Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)

I will begin by asking a question. Does the education of a child have a value or a price? It does with this Government. It is €173 per year or, to be more precise, 70 cent a day. That is the value placed on education by the Government. What are the costs of this? The attitude is "save now and pay the bills later".

In 1999 an OECD report was carried out which showed that Ireland had one of the worst literacy rates in the developed world. A total of 25% of the adult population had basic reading and writing difficulties. That is one in four adults. One in four adults has to take a back seat every time an opportunity comes his or her way. One in four adults does not seek that promotion in case he or she will have to do some written paperwork. One in four adults avoids getting involved in the local community for fear he or she would have to write the minutes at a meeting. One in four adults dreads the thought of his or her child coming home each day asking for help with homework. These parents suffer further anguish due to the distress of seeing their own problems repeated in their children. These adults have come through our primary education system. This is an indictment of our education system. Despite what we say about it, we have one of the worst literacy rates in Europe.

These are the problems and challenges that parents and teachers should be working together to resolve. We know these problems are caused by underfunding and overcrowding in our primary school sector. Surely the goodwill and energy shown by parents and teachers in raising funds on a day to day basis would be better expended resolving these problems, rather than wasted buying paper clips and sundry items needed daily. How does the Minister find it acceptable that teachers and parents expend this energy making up the shortfall that currently exists in the capitation grant? I would like the Minister to state whether she finds it acceptable that parents must run pub quizzes, race nights and raffles to fund schools. Does the Minister see this as part of mainstream education in the primary sector?

Speaking recently on this matter the chairman of the Irish Primary Principals Network, Mr. Larry Fleming, said eight out of ten primary schools in Cork are wasting valuable teaching time and energy by fund-raising to keep themselves afloat, as they struggle with the current 70 cent per child, per day capitation grant. He went on to say that financial debt causes principals headaches and affects the education of all primary school-age children. The network's research identifies that Government funding only covers half of the bills facing schools; these bills, on average, come to €30,000 per year for most schools. The capitation grant falls far short of covering this.

Every parent with a school-going child is only too familiar with the additional costs involved in sending a child to school and they know that the concept of free education is a myth. Parents must put their hands in their pockets every week to give money to schools as they pack lunches for their children. These parents know the work done by parents and teachers to meet the day to day costs of giving a child a decent education.

We all receive requests, letters, notices and invitations and we offer what support we can because every parent in the country is only too familiar with this problem. We make what donations we can towards schools because, like all parents, we want our children to get the best possible education. We are only too happy to give assistance when we are asked but, in fact, we are being held over a barrel in this regard because the Minister will not assist.

Parents constantly wonder why they and teaching staff are asked to spend so much time raising supplementary school income when the country is experiencing unprecedented wealth. Why, when the Exchequer's coffers were bulging, were parents expected to cover costs?

A more worrying development has seen schools seeking sponsorship from private businesses to buy materials and equipment. Businesses are supplementing the day to day running of the public school system. Children and families are increasingly bombarded with promotions by newspapers, supermarkets and fast food outlets promising to equip schools. These promotions mostly seek to fill gaps in the provision of PE equipment, IT equipment and so on but it is appalling that schools should find themselves in these circumstances. Does the Minister feel this situation is acceptable?

The examination of the voucher system amounts to more than an abstract educational point. The system clearly places a commercial agenda in our schools; children will become consumers rather than students and learning will be product focused rather than child focused. A major cultural change is taking place in our education system because of the voucher system. Pester power is a major factor in this as not only children and parents but friends, family members and work colleagues are pulled into the system to supplement basic, day to day requirements in schools. In the absence of action by the Minister for Education and Science on this matter this practice will continue. In the absence of a proper capitation grant, our children, instead of getting the best education possible, will be faced with a continuation of the voucher-based system. Free education is becoming token education.

It is time for the Minister to say enough is enough, examine this issue and come back before the House with an ambitious response from her Department, rather than hide behind the figures she threw at us yesterday.

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