditure on primary education was the most progressive form of transfer in social expenditure, would the Minister not agree that it is time to look at this whole scheme and perhaps ask members of the department to study the possibility of installing re-cyclable school library systems for primary school books to remove the cost from lower socio-economic groups?
It is an interesting point. Some schools at both primary and post-primary level operate a library stock system. It is an idea worth pursuing.