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Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn Sam Boal/Photocall Ireland

Voluntary secondary schools at funding disadvantage - ESRI

A comprehensive study by the think-tank shows that voluntary schools are far more reliant on contributions from parents than other schools.

A LACK OF TRANSPARENCY is contributing to different secondary schools receiving different levels of funding from the Government according to the ESRI.

A comprehensive study by the think-tank shows that voluntary schools, such as those under private management  in the trusteeship of religious communities and boards of governors, are far more reliant on contributions from parents than other schools.

87 per cent of voluntary secondary schools receive such contributions compared with 62 per cent  of community schools and 49 per cent of vocational schools.

The levels of contributions also tend to be higher in the voluntary secondary sector, with half asking for €150 or more per year, while the levels of contributions in the other sectors tend to fall between €50 – €75.

These sources are more likely to be particularly vulnerable in the current economic downturn and puts voluntary secondary schools at a disadvantage according to the ESRI.

Government funding

Irish schools receive Government funding in a number of different ways. Voluntary secondary schools per capita grants for their students from the Department of Education while vocational schools receive State funding in the form of a ‘block grant’ which is allocated to Educational Training Boards and then distributed.

Community schools negotiate a budget with the department on an annual basis.

The ESRI however say that greater clarity is needed in school funding and running costs so that accurate like-for-like comparisons can be made. They say that this would require changing the basis on which such information is reported and recorded.

“This research adds to the growing international debate on State funding of second-level education,” according to the ESRI’s Merike Darmody. “Specifically on how denominational schools are being funded. Drawing on experience from other countries, it shows the difficulty in balancing school autonomy and funding.”

Read: Protestant FG councillors say their schools are being discriminated against >

Read: Educate Together appointed patron of new schools in Dublin and Galway >

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    Mute Glen
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    Nov 13th 2014, 12:31 PM

    Well we can all sleep peacefully now that that’s sorted.

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    Mute Fergus Flanagan
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    Nov 13th 2014, 1:04 PM

    Not the best comparison really considering he retorted with a figure for the domestic market rather than all operated markets combined.

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    Mute andrew
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    Nov 13th 2014, 12:34 PM

    The greed of the music companies is line one endless stream. The artists complaints are a joke. Plays on Spotify are like having your ads paid for

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    Mute Ruairí
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    Nov 13th 2014, 12:43 PM

    Streams on Spotify are a pittance and a poor source of income for musicians. More power to her if she wants to remove her music from Spotify. She clearly doesn’t need it as she’s by far the best selling artist this year.

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    Mute Alien8
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    Nov 13th 2014, 3:08 PM

    Taylor Swift and her record company are just in it for the prestige of record breaking sales and the history books, not people who listen to the music. Nowhere is questioned what is better for the consumer (or fans as they used to be known)?

    Spotify has obviously not cannibalised the album buying public, as her album has one of the highest number of record sales, which is in addition to any income from streaming and video services.. Spotify replaces the radio, not albums sales, and it gives people to opportunity to spend a small amount to listen (not own) music for a low cost. But not low enough that If all you wanted to listen to was taylor swift, then you could buy her back catalogue for less than a few months of spotify.

    What the record company don’t get is that the spotify income, small as it is compared to if everyone who listened to a track bought the album instead, is a top up from people who would just download it from a torrent, or listen to it on the radio. It is never about being paid for their work, as she has the highest income per effort in the world, but instead just making sure parents pay what a record company exec told her each fan was worth.

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    Mute Tweety McTweeter
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    Nov 13th 2014, 1:25 PM

    She is probably the most popular pop artist out there at the moment and she would only make €400k/year on Spotify? Most artists must only be making pennies on it

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    Mute Powerful Sayings
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    Nov 13th 2014, 12:54 PM

    I like her songs.

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    Mute gerry o donell
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    Nov 13th 2014, 9:41 PM

    don’t know why. but her and her songs really annoy me, even more than Cheryl cole

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    Mute _doesnotcompute
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    Nov 13th 2014, 1:53 PM

    Oooooh no, she only earned €398,000 in the last 12 months. Boo focking Hoo.

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    Mute Plain Porther
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    Nov 13th 2014, 9:15 PM

    Taylor Swift and music in the same sentence . . . ? Jaysus.

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    Mute Paul Roche
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    Nov 13th 2014, 12:42 PM

    Nope.

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    Mute Mrs Shalakalananaka
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    Nov 13th 2014, 1:00 PM

    Maybe?

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    Mute Chief
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    Nov 13th 2014, 2:14 PM

    Depends!

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    Mute Paul Roche
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    Nov 20th 2014, 7:35 PM

    On?

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