THE SOCIETY of Saint Vincent de Paul has canvassed the support of second-level teachers in a new move to cut the costs of school texts.
It wants to end the practice where teachers prescribe expensive, revised editions of school books as this is causing huge distress for parents.
The society says the decision by Minister for Education Batt O’Keeffe to remove the school book grant for most schools will “compound the strain felt by parents at this expensive time of year’’.
Last night, the Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) said “some teachers have already been told to be ready for classes in September with no books and to make alternative arrangements for class tuition’’.
The society says the decision to remove the book grant – for those in schools not designated as disadvantaged – will affect 120,000 low-income families this year.
The Republic is one of the few European countries where schoolbooks are not provided free to all students in the education system. Students in Northern Ireland and Britain continue to have an automatic entitlement to free school books.
In a letter to the TUI, the society says the practice of prescribing revised textbooks at the start of each school year and the use of workbooks makes it impossible for families to purchase second-hand books or to hand books down to younger children.
In her letter, the society’s president, Maireád Bushnell, says the costs of school books must be kept as low as possible, and teachers have a role to play in this.
The society said members had received many requests from both parents and schools for assistance with the cost of school texts.
TUI general secretary Peter MacMenamin said he sympathised with the St Vincent de Paul position.
“We believe there should be no syllabus changes while the book grant remains suspended.
“Pressure should also be exerted by the department on publishers to avoid the unnecessary production of updated editions in the current climate.”
He said his members – many of whom work in deprived communities – have expressed concern that classroom activities would be severely affected due to the removal of school book aid and the worsening financial situations of families.
“This primitive budgetary measure will save the State a meagre €7.5 million per annum and leave hundreds of students without textbooks.’’
He said the practice of introducing new, revised editions of textbooks puts “impossible pressures on families who once benefited from the book aid and are already in dire financial straits due to a range of pressures’’.
Last week the children’s charity Barnardos said school books now cost an average of up to €390 per year for a child entering secondary school.