Many primary schools say they are relying on cash reserves to cover basic running costs
“I almost had a heart attack – it was €10,000,” says Marnell. “I thought, ‘Oh my God, we just can’t afford it. This is going to be really, really bad’.”
The poll of 1,440 schools was carried out last month by the Catholic Primary School Management Association , which supports about 85 per cent of all primary schools across the State. The capitation grant is supposed to cater for day-to-day running costs such as heating, lighting, cleaning, insurance and general up-keep, while the ancillary grant is to cater for the cost of employing ancillary services staff.
This includes increased capitation rates for schools in recognition of the rising costs of heating and lighting over recent years.Schools, however, say the cost increases go beyond utilities and argue everything from transport to cleaning to general upkeep has also jumped. “People here give what they can and are incredibly generous, but you can’t ask for big money, so we do our best to balance things out,” says Marnell. “We don’t have fancy equipment or sensory rooms ... we hold off on things like cutting hedges. Our caretaker, for example, went out and bought a second-hand ride-on lawnmower on DoneDeal for €850, to save the cost of hiring outside people to cut the grass for €500.
Department-Of-Education Primary-Level Dublin-16 For-You
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