St Vincent's Christian Brothers School in Glasnevin, Dublin is an average Irish secondary school, owned and controlled by religious.
Although St Vincent's CBS is owned and controlled by religious, most of the teachers are lay. Opened in 1966, the full cost of the school building was paid for by the Christian Brothers.
It can be taken as a reasonable example of an Irish secondary school.
The Christian Brothers also claim that the cost of running the school is by no means covered by the State. The religious order spent over £200,000 building the school and received just £2,000 from the State towards laboratory equipment. That was 1965 but things have changed. Since 1967 a new grant system means that the State will now cover 70% of capital costs. But it is too late for St Vincent's. Since 1965 the State has contributed to the building of schools. However, there are still 301 schools who have never received any support from the State for their buildings.
The Brothers built the school and now they have to run it
With 500 pupils and 23 teachers the annual running cost is £52,500, to which the State contributes £47,500. Added to this the cost of repaying their debt, the annual deficit is £27,500 annually.
The Department of Education hands over £19 million for running costs of schools each year, but has no information about how that money is actually spent. Dublin secondary schools are now preparing audited accounts which they plan to present to the department and when they do,
We'll know the full facts in the who pays what debate.
This episode of 'Seven Days' was broadcast on 26 February 1971.
