Latest: Education Minister ‘tinkering at the edges’ in bid to reduce school costs for parents

Update 1.55pm: The head of the largest union for secondary teachers says the Education Minister’s plan to reduce school costs for parents, is tinkering at the edges.

Richard Bruton says he’ll send a circular to schools next week, calling for them to introduce generic uniforms, and book rental schemes.

But the ASTI, and the children's charity Barnardos, say schools need more funding, so they don’t ask parents for voluntary contributions.

“I really do hope that he would be able to do something with regard to costs for parents, but I think he’s abdicating his own responsibility in it, and trying to push it on to schools,” said ASTI president Ed Byrne.

“I don’t think that’s necessary. As I said, I believe he’s tinkering at the edges.”

Update 11.47am: Measures announced by Minister for Education Richard Bruton today “are not sufficient to address the financial burden placed on parents by school costs”, the Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP) charity said today.

The charity welcomed the decision by the Minister to require the school authorities to adopt “principles of cost-effective practice” across a range of key areas , however.

“SVP primarily advocate for significant investment in Ireland’s underfunded education system. Cuts to the School Capitation Grant in recent years means schools are struggling to the cover day to day expenses,” it said in a statement.

“An increase in this grant will ultimately benefit parents and children.

“SVP has continually campaigned for a reduction in the various participation costs of education which many low income families simply cannot afford; school books, uniforms, and so-called ‘voluntary contributions’.

“SVP welcome practical options for parents such as waivers, staged payments for various costs, book rental schemes, generic uniform options and other parent-friendly approaches which are administered discretely and confidentially.”

Update 11.47am: Minister for Education Richard Bruton has said new measures aimed at reducing school costs for parents are part of a wider suite of measures

Speaking to the Today with Sean O'Rourke programme on RTÉ Radio 1 this morning, Minister Bruton said that education has to respond to the changing expectations of parents and children.

He said that this week’s announcement of €2.4m funding to encourage diversity in teaching will encourage under-represented groups to become teachers.

He also claimed that a good package for new teachers has been negotiated with the three unions.

He insisted that he has to be fair to everyone with demands on the education money and the bottom line is that from January 2018, a new teacher will be recruited.

He told Today with Sean O'Rourke that a process was in place for all demands to be considered by the public pay commission, and after that report, negotiations would start.

He also declined to say whether he would run for leadership of Fine Gael, saying that he has not made a decision because there was no vacancy at this point.

Earlier:

Minister for Education Richard Bruton has announced new measures to reduce the cost of going to school.

Under the plan, schools will be obliged to place greater emphasis on reducing the financial burden placed on parents.

They include banning the use of workbooks which cannot be reused, using generic uniforms and providing parents with fully costed lists for items they are required to buy.

However Barnardos' Fergus Finlay said that the measures do not go far enough.

"These are very, very small steps," he said.

"I think it's really disappointing that the Minister has chosen not to go just that little bit further.

"It would cost the Government very little money to do away entirely with the cost of schoolbooks for parents and the cost of school transport, and indeed, with the voluntary contribution that parents are required to make."