Fee-charging schools warn cuts will hit taxpayers

Fee-charging schools have warned that further cuts to their funding in next month’s budget will cost the taxpayer money.

A pre-budget submission published yesterday by the Joint Managerial Body (JMB) on behalf of the country’s 55 fee-charging schools says there is no such thing as ‘free’ education — either the State pays or parents pay.

“Schools in the fee-charging sector, where parents pay much more, saves the State money,” it points out.

It describes as “discriminatory” the current situation where the Department of Education provides a teacher for every 23 pupils in a fee-paying school, compared with a ratio of 19:1 for schools in the free education sector.

It also says that dismissing the fee-charging secondary sector as elitist is a blatant mis-characterisation of the families who chose a private education for their children.

The submission also points out that if every student enrolled in the free education scheme parents would divert fees of €102.4m away from Irish education and into other, probably far less productive spending.

Principal of St Gerard’s College in Bray, Co Wicklow, and a spokesman for the schools, Tom Geraghty, said parents in fee-paying schools met the cost of everything except the teachers.

He warned that further cuts to the sector would represent a “fundamental strategic error”.

Parent Barbara Broderick said parents who chose fee-charging schools for their children should not be punished.

“We happily contribute to the running of our schools, saving the State €5,200 per pupil per year.

“All we ask in return is that the State provide teachers in the same way it does for any other child,” she said.

It was reported recently that almost one in four fee-paying schools is now considering entering the free education scheme.

Kilkenny College entered the free education scheme last September as did Wilson’s Hospital in Multyfarnham, Co Westmeath.

JMB general secretary, Ferdia Kelly, said he was aware of a number of schools that were considering their fee-charging status but he would not put the figure as high as 12.

“Certainly there are a number of schools considering their situation. There is huge concern about any further reduction in the pupil/teacher ratio.”

Asked whether Kilkenny College had been offered an attractive package by the department, Mr Kelly said he understood that both Kilkenny College and Wilson’s Hospital negotiated their own arrangements.

“There is no template where the department fills in figures. Each school is looked at in terms of its own particular set of circumstances.”