Different cost for different schools

snuggles09

My neighbour has her daughters in the school nearest to us.her daughter is going into 3rd class this year the same as my eldest and her youngest into senior infants the same as my dd2

She got their booklists and OMG

Her school books for her eldest going into 3rd class have cost her 173 euro where as my daughter who's in a different school but going into the same class got her list and there were only 7 books on it altogether and her books only cost me 32 euro! Thats some difference..there were 3 additional books on my dd1s list that could be gotten 2nd hand so her class was brought into the 3rd class before the holidays and she bought all 3 of these books for just 10 euro from another child (they were only used the once and in great condition) so her books in total cost me 42 euro and all her copies, scrap books,homework journal and all stationary cost me 17 euro so i paid 59 euro in total and yet she has paid 173 euro on books alone!

My dd2, her booklist was mainly workbooks and there were only 4 of them and one religion book and the whole lot of them were 25 euro, her daughters list going onto senior infants as well came to 86 euro

The uniform in my daughters school, you have the school jumper which is 35 euro and thats fine but its plain white shirts (can be got in tescos) and plain navy pinafore or skirts (i got 2 for 5 euro on Heatons) and they have the plain navy tracksuit which you can buy in Dunnes (4 euro for ends and 5 euro for the top) whereas her kids uniforms are 45 euro a pinafore or skirt and 38 euro a tracksuit

How can this be???? It's costing her triple to send her kids to school to what i have to pay and yet they are both public schools, with same curriculum..i'd nearly e-mail dept of education and ask how this can be?? anyone know?

Catari Jaguar

It all comes down to Department subsidising. The subsidising depends on the area, socio economic background and the school's test results. I teach in a disadvantaged school, where the workbooks & materials are subsidised (the readers are second hand & reused) and I think the parent is expected to pay about €50 (some parents don't even bother to pay this at all though)

Same as our school trips are partially paid for and the lunches are paid for.

Also our uniform is just a plain navy tracksuit for PE and a plain maroon jumper, grey pants & white shirt (all from Dunnes or M &S or Penneys) No point in expensive jumpers with crests on them, as they won't be bought. Some kids just come in wearing whatever.

Believe me, it's not a case of all schools are the same because of the curriculum. Many parents wouldn't dream of sending their kids to the school I teach in, even though it has decent funding. Then again there are certain schools in fancy postcodes that don't get adequate funding and haven't got good PE equipment or interactive whiteboards etc but the prestige is there as it may be a "feeder school".

byhookorbycrook

Test results?????

Catari Jaguar

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

Test results?????

Yea like the Drumcondra reading tests, Sigma-T that kind of thing. Poor results in basic literacy/ numeracy (along wth factors I mentioned previously) means the school might qualify for DEIS disadvantage status. The schools do literacy and maths support programs, have smaller classes, have access to support teachers, school completion programs or Early Start etc. (depending on funding and neccessity)

It's about equal opportunities. Some children need more help than others.

E.T.

The cost of books could also be down to something like interactive whiteboards - we had them installed last year and my booklist is down to the basics because I can show so much on the boards that the kids needed books for before.