Stretching school finances: ‘It keeps you up at night . . . we’re constantly papering over the cracks’

Hazel McWey, principal of Ballinabranna National School, Co Carlow, is worried.

Last week she was able to stretch the school finances to pay €2,000 to fill the oil tank. She was only able to do so, she says, by being “super careful” and avoiding spending on teaching and learning resources.

Now, she is worried about trying to find enough to pay for electricity bills, refuse charges, cleaning charges and other day-to-day costs.

“It keeps you up at night,” says McWey. “You constantly worry. I want to lead teaching and learning at the school, and not have to worry about putting oil in the tank or paying the electricity bill.”

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She says grants from the Department of Education do not cover the real running costs of schools. As a result, she is forced to rely on parental contributions and fundraisers which pay for art materials, photocopying, learning resources and day-to-day running costs.

“Primary schools have been very good at papering over the cracks,” she says. “Parents are super generous: they come to bake sales and take part in our weekly school lottery. Things like that pay for many of the things we need to purchase.”

McWey’s school isn’t alone. The Catholic Primary School Management Association (CPSMA), which represents almost 90 per cent of primary schools, commissioned Grant Thornton to examine the finances of just more than 420 schools, or 13 per cent of all primary schools, for the 2021/22 financial year.

The report, seen by The Irish Times, shows 48 per cent of schools surveyed were in deficit by an average of between €10,600 to €35,600.

Auditors also estimated the value of income generated from parents in the form of contributions or fundraisers. It found it amounted to €3.5 million, or an estimated €54 million nationally.

“It is clear that the primary schools are dependent on these voluntary contributions to maintain the ongoing operations of the schools,” the report concludes.

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Yet, last year Minister for Education Norma Foley announced a “landmark” budget with record investment in schools, including a 40 per cent increase in capitation payments to ease rising energy costs.

At primary level, this saw the capitation grant – which is set at €183 per pupil – climb to €258 as a “once-off” cost-of-living measure.

“The significant increased investment reflects the Government’s commitment to a quality inclusive school system with improved learning outcomes for every student,” she said at the time.

Schools, however, say these increases were immediately swallowed up by hikes in energy, insurance, cleaning and waste disposal costs, as well as the cost of teaching materials and buses.

CPSMA general secretary Seamus Mulconry says schools remain under severe financial pressure and “need help immediately”.

“Schools can no longer count on a bailout from the bank of mum and dad,” he said. “The Government must fulfil its constitutional obligation to provide free primary education now.”

Mulconry says the roots of the “financial crisis” lie in austerity-era policies following the banking crash which saw capitation rates – the main source of income for schools – cut from more than €200 per pupil that was paid in 2008.

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“In the meantime, we’ve had inflation and rising costs across the board. The cuts were never fully restored. While there were small increases and last year’s ‘once-off’ measure, primary schools have been left behind,” he says.

He says last year’s increase needs to be repeated this year, at a minimum, while a more reliable grants calendar is required to allow schools to plan for the future.

Foley has declined to say what will be in this week’s budget package, beyond saying she will “continue to support the students, staff and families in the education sector”.

McWey, meanwhile, has a lengthy list of teaching and learning priorities she would love to advance if she had funding to do so.

“I would love to make improvements to the school playground, we’d love an outdoor classroom. We need resources for the new maths curriculum, which comes in next year,” she says.

“But, the priority for now is to just keep the school going. You spend on a needs-must basis. Luckily, I have great parents who help, but that isn’t always feasible. They are struggling as well.”