Parents fundraising €46m a year to meet shortfall in primary school funding

Education Minister Norma Foley, John Boyle  left, general secretary, Joe Mc Keown, president, and John Driscoll vice-president of INTO at the union's annual congress in Killarney on Tuesday. Picture: Moya Nolan

Teachers are demanding “proper funding” for primary schools, as they are struggling to meet basic costs such as heating, cleaning and insurance.

The INTO has said primary schools currently receive “significantly less” funding than second- and third-level institutions, as parents and local communities are forced to fundraise €46m a year just to make up the shortfall to cover basic necessities.

The financial supports given to primary schools during the pandemic were a short-term investment, and “no substitute” for the restoration of longer-term funding that is urgently needed, according to the INTO.

At its 2022 Congress, INTO president Joe McKeown called on the Government to tackle the “chronic underfunding” of primary education.

“The OECD’s education at a glance report 2021 shows yet again that the proportion of Ireland’s national wealth spent on primary education was 20% lower than the average proportion spent by OECD countries,” he said.

When we see schools struggling to meet basic expenditure, tackle rising inflationary and insurance costs and having to double-job as fundraisers, it’s clear something needs to change.” 

Primary schools receive a capitation grant of €1 per pupil per school day to cover their running costs, while second-level schools receive almost double that amount.

A 100-pupil primary school with four classrooms and associated special education provision has €18,300 a year to cover all day-to-day running costs of schools, including heating, lighting, cleaning, insurance and general upkeep.

Capitation grant

The standard capitation grant per pupil at primary level has dropped from €200 in 2010 to €183 at present, significantly below the current figure of €316 at post-primary level.

INTO member Feragal Brougham, from Dublin North-East, proposed a motion which was passed by delegates on Tuesday, to put pressure on the Department of Education to tackle underfunding at primary level.

“For years, we as a union have been calling for these issues to be resolved. There is no reason why Ireland cannot be a world leader in education. The releasing of funds during the pandemic has given us a glimpse of what is achievable. This nation could have the best cradle-to-grave education system. A model for others. To do this we need vision and finances,” he said.

On the back of passing the motion, the Central Executive Committee of the INTO will negotiate with the Department of Education for a funding system that “meets the needs of all schools”, in particular going towards the upkeep and maintenance of modern ICT infrastructure in schools.