28. Book Rental Schemes

Last updated: Tue, Sep 20th, 2016 9:11:19 pm

28.1          The Minister for Education and Skills launched new “Guidelines for Developing Textbook Rental Schemes in Schools” in January 2013. The Guidelines provide practical advice to schools on how rental schemes can be established and operated.

Schools that operate book rental schemes can save parents up to 80% of the cost of buying new books. A special “Guide for Parents” was also published to inform them of how the schemes operate and how parents can help schools to establish and run them.

The Guidelines are available at – http://www.education.ie/en/Schools-Colleges/information/Textbook-Rental-Schemes-in-Schools/Guidelines-for-Developing-Textbook-Rental-Schemes-in-Schools.pdf

The Guidelines for parents are available at – http://www.education.ie/en/Schools-Colleges/Information/Textbook-Rental-Schemes-in-Schools/A-Guide-for-Parents-Textbook-Rental-Schemes-in-Schools.pdf

28.2          Where such schemes are established they operate on a self-financing basis with costs met by rental income.

28.3          In the case of pupils the amount of the appropriate rent may be paid in full or in part on their behalf into the book rental scheme from the schools allocation under the book grant scheme (see Section 27).

28.4          Documented procedures should be drawn up regarding the operation of the school’s Book Rental Scheme to ensure that a reconciliation of income and expenditure including the management, reporting and monitoring of the scheme takes place.

28.5          Separate records of receipts and payments for each scheme should be maintained.