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Small Primary Schools Value for Money Review

The Department of Education and Skills has commenced a value for money review of the provision of small primary schools and your views are welcome. For the purpose of the review a small primary school is taken to be one with less than 50 pupils.


Overall objective of the Review

The objective of the review of small primary schools is to assess the efficiency, effectiveness and examine the value for money of these schools as currently configured and organised. The review should examine the scope for alternative organisational approaches to improve efficiency and effectiveness of provision.

Terms of Reference

Context of the Review

The Department of Education and Skills must ensure that resources, both financial and human, are used in the most efficient way and that any capacity in the system is utilised to maximum effect to ensure that Ireland’s primary education system can continue to cater for the needs of all its pupils into the future.

The context in which the review takes place is the requirement in recent years to provide significant additional pupil places to cater for demographic growth and the likelihood that this will continue over the short to medium term, with consequential demand for resources. The provision of additional pupil places is costly in both current and capital terms. These challenges have been exacerbated by current economic conditions which are impacting on the Government’s ability to direct increased resources to meet these growing needs.

Primary schools play an important role in their local communities. Ireland has a high proportion of primary schools relative to its population and has a high proportion of small primary schools, with approximately one fifth of primary schools having an enrolment of less than 50 pupils. Almost half of all schools enrol less than 100 pupils. Given the pressure on funding and resources this review is proposed in order to establish the value for money being achieved from state funding of this element of provision. The Report of the Special group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes (McCarthy report) proposed that this area merited examination.

For the purpose of the VFM review a small primary school is taken to be one with less than 50 pupils.

  1. Identify the relevant objectives of Government policy on primary school provision and examine their current validity with a particular focus on small primary schools. The analysis on the current validity of these objectives will include:
      a) categorising current Irish primary school provision in terms of school size and comparing this to international models
      b) assessing the locations of small schools relative to each other and to other neighbouring schools and
      c) examining national and international research on small schools and optimal minimal school size at primary level
  2. Define the relevant outputs associated with primary school provision (as it is currently configured and with particular emphasis on small primary schools) and identify the level and trend of these outputs.
  3. Examine the extent that the objectives of primary school provision (to be identified in 1 above) have been achieved and comment on the effectiveness with which they have been achieved and compare the effectiveness of the Irish approach relative to international practice.
  4. Identify the level and trend of costs (current and capital) and staffing resources associated with school size and thus examine the efficiency of resource use.
  5. Examine the scope for alternative policy or organisational approaches to improve efficiency and effectiveness of provision in terms of school size and identify potential implications of such alternative arrangements.
  6. Building on the outcome of this review, specify potential future performance indicators in matters of relevance to school size.
  7. Make recommendations as appropriate.

Guide re submissions on the Small Primary Schools Value for Money Review


The following themes are suggested as a guide in making your submission.

The themes are:

    • How well do small primary schools (of 50 pupils or less) meet the needs of pupils/parents/teachers?
    • Are the current minimum enrolment thresholds appropriate in terms of the distances between neighbouring schools?
      • Is the current provision efficiently organised in terms of
          • Use of resources (human, financial and capital)
          • Distance between schools
      • Would you suggest alternative policy or organisational approaches?

      • Are there further comments you would like to make ?


    Please return your response along with the completed respondent information below no later than 18 March 2011 to


    SPSVFM@education.gov.ie

    Ms Mary Carney
    Secretary to the Small Primary Schools Value for Money Steering Committee
    Dept of Education & Skills
    Block A, Maudlins Hall
    Dublin Road
    Naas
    Co. Kildare

    Consultation on the Small Primary Schools Value for Money Review

    Respondent’s Details - See PDF Small Primary Schools Value for Money.pdf

    Name:
    Position (if applicable):
    Organisation (if applicable):
    Address:
    Telephone:
    Email:
    Date:

    Is this response a personal view or is it made on behalf of your organisation?

    Personal [ ] On behalf of organisation [ ]



    Information in relation to this submission may be made available to any person who makes a request under the Freedom of Information Act, 1997 as amended in 2003.

    Source: Department of Education Website