Govt urged to tackle funding inequalities facing religious schools

The next Government must urgently address the “glaring inequalities” that exist when it comes to the funding of faith schools, a senior education chief has warned.

John Curtis, General Secretary of the Joint Managerial Body (JMB), which represents over 400 voluntary schools across the State, told The Irish Catholic that governments in the past had gotten education “on the cheap” due to the work of the Church, religious orders and voluntary schools in education.

“It is a bit of a concern that the amount of money as a society we spend on education would be less than in most developed countries and that the percentage of money that we have been spending on education in the last number of years with the economic cut backs has been decreasing.

“Teachers over the years have given so much of themselves in a voluntary capacity and because so many religious people have given so much to education, the State has gotten away with things a little on the cheap,” he said.

Voluntary

Noting that faith-based schools are not funded to the same level as other second-level schools, Mr Curtis pointed out that much of the funding for Catholic schools “tends to come from the voluntary contribution of parents”. This, he said, “is an ongoing issue that has to be addressed”.

“We understand that as voluntary schools we have to contribute to the schools in some shape or form but there are glaring inequities.

“We think we have an excellent product. You can’t deliver on the cheap,” he said.