asked the Minister for Education the conditions under which free school books and other school requisites are made available by his Department in connection with children attending national schools in Gaeltacht areas.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Free School Requisites in Gaeltacht Areas.
52.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to circulate with the Official Report a statement of the conditions governing the grants payable in these cases.
Following is the statement:
CONDITIONS OF PAYMENT OF GRANTS FOR THE PROVISION OF FREE BOOKS FOR NECESSITOUS CHILDREN IN NATIONAL SCHOOLS.
1. The State grant will be paid on the basis of the number of children enrolled in the second and higher standards in the school on the 1st July of the preceding school year. No grant will be payable in respect of children enrolled in infants' or first standards.
2. The grant will be paid, on application, to the manager, to be applied to the best advantage in the provision of school books for necessitous children attending the school.
3. The amount of the grant will, except as provided at (4) and (5) be calculated on the basis of eight pence per pupil on all pupils enrolled in second and higher standards. (Note: The fund thus made available must be applied in the provision of books for necessitous children only. It is not necessary, however, to divide the fund equally among the necessitous children concerned).
4. No grant will be paid in respect of schools in which there are no children enrolled who are deemed to be necessitous for the purpose of this scheme. The Minister may, at his discretion, refuse a grant, or allow a reduced grant only, to a school in which the number of necessitous children enrolled is small or a school enjoying an endowment or other grants which may be applied in whole or in part for the provision of free books.
5. The Minister may, at his discretion, allow an increased grant to schools in Gaeltacht areas or in the County Boroughs in which at least 50 per cent. of the pupils are deemed to be necessitous for the purpose of this scheme. The grant in such cases, however, may not exceed one shilling and fourpence per pupil on the number of children enrolled in second and higher standards.
6. The principal teacher shall keep a record of the amount of the grant received and details of its disbursement.
7. Books supplied to necessitous pupils under this Scheme shall be deemed to be the property of the school.
8. Each pupil should be instructed to keep the books clean and have them covered. The books should be collected from each pupil at the end of each school year or when the pupil passes on to a higher standard or leaves the school.
9. In the operation of the scheme claims of very necessitous children such as those whose parents are in receipt of home assistance, widows' pensions or financial aid from charitable organisations, or are casual workers in receipt of very small wages, should be met as fully as possible before the claims of the less needy are considered.
CONDITIONS FOR PAYMENT OF GRANTS FOR THE PROVISION OF SCHOOL REQUISITES IN NATIONAL SCHOOLS.
1. A first stock of school requisites is furnished gratuitously to each school in proportion to the average number of children in attendance.
2. When an unsuitable schoolhouse has been superseded by a suitable schoolhouse or when there has been a considerable enlargement or structural improvement of a schoolhouse, a special free stock of school requisites may be granted on the recommendation of the inspector.
3. Money expended on furniture, apparatus, or repairs cannot be taken into account in deciding a claim for a special free stock.
4. These requisites should be kept as a school stock, for which the master or mistress is held responsible, and must not be sold or taken out of the school.
5. The school record books are furnished gratuitously to the schools, and are State property.
6. No school record book may be removed from the school except by the inspector, or with his express sanction.
7. Scale of grants of school requisites made to new schools, etc.
|
Average Daily Attendance |
Amount of Free Grant |
||
|
£ |
s. |
d. |
|
|
50 or under |
16 |
0 |
0 |
|
51 to 75 |
18 |
0 |
0 |
|
76 to 100 |
20 |
0 |
0 |
and an additional grant of £2 for each additional 25 units of average attendance.