Primary school capitation grants
Taylor argued that rising costs and inflation had made grants inadequate, leaving schools in financial difficulty. Hussey cited the increase to £17 per pupil but said larger rises depended on available resources; the Chair then announced that remaining questions would appear the next day.
asked the Minister for Education if she is aware that the existing Government grant to primary schools is inadequate to provide for the increased running expenses of heating, lighting, cleaning and so on, and if she will now approve a realistic increase in the grants for such purposes.
Comment on this
National schools are financed for running expenses by a system of capitation grants payable to individual boards of management on the basis of enrolment and on condition that a sum equal to at least 25 per cent of the State grant is lodged to the school account from local sources. In recognition of the increased running costs of schools provision has been made in the 1983 Estimates for an increase in the capitation grant from £15 to £17 per pupil.
Comment on this
Would the Minister not agree that the level of increase in capitation grants has proved to be entirely inadequate to enable primary schools to keep up the level of service to which parents and pupils are entitled? Is the Minister aware that many primary schools are at the point of having to close due to lack of funds? Will the Minister agree to ensure that capitation grants at least keep par with the level of inflation?
Comment on this
Capitation grants have been increased over the past few years as follows: 1979-80, £11 per pupil; 1980-81, £13 per pupil; 1981-82, £15 per pupil, and 1982-83, £17 per pupil. It would be in all our interests if we could arrange for considerably greater increases in capitation grants to primary schools. Unfortunately the Government must undertake these increases having regard to the financial resources available.
Comment on this
Would the Minister agree that the primary responsibility for the maintenance of standards in national schools rests with the Government and that the school boards rely primarily on Government sources? Would the Minister also agree that the increases in capitation grants have fallen well short of the rate of inflation, leaving many schools with substantial bank overdrafts and deficits at high rates of interest which they are unable to meet?
