Boards offer help for schools’ running costs

All schools could save on running costs with the help of the purchasing power of the education and training boards (ETBs) being set up next year.

The 16 boards will replace the 33 city and county vocational education committees (VECs) and their widened role will include the ability to help primary and second-level schools.

The provision in the outline of the bill almost a year ago, which will be published by Education Minister Ruairi Quinn this month, could help ease the impact of budget cuts to schools.

The minister has cut the capitation grant paid to schools for bills and running costs, based on pupil numbers, by 6% from 2012-15. He increased this year’s cut for primary schools from 2% to 3.5% in February to meet the cost of reversing planned cuts to some disadvantaged schools.

The Irish Vocational Education Association, which represents the VECs said the ETBs would be available to provide supports to any education provider if it is requested.

General secretary Michael Moriarty said: “It could be in the areas of IT or building services, there are many opportunities here and they won’t threaten the independence or autonomy of schools in other sectors.”

With second-level schools under the management of VECs already benefiting from their centralised HR, payroll, and other functions, there is also scope to share such supports or to offer the advantages of bulk buying.

“Schools and training centres in the VECs have the benefit of cheaper ink, stationery, and we can also negotiate better deals on insurance and other bills,” he said.

Mr Moriarty said the ETBs would also be open to giving any supports to principals.

The Dáil select education committee chairwoman Joanna Tuffy has suggested that ETBs could help schools work together on better deals for uniform and school book rental scheme prices, ultimately helping to reduce costs for parents.

The impact of the capitation grant in schools was demonstrated recently at a Co Cork school where first class and older pupils were asked to bring in their own toilet paper, soap, and hand towels as the board was faced with rising insurance and energy bills but falling income from the department.