Sir, – The Irish Times view that an increase in capitation rates is warranted to reduce the need for schools to ask parents for voluntary contributions (Editorial, August 8th) is welcome.
Laying the blame at schools that ask for voluntary contributions is becoming tiresome. For many schools, the need for voluntary contributions is simple: they are not paid enough to meet their day-to-day expenses.
The OECD report, Education at a Glance 2023, once again ranked Ireland in last place out of 36 countries for investment in education as a percentage of GDP. In 2020, the year analysed, Ireland invested 1 per cent of GDP in second-level education compared with the OECD average of 2 per cent and EU average of 1.9 per cent.
In addition, voluntary secondary schools receive a significantly lower proportion of funding from the State and, as a result, are more reliant on voluntary contributions.
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Many schools are also now dependent on annual fundraisers such as school lottos and financial support from sources like a past pupils’ union to assist with costs. All of which, by the way, exacerbate the national divide between the schools that have and have not, because of the affluence and fundraising power of some schools compared with others.
It is worth noting that the constitutional provision for free education refers to primary only and not secondary. Not that it matters in practice to schools because both sectors are dealing with similar challenges. For example, there has been no Summer Work Scheme (SWS) since 2019. The purpose of the SWS is to devolve funding to individual primary and post-primary schools to undertake small-scale building works which can be carried out during the summer months or at other times that avoid disrupting the operation of the school.
Instead, this year saw the introduction of a €50 million Solar for Schools Programme, providing schools with 6kw of roof-mounted solar PV (even though during the peak production of solar, there’s no one in the schools). Schools aren’t opposed to the initiative. Many would, however, prefer funding to fix the holes in the roofs first.
While additional funding of €90 million was provided last year in the education budget, it has fallen to €81 million this year. This trend must be reversed with extensive investment required in education in the upcoming budget. What we need is a package to eliminate the need for schools to seek voluntary contributions from families, a measure which would immediately and significantly alleviate the pressures on all concerned.
Parents have, for years, paid for books, voluntary contributions, charges and fundraising in order to help schools keep their heads above water. We do not underestimate their contribution and we sincerely thank them. – Yours, etc,
JOHN McHUGH,
Principal,
Ardscoil Rís,
Griffith Avenue,
Dublin 9.