Faculty principals have warned that many second-level colleges might not be capable of roll out the free schoolbooks scheme in time for subsequent September resulting from insufficient helps round a “sophisticated procurement course of”.
Minister for Training Norma Foley introduced not too long ago that greater than 200,000 college students within the Junior Cycle years – first to 3rd yr – can be entitled to free books and ebooks from subsequent September. Dad and mom can count on to avoid wasting about €300 a yr on foot of the initiative.
Nevertheless, the Nationwide Affiliation of Principals and Deputies (NAPD), which represents post-primary faculty leaders, stated a brand new survey of members confirmed 83 per cent of respondents felt the required helps and knowledge weren’t accessible.
The organisation acknowledged what it described because the “immense effort” of the Division of Training in in search of to help colleges to ship the scheme, however stated a sophisticated procurement course of was appearing as a big stumbling block and solely 36 per cent expressed confidence of their faculty’s means to ship the scheme successfully by September.
Principals reported the method concerned designing tender paperwork for purchases in extra of €50,000, navigating the etenders course of, evaluating bids, navigating provider relationships, managing the price range allocation, and making ready for audit and compliance evaluations.
The NAPD stated the procurement course of took time and “time is just not on our facet” in having the ability to ship the scheme by September.
Paul Crone, the affiliation’s director, stated the method was putting additional strain on principals and taking them away from partaking with college students, their mother and father and the broader faculty neighborhood. “Now we have lengthy been highlighting the rising administrative burden which is being positioned on principals. Finance, procurement, HR, well being and security and amenities administration are among the many many admin duties that are taking principals away from what is definitely necessary – partaking with their college students,” he stated.
“The studies we’re receiving from members in relation to the additional specialist administrative work being created by way of the Faculty Ebook Scheme procurement course of and the shortage of specialist experience could be very regarding.”
In response, the Division of Training stated it recognised this was the primary yr of “a significant new landmark scheme” and that challenges could also be skilled within the first yr.
In an announcement, it stated it was allocating an administration help grant to colleges for the 2024-2025 faculty yr to make use of people to work for a specified variety of days to hold out administrative work on the scheme.
Ten, 13 or 16 days are allotted to every post-primary faculty, primarily based on the scale of the varsity’s junior cycle enrolment numbers.
It added that colleges had obligations that stemmed from each EU and nationwide public procurement guidelines when sourcing items and companies, and these had been in place for some years.
A complete of 246 colleges which are a part of the schooling and coaching board system have entry to procurement help of their ETB. It acknowledged that some voluntary secondary and neighborhood and complete colleges might have had restricted expertise in public procurement the place the quantities concerned had been over a sure threshold.
The division stated it had undertaken to offer further user-friendly assets and help to help these colleges in fulfilling these necessities following the Easter break.
Nevertheless, Mr Crone stated further administrative help was wanted because the success of the initiative nonetheless hinged on the flexibility of the varsity principal to navigate a procurement course of which “falls solely on them”.
He stated principals needed to see it up and operating in time for September, however “that is now trying unsure for a lot of colleges”.
“We at the moment are interesting to the Minister for Training, Norma Foley, to significantly think about offering skilled administrative help to post-primary colleges with a purpose to ease the rising admin pressures and supply the capability in our system for principals to prioritise their time for his or her college students,” he stated.