Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 15 Nov 2001

Vol. 544 No. 2

Written Answers. - School Books Provision.

Richard Bruton

Ceist:

150 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science if there has been a recent review of the methods of planning in the provision of school books for pupils; the measures he has put in place to ensure reasonable continuity of books used in class in successive years; the measures there are to promote the provision of low cost books through rental arrangements or other forms of recycling; his estimate of the cost of school books for a pupil at primary level, at junior certificate level and at senior certificate level. [28355/01]

Minister for Education and Science (Dr. Woods)

Apart from a small number of prescribed texts at second level, mainly in the case of language subjects, school textbooks are not approved or prescribed by my Department at first or second level. Decisions on which books to use are taken at school level. School authorities have been advised regularly that textbooks 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 have to be changed periodically, however, 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. It is unavoidable therefore that some textbooks will become obsolete over time.

My Department does not have a figure for the cost of textbooks at primary or post-primary level. It would not be possible to give any accurate figure for the cost of textbooks per pupil due to the fact that there would be wide variations in costs at different class levels; costs would also vary between schools and depending on the subjects being taken. My Department operates a grants scheme towards the cost of providing school textbooks for disadvantaged pupils in primary and post-primary schools. For the purposes of these grants, a disadvantaged 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 misuse, which would indicate a similar degree of financial hardship.

A consultancy report, which was submitted to my Department in 1993, dealt with the factors which contribute to the cost of school textbooks. The main conclusion of the report was that book rental schemes are the most practical way of limiting the cost of school books to parents. The report, copies of which were sent to all schools, contains a number of useful suggestions, including a code of good practice for the 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.

At primary level, schools which opt for book rental schemes are allocated enhanced grants to encourage schools to participate in such schemes. At post-primary level, seed capital to establish book loan-rental schemes has been provided since 1994 for disadvantaged schools which do not operate such a scheme and which give a commitment to arrange for such a scheme. The intention is to provide specific financial support for the introduction or expansion of book rental schemes in individual schools on an annual basis, for a period of six years, or five years in the case of five year cycle schools. It is envisaged that schools which receive seed capital will be in a position to establish sustainable book loan-rental schemes, which after the initial special assistance, will operate on a self-financing basis; ongoing costs will be met by fee income which can be subsidised in the case of needy pupils from the general book grants scheme allocation. I would continue to urge all schools to put in place book rental schemes to the greatest extent possible.