Government demands that schools reduce uniform costs to ease parents’ financial pressures have been criticised as reactive and unacceptable micro-management by the president of the body which represents faith-based schools in Ireland.
Speaking at the AMCSS/JMB annual general meeting in Killarney, Fr Paul Connell said the planned changes would do “little or nothing to reduce costs for parents”, but would impact negatively on schools, and contradict established policies on giving them autonomy.
Fr Connell said the plans seem to assume schools do not listen to parents, pointing out that parents, on whom schools depend for 30% of their costs, overwhelmingly supporting current uniform policies.
If the Government genuinely wants to reduce costs for parents, it should fund schools properly, he said.