Compensation claims by parents and pupils against their local school have contributed significantly to a huge rise in insurance costs in the second-level system, a conference of school managers was told yesterday. The annual conference of the Joint Managerial Body (JMB) was told that pupils and parents were suing schools over falls and accidents on school property.
Mr George O'Callaghan, general secretary of the JMB, said schools were experiencing more legal actions from parents and pupils than ever before. He said this trend, plus vandalism of school property during the summer months, had contributed to an 80 per cent rise in insurance premiums over the last five years. Higher valuations of school properties was the other factor behind increased costs. The JMB, which represents hundreds of secondary schools, now plans to lobby the Department of Education for a stand-alone grant to cover insurance costs.
At present the Department requires schools to pay insurance from the general capitation grant.