Resourcing Education Counting the Cost

What is the real cost of educating a child? How much is core-funded (DES allocation)? How much of the principal’s time goes on finance? What financial expertise is available to the school? What hard choices do schools have to make? What small changes would make a big difference? and many more questions Key Questions

1. Mismatch between intention and outcome 2. Finances impact heavily on principals’ time and deflect boards from effective governance 3. Smaller schools need targeted resources – a fresh, fair, flexible, financial response Under-resourced schools struggle to sustain quality leadership and quality learning Some General Outcomes

1. Schools are very resource efficient 2. Targeted resources impact well 3. School communities work cooperatively to seek financial support 4. Some boards have voluntary professional financial expertise available to them Most schools are short on basic operational costs 10-25% of principals’ time is spent on financial issues The greater the shortfall the greater the time spent on financial management Shortfall impacts on the quality of ancillary staff and the hours available Most boards have no financial expertise available to them Good NewsBad News

DES income children (4 classes) Grant / Allocation Total provided by DES Average per child (i) per annum (ii) per school dayComment Ancillary Grant€16,665€147.48€0.81c Capitation€19,094€169€0.92c DEIS allocation€476€4.21€0.02cceased Book Grant€684€6.19€0.03cring-fenced Rem/Res Grant€634€5.61€0.03cring-fenced Minor Works Grant€7,535€66.68€0.36cring-fenced 2008 AVAILABLE INCOME€35,759 € per child per year €1.73c per child per day What is a child’s education worth

Annual cost (2008)Cost per child per dayComment Secretarial€5, cInadequate Caretaker€5, cInadequate Cleaner€3, cInadequate Cleaning Materials€1, c Electricity€2, c Heating (Oil)€3, c Insurance€4, c Phone€1, c Office€2, c Service Charges€ c Tax.PRSI€ c ICT€2, cInadequate Photocopying€1, c OVER BUDGET BY €1, AT THIS POINT....! (Spending at €1.78 per child per day – overspend of 0.6c per child per day) Slimline School Budgeting How a school manages on €35,759 per year?

Additional Costs €13,701.00Extra Income €11, Class equipment€ St. Vincent de Paul€ PE/Drama/Sport€ Parents’ Association€3, Prof. Development€675.00School Fundraising€2, Test booklets€240.00Contributions/Levies€4, Classroom Supplies€ Staff room boiler€ Jolly Phonics€ Christmas Concert€336.00TOTAL SHORTFALL FOR 2008 €3, Swim. lessons/buses€ Resource/Language mat.€670.00To break even the items in red on the left would need to be cancelled Art Supplies€ Books/Novels€ Board of Management€ Banking€36.00 Additional necessary expenditure …

The shortfall … 7% … 30%

LEADERSHIP = 46c per child per day PRINCIPAL’s ALLOWANCE = 37c per child per working day RELEASE COVER DAYS = 9c per child per school day The value of Leadership … ?

What Principals told us... We cut back on caretaker as we don’t have money. I now cut the grass in summer – it’s a long way from policy development & school plans. At times I stop the mower to enrol a child - I’m supposed to think strategically and act professionally !! We have a secretary but she has no IT skills. She can answer the phone and is a contact point for those who come to the office. She is an ‘office- sitter’ not a secretary but we can’t pay for any more than that Our caretaker has a disability pension – that’s why we selected him – it means though that I have to do many of his tasks. He sees the problem and asks me to fix it. Sometimes it feels like role-reversal but what can I do?

Rethinking the Resourcing of Schools

Some fresh thinking: 3 low-cost/no-cost options Clustering options for teaching principals 2. Re-thinking the ring-fenced elements of funding 3. Work on TRUST.... more autonomy for boards and/or principals

1. Complete the research Compile a report Identify and prioritise recommendations 4. Seek REAL engagement with DES and others 5. Agree immediate action on the no/low-cost recommendations that will have a high-impact on leadership and learning in schools What happens next?