James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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158. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to a recent circular from his Department to primary schools directing a reduction in the number of school books to be purchased by parents for each child (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22745/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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My ambition is to make the Irish education and training service the best in Europe within a decade.

To deliver on my ambition to be the best we have to improve information and complaint procedures for parents and students, particularly in relation to costs.

I want to give parents a strong voice in ensuring costs are always kept to a minimum.

I believe that we have to put a greater emphasis on reducing the cost of school uniforms and other costs.

Schools have to do everything possible to keep costs down for parents, including the use of generic items, sew on or iron on crests, and making sure that various elements of the uniform can be purchased in multiple stores.

In the Action Plan for Education I have committed to the restoration of capitation payments. In restoring capitation payments, where schools have introduced these cost effective principles, they will receive a premium capitation payment.

I believe that full transparency in relation to the use of any voluntary contributions is important information for parents to have. The Parent and Student Charter will require every school to set out a financial statement, which will include information on how any voluntary contributions are used.

This is part of a suite of measures I am introducing, including the School Admissions Bill which will reform information and procedures around the process of school enrolment, and the commencement of Fitness to Teach, which allow a complaint to be made about a registered teacher to the Teaching to Council for the first time.

Circular letter 32/2017 ‘Measures to be adopted by schools to reduce the cost of school uniforms and other costs’ was published at the end of April and is available on my Departments website.

Following the implementation of the circular, school authorities will be required to adopt the following principles of cost-effective practice which will put a greater emphasis on reducing the cost of school uniforms and other costs:

- All elements of a school uniform should be purchasable from various stores;

- Only iron on or sew on crests should be used;

- Wherever possible, generic rather than branded items should be specified (e.g. uniform, clothing, IT tablets, sports equipment etc.);

- Provide parents with a list of all required items and indicate the likely costs of these required items at best value stores;

- Provide a book rental scheme;

- Phase out, between now and September 2018, the use of workbooks which cannot be reused;

- Where an exclusive supply arrangement applies, it should be tendered for regularly and

- The Board of Management in each school will have to review the cost of items which they require parents to purchase and to make this information available to the school community.

Schools will consult with parents on their views and ask for suggestions on cost reduction initiatives. Parents will be asked for their views about school uniform costs, and other costs, through a questionnaire.

In relation to workbooks, the Circular advises that schools should phase out, between now and September 2018, the use of workbooks which cannot be reused.

My Department is very aware of the appropriate contribution that well-designed learning activities can make in the classroom. Resources that align well with the learning objectives of the curriculum (including workbook tasks) and which foster development of key skills and concepts are an important support for classroom learning and teaching and can help to consolidate students’ understanding.

Used skilfully, such activities can provide the teacher with valuable opportunities to promote independent learning; and for learners they can facilitate completion of differentiated activities or tasks at a number of levels. When these kinds of activities are integrated well into classroom teaching and learning, they can provide rich learning opportunities especially when combined with focussed classroom talk and discussion. By contrast, the negative uses of workbooks have also been highlighted in inspection reports, and appropriate recommendations made, in that regard, to schools and teachers.

My Department is committed to working with the Irish Educational Publisher’s Association to ensure that progress can be made on developing workbooks that can be reused.

The Circular provides a period, between now and September 2018, for the phasing out of workbooks which cannot be reused.

My Department supports for the provision of school books are dealt with through the school book rental scheme.  My Department provides funding of €16m annually to schools to support the operation of school book rental schemes for students in all recognised Primary and Post-Primary schools within the Free Education Scheme. The arrangements in relation to this scheme are set out in Circular 0046/2013 which is published on my Department's website at .