Schools to seek hike in parents’ ‘voluntary contributions’ despite Minister’s ruling

Schools in Galway are facing the perfect storm of a financial crisis as cash-strapped parents baulk at paying so-called ‘voluntary contributions’ – as State funding also dries up. 

Many primary and secondary schools throughout the city and county are putting pressure on parents to pay voluntary contributions – they issue reminder letters directly to parents and in some cases via the children.

The ‘emotional blackmail’ to pay the contribution comes despite warnings from Education Minister Ruairi Quinn that schools can only seek a voluntary contribution once it is made absolutely clear that it is voluntary.

A survey on behalf of ASTI, the teaching union, found that one in four schools planned to increase the amount of money they seek from parents for the voluntary contribution at the beginning of this term.

The survey found that voluntary contributions were hiked in 14% of cases, as schools grapple with reduced funding from the Department of Education – capitation grants per students have reduced from €200 per child to €176 over the past few years.

The reduction in central funding has forced schools to increase the voluntary contribution but as parents struggle to pay the voluntary contribution, schools have to increase other fundraising activities such as cake sales and table quizzes.

Children’s charity Barnardos has called for voluntary contributions to be scrapped. “The time has come to outlaw voluntary contributions entirely because they are intimidating too many parents who are under more than enough pressure already,” said Barnardos CEO Fergus Finlay.

The charity’s comprehensive survey on school costs revealed that voluntary contributions averaged €100 for senior infants, €50 for primary school fourth class pupils and €125 for first year secondary school pupils. The total cost to parents of sending a child to school averaged at €350, €400 and €785 for senior infants, fourth class and first years respectively, the survey found.

For full story see this week’s Connacht Tribune.