Parents face hike in 'voluntary' contributions if Government does not increase school funding
The Catholic Primary School Management Association (CPSMA) has warned dramatic rising costs 'turbo-charged' by post-pandemic inflation has left many primary schools struggling financially.
'We have never been contacted by as many schools with financial problems as we were last year,' said Seamus Mulconry, CPSMA general secretary.
More primary schools would have found themselves in trouble if not for a cost-of-living payment, which worked out at about €36 per student, he added.
The Department of Education confirmed last week that from September the primary school capitation grant would increase from €200 to €224 per student.
The grant is for the day-to-day running costs of a school, including heating and electricity. Funding at post-primary level is also set to increase from €345 to €386 per student.
"Covid created a cost-of-living crisis across the economy but particularly in schools," Mr Mulconry said.
We welcome any increase to capitation, but we need another increase in the budget this year, and it needs to be significant just to keep up with rising costs.
'If you were just to account for inflation, you'd need to have €280 [per student] just to bring us back to 2007 levels of purchasing power,' he added.
Parents are estimated to pay about €54m to help subsidise free education through voluntary contributions and fundraising at primary level.
When asked if there would be increases in the voluntary contributions in response to funding shortfalls, Mr Mulconry said: 'I think there will have to be unless Government steps up to the mark and provides proper funding for schools.
'At the moment, we have lots of schools that are getting twice as much for the free school meals scheme as they are to run a school.
'That money is coming in and going straight out. We need realistic funding for schools. We need to at least match what our colleagues in second level are getting.'
Costs for things like buses, insurance, day-to-day resources, school trips, repairs and utilities have increased for schools across the board. In some cases, schools have seen their annual heating bills rise by up to 80%.
On top of this, schools also now have new costs to contend with, such as software systems like Aladdin, or alarm and security systems.
The Department of Education and the minister for education will always stress that voluntary contributions are 'voluntary', Mr Mulconry added.
And they are, but unless there is a steep increase in the capitation or the funding for schools, those voluntary contributions are going to have to go up.
'Schools are going to have no choice. Fundraising of any kind for schools is a horrendously ineffective waste of a principal and a board of management's time. They should be focusing on teaching and learning, not fundraising.
'In budgetary terms, it is loose change but it's vitally important to schools and we need to see a very significant increase in [the capitation grant] if schools are not going to have to go out to parents, looking for much larger sums then they have looked for before.'
Meanwhile, Aontas na Mac Léinn in Éirinn (Amlé) has hit out at the Government's "U-turn" on student fees, which will see third-level fees restored to €3,000, describing the decision to as a "cynical and calculated betrayal".
A coalition row is brewing after higher education minister James Lawless indicated fees would go back up, after being cut by €1,000 under cost-of-living measures for the past three years.
At a Fine Gael private meeting last week, Tánaiste Simon Harris indicated he would be strongly pushing for a cut to third-level fees in the budget.
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