Written Answers. - School Text Books.
Liz McManus
Question:
29
Ms McManus
asked the
Minister for Education
the steps, if any, she will take to reduce the cost of school books or to provide additional assistance for low income families in view of the escalating cost of books; if she will consider the establishment of school libraries for textbooks; if she has considered the proposal from the national parents council that, rather than publishing entirely new books when changes are made, supplements would be issued with text changes; if she will give an estimate of the cost of new books for a first year junior certificate pupil in second level education for a pupil starting the leaving certificate curriculum; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
Paul McGrath
Question:
196
Mr. McGrath
asked the
Minister for Education
the plans, if any, she has to improve the allowances for free books in primary schools under the free book scheme; and her views on whether £10 is adequate to provide books for senior children in primary schools.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 29 and 196 together.
I have recently received the report of a study on the cost of parents of school text books. The study was carried out by a firm of business consultants at my Department's request. The consultants examined all the factors which contribute to the cost of school text books. In the course of the study, they conferred with all the educational partners and considered many proposals including suggestions such as those made by the national parents council.
The study found that the average costs per pupil of school texts per complete course, if purchased new, are of the order of £148 for the three-year junior certificate course and £147 for the two-year leaving certificate course.
The report contains a number of recommendations designed to reduce the cost of school text books to parents. The main recommendation is that book rental schemes offer the most practical method of reducing the cost of school books to parents. The report found that rental schemes have succeeded in reducing the cost of books from over £100 to as little as £15 per annum. Copies of the report are being sent to all schools and to the partners in education. I am confident that the contents of the report will be used to lessen the financial burden on parents. In particular, the report should give a stimulus to the establishment of rental schemes in schools which do not have them already. The establishment of school libraries for text books is in effect the same as book loan-rental schemes.
I am particularly concerned about the financial burden that purchase of school books places on low income parents.
It is for the purposes of alleviating this burden that my Department operates the schoolbook grant scheme under which aid is provided to schools towards the purchase of school textbooks for needy pupils. I am pleased that, in 1994, I am able to increase the allocation for the scheme for primary schools by 15 per cent over the 1993 provision and by 14 per cent in the case of post-primary schools. The total allocation for both levels for 1994 is £5.1 million.
I am satisfied that these increases are reasonable in present budgetary circumstances and I will continue to seek further improvements as resources permit. I accept the report's finding that seed capital is a major problem in the setting up of rental schemes particularly in schools in disadvantaged areas. In this year's budget the allocation for the book grant for needy pupils in primary and post-primary schools is £5.1 million — an increase of more than 25 per cent over what was available two years ago. I intend to use the increase in the book grant to help schools which have been classified as disadvantaged by my Department and which commit themselves to book rental schems to overcome the problems of seed capital.
School authorities have also been advised that selected textbooks should be changed only to the extent that is absolutely necessary. The syllabus planners, therefore, try to avoid over frequent changes and are conscious that they should avoid any unnecessary increase in costs. However, textbooks must be changed on occasion if teachers are to keep their work educationally stimulating and if content and methodology are to be kept reasonably up-to-date.
A number of other relevant issues which were adverted to in the report, such as the size and weight of school books, and the suggestion from the national parents council of supplements to textbooks instead of replacements will be considered in consultation with the relevant interests including textbook publishers.
