Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 June 2004
290 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science if his Department encouraged schools to introduce a book rental scheme as a means of reducing the extortionate cost of school books for parents in view of the fact that many families have multiple children attending school at the same time; and if his Department will introduce a pilot scheme in the area to encourage schools to recycle books. [17659/04]
View answerMy Department operates a grant scheme towards the cost of providing school textbooks for pupils from low income families in schools at first and second level. For the purposes of the scheme a needy pupil is a pupil from a family where there is genuine hardship because of unemployment, prolonged illness of a parent, large family size with inadequate means, single parenthood, or other family circumstances, such as substance abuse, that would indicate a similar degree of financial hardship.
Principal teachers administer the book grant schemes in schools in a flexible way under the terms of the schemes based on their knowledge of particular circumstances in individual cases.
In 1993 my Department received a consultancy report that dealt with the factors that contribute to the cost of school textbooks. Its main conclusion was that book rental schemes are the most practical way of limiting cost of school books to parents. Copies of the report were sent to all schools. It contains a number of useful suggestions, including a code of good practice for successful operation of book rental schemes. My Department endorses the recommendations and urges school authorities to put in place book rental schemes to the greatest extent possible.
School authorities were advised that books should be changed only to the extent that is absolutely necessary. Syllabus planners are conscious of the need to avoid over frequent changes, primarily in order to minimise increases in the cost burden for parents. Textbooks must be changed periodically to enable teachers to keep their own and their students' work educationally stimulating and to ensure that content and methodology are kept up to date.
I am satisfied that the problem of disposal of unwanted textbooks is minimised because many schools operate book rental schemes and second-hand book exchanges. Locally operated schemes are the appropriate and efficient way to address the issue. There are no proposals to introduce a pilot scheme.
