It’s getting increasingly burdensome to continuously point fingers at schools for seeking voluntary contributions to cover their daily running costs. The reality is that many of these institutions are just not receiving adequate funds to cover their daily expenses.
This lack of funding was underscored in the OECD’s 2023 report, ‘Education at a Glance’, which unfortunately placed Ireland at the bottom of the list of 36 countries when it comes to percentages of GDP invested on education. The data analysed from 2020 revealed a dire educational investment of 1 percent GDP in secondary education, which is a stark contrast to the 2 percent OECD average and the nearly as high 1.9 percent EU average.
Moreover, the predicament is worsened for voluntary secondary schools, as they receive a less amount of state funding and are consequently dependent on voluntary contributions.
In the face of diminishing funds, many schools have been compelled to resort to annual fundraisers like school lottos or seek financial backing from bodies such as past pupils’ unions to meet their costs. These strategies, though, only widen the chasm between affluent schools with significant fundraising capabilities and those less fortunate.
It’s important to remember that the free education guaranteed by the constitution only applies to primary education and not secondary. This, however, is of little consequence to schools, as both primary and secondary sectors grapple with similar issues. For instance, the Summer Work Scheme (SWS), which aimed to distribute funds to primary and post-primary schools for minor building projects during summer or non-disruptive periods, has been defunct since 2019.
The Solar for Schools Programme, a €50 million initiative that provides 6kw of roof-mounted solar PV to schools, has been rolled out this year. Even though solar production is at its peak when schools are vacated, many establishments welcome the scheme. Some institutions, nevertheless, would appreciate subsidies to seal the leaks in their roofs beforehand.
Despite the €90 million supplementary finance procured for education last year, the figure has dropped to €81 million this year, a downward trend requiring immediate attention. The upcoming budget should feature considerable investment in the education sector, including a package designed to eradicate the necessity for schools to solicit voluntary donations from families. This move would considerably reduce the stress on everyone involved.
It is important to recognise that parents have consistently borne the cost of books and voluntary contributions, as well as undertaking fundraising activities to ensure the survival of schools. The immense value of their contribution is not taken lightly, and we extend our heartfelt gratitude to them.
– Signed by,
JOHN McHUGH,
Headmaster,
Ardscoil Rís,
Griffith Avenue,
Dublin 9.