Extra funds ‘inadequate’

THE extra funding allocated to schools to help poorer families to buy books has been described by the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) as “inadequate”.

Under the Renewed Programme for Government agreed between Fianna Fáil and the Green Party, a revised version of the book grant scheme was restored.

The scheme sees an additional €21 allocation per child for books to primary schools in disadvantaged areas, while schools in non-disadvantaged areas are being allocated an additional €11 per child. Similarly, second-level schools in disadvantaged areas have been allocated extra funding of €39 per child for books, while those in non-disadvantaged areas have been allocated an additional €24 per child.