Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 28 June 2023
77. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question No. 276 of 25 April 2023, for an update on any monitoring or analysis underway in her Department as regards the implementation of circular 0032/2017 which sets out the principles of cost-effective practice to be adopted by schools to reduce the cost of returning to school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31552/23]
View answerCircular 0032/2017 sets out the principles of cost-effective practice to be adopted by schools to reduce the cost of returning to school, and has been issued to the Boards of Management of all recognised primary and post-primary schools and to the Chief Executives of the Education and Training Boards.
Under these measures, schools should select school uniform items which are generic and can be purchased from an array of retailers. Only "iron on" or "sew on" crests should be used. Schools should also consult with parents as to their views on how to reduce costs.
My Department does not gather data on the implementation of Circular 0032/2017 at an individual school level.
Under the Education Act 1998, the Board of Management of a school is the body charged with the direct governance of a school. The Board of Management is accountable to the Patron of the school.
Earlier this year, I announced a landmark new scheme to eliminate the cost of schoolbooks for families of children in primary schools and special schools across the country from September. This scheme is seeing the Government investing over €50million in providing free schoolbooks, workbooks and copybooks for pupils, to help ease the financial burdens facing families during back-to-school time.
More than 558,000 pupils enrolled in approximately 3,230 primary schools, including over 130 special schools, will benefit from the new scheme.
In respect of post-primary schools, my Department provides a book grant to all recognised post-primary schools within the Free Education Scheme in order to provide assistance for books, including Book Rental Schemes. Under this scheme, my Department provided funding of €10.2 million in 2022 to these schools. Schools participating in my Department’s DEIS Programme receive an enhanced rate of book grant.
It is a matter for the Board of Management of each individual school to decide on its own policy in relation to the use of book grant funding in the school, however schools are expected to adopt a cost-conscious approach to the selection of books for use in their classes.
