ASTI: Changing status of fee-paying schools could cost State €40m a year

The Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland is claiming that if every fee-paying school went non-fee, the State would be forced to fork out an extra €30m to €40m a year to fund them.

Over the weekend, Minister of State Alan Kelly called for the amount of Government support to private schools to be revisited as part of plans to cut €77m from the education budget.

When fee income and State support is combined, private schools receive €277m annually.

Pat King, General Secretary of the ASTI, said fee-paying schools miss out on many subsidies from the State.

Mr King said: "In a fee-paying school, the number of teachers is smaller, paid for by the State. They don't get a capitation grant for students, they don’t get science grants, economics grants and there are other capital grants they don't get.

"So if every fee-paying school in the country in the morning decided to become non fee-paying, the State would have to find and extra €30 to €40m a year to fund them."