Cabinet considered ending free secondary education days before bank guarantee

A money-saving proposal to terminate free education at secondary level was considered by the Fianna Fáil-Green coalition just days before it agreed to the bank guarantee, declassified documents show.

A memorandum labelled “secret” and dated September 26th, 2008 shows that the introduction of a €200 compulsory contribution for all students attending second-level schools, with the exception of medical card holders, was one of a number of policy options discussed at cabinet.

Scrapping

The document also reveals that scrapping the Junior Cert was considered as a policy option more than six years ago, and that the savings anticipated were much greater than previously acknowledged.

Last month, The Irish Times revealed that the former government had considered abolishing the Junior Cert in the 2010 budget. It had estimated that it would save €15 million by having a school-based assessment programme at the end of the junior cycle instead.

The newly released documents show that a more radical plan of abolishing the Junior Cert, with nothing to take its place, was proposed for Budget 2009, at an annual saving of €24 million.

The 2008 memo, which contained a list of options for departmental cuts based on the advice of ministers, estimated that a €200 secondary school charge would net €44 million a year. However, it “would be seen as reversing free education at second level”, and would be difficult to introduce in combination with other cuts, the memo read.

While the compulsory charge was not introduced, the government agreed to other measures, described in the document as “policy options for further reductions for education” for Budget 2009.

Among those approved were removing Traveller resource teachers, reducing school capitation rates, and abolishing specialist guidance counselling posts, although the latter did not occur until Budget 2011.

The bank guarantee was agreed, on September 30th 2008, just four days after the memo was written. Last week, Central Bank governor Patrick Honohan estimated that the guarantee had cost the State €40 billion to date.

Further documents show that the plan for a compulsory secondary charge remained on the table for Budget 2010.

A confidential memo prepared for cabinet in October 2009 proposed an annual tuition fee of €150 for students at post-primary level, including fee-charging schools, but excluding medical card holders. This was expected to yield €32 million a year.

“Technically this would be done by instructing schools to charge a fee and cutting capitation grant to schools by an equivalent amount,” the document read.

Schools would then demand payment from parents, which “may require a policy decision by Government to require schools not to admit pupils who do not pay”.

Strike action

Teachers’ unions are to hold a second day of strike action this Thursday in protest at the reform of the junior cycle along the lines envisaged in Budget 2010.

While Minister for Education and Skills Jan O'Sullivan denies any cost-saving motive for the reform, Teachers' Union of Ireland president Gerry Quinn said the documents confirmed the union's view that "the austerity agenda" had been a key driver.