A NEW REPORT carried out on behalf of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul has found that 87% of parents have had to cut back or delay spending in order to pay the voluntary contribution charge.
The report, published today and conducted by Grant Thronton, was developed from an online parent’s survey and “in-depth case studies” with the principals of six post-primary schools.
1,447 parents responded to the online survey for the report titled ‘Closing the Gap- What is needed to end Voluntary Contributions in Post Primary Schools’.
Voluntary contribution charges are payments made by parents towards schools to cover costs that the school incurs outside of its funding.
The voluntary contributions ranged from €30 to €550 per child, with an average of €140 per child across all school types.
Today’s report found that 86% of respondents said their child’s school had requested a voluntary contribution.
A spokesperson for SVP noted that the Department of Education guidance to schools states: “Voluntary contributions may be sought from parents, provided it is made clear to parents that there is no compulsion to pay and that a child’s place in the school or continued enrolment is not dependant on a willingness to make a contribution.”
However, 80% of respondents said that voluntary contributions were not clearly communicated as being optional and SVP expressed concern that some schools are not adhering to the Department directive.
One parent responding to the survey said: “It had to be paid or the child did not receive a homework notebook. Teacher would ask where’s your notebook, so all the class would know fees weren’t paid. Very embarrassing for child.”
Another parent said: “On top of the voluntary contribution, there is a €350 fee for transition year. That’s €600 before I buy a book.
“It has seriously put a dent in our family finances, so much so that I had to borrow money from my family to buy uniforms and shoes.”
81% of respondents said that they incur additional costs, beyond the voluntary contribution, for school clubs and activities, while 61% said they incur additional costs for classroom resources such as photocopying and printing fees.
The schools consulted expressed concern about the level of funding they receive and said that they rely on voluntary contributions for essential resources such as books, classroom materials, school journals, insurance, stationary, printing and lockers.
One school principal told the report: “Voluntary contributions are a symptom of the underfunding of the education system.
“We use the payment to cover the cost of running the school on a day-to-day basis.“
Niamh Dalziel, research and policy officer with SVP acknowledged that schools are underfunded.
Dalziel said: “During the period of austerity, the capitation grant, which covers the basic running costs for schools per pupil, was cut from €345 to €309.
“In 2020, the rate was €316. To maintain the real 2010 value, adjusted for inflation, to 2023, the grant should be €422 or 33% higher.”
Meanwhile, SVP national president Rose McGowan said: “Many parents who took part in the research spoke about the stress caused by requests for contributions, the need to cut back on essential spending, going into debt and feeling ashamed for struggling to meet the costs for their children.”
However, McGowan noted that there have been some “positive policy changes and investment this year that will make a real difference in the lives of children and young people”.
She pointed to the provision of free school-books at primary level and the extension of the hot school meals scheme.
McGowan added that today’s research is an “opportunity to build on this progress”.
“We can end voluntary contributions by investing in our education system through adequate capitation and free school books at secondary school,” said McGowan.
“This must be part of a wider effort from educational leadership to ensure education policy and practice is inclusive and meets the needs and rights of students from low income and disadvantaged backgrounds.”
SVP’s research and policy officer Niamh Dalziel noted that there is “not one simple solution” to the issue of voluntary contributions.
“The voluntary contribution charge has become baked into schools’ financial makeup, we understand that therein lies the challenge,” said Dalziel.
“But all education policy should actively be inclusive and in line with the right to education,” she added.
SVP had made six recommendations based on today’s research and the charity’s “extensive experience on the ground working with families and schools.”
The recommendations include the need to “introduce and monitor a new regulation on voluntary contributions”, as well as increasing the capitation grant “to ensure that schools can meet running costs”.
SVP has also called for the removal of “all financial barriers to participating in education”, alongside “policy proofing” all policies across the education system.
It’s also seeking the establishment of a procurement support service for schools and has called for better data and transparency to be provided on educational funding expenditure.
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