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28/05/2012
More Than Three Quarters Of Primary Schools Operate Book Rental Schemes
New research by the Department of Education and Skills shows that 76% of primary schools operate a school book rental scheme.
The Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn T.D., asked the Department to undertake an investigation of book rental schemes in order to examine ways to reduce the financial burden of school books on families.
The 3,300 primary and special schools nationwide were asked in their annual returns to the Department if they operated a textbook rental or loan scheme to enable pupils to rent or borrow some or all of their main books. 99% of schools answered the question and more than three quarters said that they did. The results at second level were not as conclusive, as only 44% of the 723 post-primary schools responded to the question in a separate survey. Of those who did respond, 88% of those in the VEC sector and 73% of those in the Community & Comprehensive sector operated a book rental scheme.
Minister Quinn also announced that he is protecting the level of funding of grants to schools for books in the coming academic year. “Despite the challenging economic times, this government is committed to doing everything it can to reduce the financial burden of school books on families so I have ring-fenced €15 million in textbook grants to be distributed to schools next month.”
This money will be distributed at the same rate as last year to DEIS and non-DEIS schools.
“I am very pleased to see the high level of book rental schemes in operation at primary school level and want to encourage this practice across all schools in our education landscape,” continued Minister Quinn.
“I am publishing draft “Guidelines on Developing School Textbook Rental Schemes” today in order to share best practice on these schemes with all schools in primary and post primary.”
The new guidelines are as a result of collaboration between the Department’s Inspectorate, the National Parent’s Councils primary and post-primary, Barnardos and the Society of St Vincent de Paul. Minister Quinn has invited education stakeholders to comment on the guidelines by June 15th. Last year a number of organisations including the SVP and Barnardos argued that the Department should adjust or make mandatory the operation of book rental schemes in schools.
(CD/GK)
The Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn T.D., asked the Department to undertake an investigation of book rental schemes in order to examine ways to reduce the financial burden of school books on families.
The 3,300 primary and special schools nationwide were asked in their annual returns to the Department if they operated a textbook rental or loan scheme to enable pupils to rent or borrow some or all of their main books. 99% of schools answered the question and more than three quarters said that they did. The results at second level were not as conclusive, as only 44% of the 723 post-primary schools responded to the question in a separate survey. Of those who did respond, 88% of those in the VEC sector and 73% of those in the Community & Comprehensive sector operated a book rental scheme.
Minister Quinn also announced that he is protecting the level of funding of grants to schools for books in the coming academic year. “Despite the challenging economic times, this government is committed to doing everything it can to reduce the financial burden of school books on families so I have ring-fenced €15 million in textbook grants to be distributed to schools next month.”
This money will be distributed at the same rate as last year to DEIS and non-DEIS schools.
“I am very pleased to see the high level of book rental schemes in operation at primary school level and want to encourage this practice across all schools in our education landscape,” continued Minister Quinn.
“I am publishing draft “Guidelines on Developing School Textbook Rental Schemes” today in order to share best practice on these schemes with all schools in primary and post primary.”
The new guidelines are as a result of collaboration between the Department’s Inspectorate, the National Parent’s Councils primary and post-primary, Barnardos and the Society of St Vincent de Paul. Minister Quinn has invited education stakeholders to comment on the guidelines by June 15th. Last year a number of organisations including the SVP and Barnardos argued that the Department should adjust or make mandatory the operation of book rental schemes in schools.
(CD/GK)
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10 January 2014
€15m To Fund School Book Rental Schemes
€15m is to be made available over three years to primary schools that do not currently operate book rental schemes. Education Minister Ruairí Quinn has revealed plans to ensure every primary school in Ireland has one in operation. In October, the Department of Education and Skills asked all schools whether they operated a book rental scheme.
€15m To Fund School Book Rental Schemes
€15m is to be made available over three years to primary schools that do not currently operate book rental schemes. Education Minister Ruairí Quinn has revealed plans to ensure every primary school in Ireland has one in operation. In October, the Department of Education and Skills asked all schools whether they operated a book rental scheme.
09 January 2014
Further Rollout Of Book Rental Schemes To Primary Schools
Labour Party TD for Dublin North West, John Lyons, has welcomed the announcement by Minister for Education, Ruairi Quinn, that book rental schemes will be available to every primary school in the country by the start of the new school year.
Further Rollout Of Book Rental Schemes To Primary Schools
Labour Party TD for Dublin North West, John Lyons, has welcomed the announcement by Minister for Education, Ruairi Quinn, that book rental schemes will be available to every primary school in the country by the start of the new school year.
27 June 2011
Up To 40 New Schools To Be Established In Six Years
Twenty new primary schools and twenty new post-primary schools are to be established in the next six years. Announcing the new schools, the Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn said: "My Department is forecasting an increase of over 45,050 primary pupils and 24,900 post-primary pupils by the start of the 2017/18 school year.
Up To 40 New Schools To Be Established In Six Years
Twenty new primary schools and twenty new post-primary schools are to be established in the next six years. Announcing the new schools, the Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn said: "My Department is forecasting an increase of over 45,050 primary pupils and 24,900 post-primary pupils by the start of the 2017/18 school year.
17 December 2014
Education Minister Accused Of 'Attacking Primary Schools'
Fianna Fáil has accused the Education Minister of "attacking primary schools by reallocating vital primary funding to third level spending".
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11 April 2008
Government Told Primary Schools In Debt
Representatives of Ireland’s primary schools have made a desperate plea for more funding. Monsignor Dan O’Connor will present an agreed statement from the Catholic Primary School Management Association to ministers in a special meeting with members of the joint Oireachtas committee on education.
Government Told Primary Schools In Debt
Representatives of Ireland’s primary schools have made a desperate plea for more funding. Monsignor Dan O’Connor will present an agreed statement from the Catholic Primary School Management Association to ministers in a special meeting with members of the joint Oireachtas committee on education.
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