Written Answers. - School Costs Assistance.
Eric J. Byrne
Question:
63
Mr. Byrne
asked the
Minister for Education
if her attention has been drawn to the fact that the per capita allocation from her Department in respect of school books in 1989 amounts to around £1.80 per pupil at primary level and £5.70 per pupil at post-primary level; although book costs are far in excess of these amounts; if she intends to increase the money available for books; the steps which are being taken to advise parents of the availability of assistance; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
Pearse Wyse
Question:
108
Mr. Wyse
asked the
Minister for Education
the amount of money allocated to primary and post-primary schools in respect of free books; and if she will outline her Department's guidelines on the operation of the free book scheme.
Bernard Allen
Question:
160
Mr. Allen
asked the
Minister for Education
if she will make a statement in relation to the escalating cost of school books, uniforms and other essential items necessary for school-going children.
Ruairí Quinn
Question:
161
Mr. Quinn
asked the
Minister for Education,
in light of the existing inequalities in our education system, the proposals, if any, she has to provide families living below the poverty line with some financial assistance in the procurement of school books, uniforms and other essential items necessary for school-going children; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 63, 108, 160 and 161 together.
My Department operate a scheme of aid towards the cost of schoolbooks intended for necessitous pupils. Therefore,per capita figures are not appropriate in that context. For the purposes of the scheme, a necessitous pupil is defined as a child from a home where genuine hardship exists because of unemployment, prolonged illness of a parent, large family with inadequate means, single parent-family or other circumstances which would connote a similar degree of domestic financial hardship.
The scheme is administered through the principals of the schools, who, subject to the amount of money made available to them annually, have complete discretion in the selection of pupils to be assisted, in the amount of assistance given to each one and in the form such assistance will take. I am pleased to say that for the current school year it has been possible to increase the finance for the free books scheme by 20 per cent at post primary and 17 per cent approximately at primary level. The total provision was £2.89 million, £1.163 million has been allocated to the operation of the scheme in primary schools in 1990 which corresponds to an increase of 20 per cent. The provision at the post-primary level for 1990 is £2.63 million which represents an increase of 23.5 per cent over 1989.
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.
The syllabus planners try to avoid overfrequent 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 have drawn the attention of school authorities to the desirability of changing non-prescribed text books as infrequently as possible in order to save parents undue expenditure.
In relation to the general costs which parents face in relation to their children's education, I understand that, under the terms of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, discretionary payments may be made, by community welfare officers, to families with insufficient means to help meet exceptional needs on a once-off basis.
