THE DEPARTMENT of Education has issued new guidelines which may make it easier for the parents of schoolchildren to rent the books used by their children – and save them the cost of having to buy the books outright.

The guidelines issued today are aimed at giving schools – at both primary and secondary level – practical advice on how to run rental schemes, which in some cases can reduce costs to parents by up to 80 per cent.

The guidelines have been issued in two versions, with one edition aimed at schools and another geared towards parents who may be able to help initiate the schemes in their schools.

“I have been very clear in my support for book rental schemes,” the Minister for Education, Ruairí Quinn, said in a statement.

“All of us who are parents know how expensive textbooks can be and what a burden it places on already hard pressed families at the start of every school year.”

Surveys undertaken last year showed that 76 per cent of primary schools operated a book rental scheme to some extent. Second-level figures were incomplete, but 88 per cent of VEC schools and 73 per cent of community schools who responded to the survey operated such schemes.

Children’s charity Barnardos welcomed the publication of the guidelines, saying its school costs survey last year found that rental schemes had a positive impact in cutting the costs of sending children to school.

“All children deserve to get the best education they can, but the high costs associated with school taints many children’s experience and perception of education and reinforces inequalities in Irish society,” said Barnardos chief executive Fergus Finlay.

“School book rental schemes can help reduce these inequalities.”

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