Department to probe use of book-rental schemes

THE use of €15 million in grants to schools for books is being probed by the Department of Education to find out how many are using the money to run book-rental schemes.

Education Minister Ruairi Quinn has asked his officials to find out which schools operate the schemes which can help reduce the amounts parents spend each year on books. Recent surveys have shown that the costs are one of the biggest contributors to the bills families face sending pupils back to school.

Each school is given a grant each year to help buy books, worth €11 for every pupil at primary and €24 for every second-level student, amounting to €1,650 for a 150-pupil primary school or €14,400 for a second-level school with 600 students. An additional €10 and €15 per child is offered at primary and second-level, respectively, for schools with the most disadvantaged students.