Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 25 October 2017
44. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the fact that parents of students in primary and secondary schools are increasingly being asked for voluntary contributions of up to €100 upon registering with a school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45003/17]
View answerMy question relates to voluntary contributions and what we are now hearing are being deemed as registration or re-registration fees. Particularly at second level, parents are being asked to pay a re-registration fee if they are interested in continuing their child's education at that particular school. Unfortunately it is on the increase. I ask for the Minister to comment on it.
Registration fees are absolutely illegal; that is very clear. Schools may seek voluntary contributions in recognised schools provided it is made absolutely clear to parents that there is no question of compulsion to pay and that, in making a contribution, they are doing so of their own volition and that a child’s place in the school or continued enrolment is not dependent on a willingness to make a contribution.
The manner in which voluntary contributions are sought and collected is a matter for school management. However, their collection should be such as not to create a situation where either parents or pupils could reasonably infer that the contributions take on a compulsory character.
A school may seek payment to cover the cost of photocopied or other such learning materials where the amount sought by the school is consistent with the costs involved and the level of materials provided. It is also permissible for a school to seek payments in respect of extracurricular activities provided such activities are not obligatory and individual pupils can choose whether to participate. No charge may be made, however, in respect of instruction in any subject of the school curriculum, or for recreation or other activities where all pupils are expected to take part.
The Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016 clarifies this by prohibiting the charging of fees or seeking payment or contributions as part of the school admission process or for continued enrolment in the school. As the Deputy is aware, that Bill will soon proceed to Report Stage.
I am very conscious of the burden which can be placed on parents by the costs associated with school attendance. That is the reason I issued a circular to schools requiring a keen cost approach to the selection of items which could impose costs and requiring consultation with parents on the elements that can create costs. My colleague, the Minister for Employment and Social Protection, also made provision this year for a 25% increase in the back to school allowance and a significant expansion in school meals programmes.
The parents and students charter, legislation on which is currently before the committee for prelegislative scrutiny, will require schools to publish data on what voluntary contributions are used for.
I thank the Minister for his reply. Unfortunately, that is not the experience of most parents sending their children to school. There is considerable pressure on parents to pay the so-called voluntary contribution and, in some instances, schools are starting to call them school bills and making it very clear that the contribution is not voluntary. There is a good deal of pressure in terms of texts, emails, phone calls, letters and some schools even have incentives whereby if parents pay the full amount by a certain date they will be in with a chance to win a prize in a raffle or something like that. That places a great deal of pressure on parents because children are coming home from school and they do not want to be the child who is different. I have considerable sympathy for the schools because they are stretched. They are trying to come up with a way of subsidising their income but, unfortunately, it falls back on the children because some schools penalise them by not allocating a child a locker or not giving a child a school journal or homework notebook - items like that which are handed out. Some schools are brilliant and they handle it very well but others schools do not handle it well. The only ones who are paying the price for this are the children. There is nothing worse for a child than going to school and feeling they do not have the money for this and that they are going to be different. That puts a great deal of unnecessary pressure on children.
I hear what the Deputy is saying. I strongly believe that the provision of a parents and students charter, which will require much more sharing of information, consultation and collective decisions on school policies by the body of parents, will be a very significant step forward. That will greatly help the channels of communication and make sure that the misunderstandings, to which the Deputy has referred, do not occur. I say to the Deputy and to anyone else that if an impression is being created or children are being told they cannot participate in programmes that are core to the delivery of subjects, part of the school curriculum or part of the activities that every pupil is expected to participate in, they should complain about these impositions. We will certainly investigate them if they are brought to our attention.
I suggest that the circular be reissued to schools or that schools are reminded of this. Barnardos undertook research into this recently which shows that 56% of primary schools and 69% of secondary schools, which is a very large number, still have a voluntary contribution. I understand it is illegal. I am not saying the message is not being passed on to schools, but they are not picking it up. Much of it comes down to funding. We cannot get away from the fact that schools experienced many funding cuts in recent years. I urge that the circular be reissued to schools. If a charter is to be put in place, that will be welcome. We talk a good deal about mental health and children's mental health. It is very difficult for a child to go to school feeling different because there is something for which they cannot pay. We should be trying to avoid that situation at all costs for children.
I wish to clarify that voluntary contributions are permissible but compulsory ones are not. That is the distinction. The way in which voluntary contributions are collected is a matter for the school management. As I said, and as I believe the Deputy accepts, if parents are greater partners in the development of policies in this area, we would have more confidence that they would be administered in a way that is sensitive to all parents' needs. That is the reason I am keen to push ahead with the concept of a charter.
