State ‘squeezing the life out of Catholic schools’

A PARENTS’ group has accused the Department of Education and Science of “slowly squeezing the life out of voluntary Catholic schools” by not providing more funding for the sector.

The Congress of Catholic Secondary Schools Parents Association has clashed again with the Government, accusing it of discriminating against the sector and leaving schools struggling to pay insurance.

“The Department of Education and Science has confirmed in writing there is no funding available for parents in the Voluntary Catholic sector at the moment. This is not acceptable, as funding is available to all other sectors,” CSPA PRO, Barbara Johnston, said.

A spokesperson for the Department of Education and Science denied the claims, saying the National Parents Council (NPC) receives funding each year.

“It is untrue for the CSPA to assess that individual groups are being discriminated against. Funding is given to the National Parents Council but not to the constituent groups of the organisation, including the CSPA,” she said.

However, Ms Johnston explained that everyone else gets finance, so why not the CSPA? The Joint Managerial Body, the management body for secondary schools, receives a fee per student from the State.

It also receives an annual grant from the Department of Education and Science. Other management bodies receive similar amounts, she said.

In addition the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals receives State funding through affiliation fees from boards of management.

“The department’s own report on funding at second level confirms that national parent associations in the VEC sector and community and comprehensive sector currently benefit from State funding through their national management bodies.

“Teachers are also supported financially by the department to enable them to represent their member’s views on various committees and in the daily managing of their unions.

“The salaries of replacement teachers are paid as is travel and expenses,” Ms Johnston added.

“There are times when it appears that the State, by withholding funding from both the schools and the parents, is slowly squeezing the life out of voluntary catholic schools,” she said.

A report commissioned by the department has placed the difference in funding for voluntary schools at 25% less then that of community and comprehensive schools.

Despite a plea from both management and parents to aid voluntary schools with the escalating problem of insurance, the department has failed to do anything, yet it continues to cover insurance for schools in the other sectors.