Working to cut rising school costs

HARD-PRESSED families could be in line to have more input on their school’s policy on issues such as book rental schemes and uniforms thanks to a draft parents’ charter due to be published by the end of the year.

Back-to-school signs are up in shops nationwide, offering deals on uniforms, schoolbags, and sports gear, but for many parents, the saving for education costs is a year-round effort.

Data from the CSO and a back-to-school costs survey by Barnardos suggest many families are buckling under the weight of costs associated with sending their children to school.

It has now emerged that Ruairi Quinn, the education minister, may put a parents’ charter on a legislative footing, with a draft charter published later this year followed by a consultation period.

According to the CSO, of households which had experienced difficulties in managing bills and debts, 73% said it was due to higher than expected or additional costs — and within that category, 32% mentioned higher or additional school, college or university costs.

Mr Quinn acknowledged school costs are “a big problem” and one that is more pronounced now than in the past. He urged families under pressure to talk to schools and the National Parents Council about ways to lessen the burden.

He said he did not favour having specific national regulations in relation to types of uniforms and where they are purchased as it would be impractical, but he said a parent and student charter would ensure schools interacted better with parents and parent associations on issues including the cost of school uniforms.

“We have encouraged schools to start a book rental scheme; we have provided €15m in recent years and hopefully we will be able to provide the same in the next budget. We got a code of conduct agreed with education publishers not to change books and to keep them in stock for at least six years. The other cost is that of school uniforms. I have asked the National Parents Council to look at ways, with schools, to move towards generic uniforms.”

But he said legislating to force schools to limit costs for parents was not straightforward. “The Irish education system is unique in that it is a public-private partnership. The primary school sector is 180 years old and the essential deal has not changed.

“The State, through the Department of Education, pays teachers’ salaries; it provides curriculum; sets the examinations and provides for the maintenance and quality. On the private side, they provide the management; they built the buildings; and they are the employers of the teachers. To legislate to force them to do things… we would have to do it by negotiation.

“However there is a way it can be done and that is to encourage the National Parents Council and the boards of management to raise these issues. Parents’ representatives have a voice — maybe they need to find it more strongly. And I have encouraged the National Parents Council to go in the direction of the generic school uniform and then allow the school to sell the crest or the emblem or badge.

“But the initial agreement must come from the parents themselves; it is from that side of the house so to speak.”

He denies he could push through changes in the same manner as alterations to the curriculum or to enrolment policy, for which new regulations are expected shortly.

“Since I went into the department I was the first person to raise these issues,” he said. “There was no policy in relation to book lending scheme or that area, we didn’t even know what that situation was. I will be publishing draft legislation for a whole new enrolment policy and there will be a lot of reaction a about how intrusive the department is being about setting out what and enrolment policy should be.”

Meanwhile, the minister also said that while the grants administration system, Susi, might not be “perfect” this coming year, it would be “significantly better” than its first year of operations in which many students faced long delays in receiving payments.