There are two separate funding arrangements operated by the Department of Education and Skills for the number of teachers it will pay for based on a ratio to the number of pupils in a secondary school . These are currently 1 teacher for 18.7 pupils ( 19.1 pre 2016 ) in the Free sector and 1 teacher for 23 pupils in a Private fee charging school . In 1967 when free secondary education was introduced the Minister for Education Donogh O ’ Malley agreed to include Protestant and Minority religion schools which charged fees in the Free sector recognising the dispersed nature of these religious communities and the commonality of boarding as a feature of these schools . Provision of funds for capital grants for the Free sector is also higher than the Private fee charging sector . In 2008 Batt O ’ Keefe changed the
treatment of minority religion schools which charged fees to the private sector resulting in lower ongoing state funding for these schools .
Compass policy is to restore our schools to the Free sector and on a broader level to have all secondary schools included in the Free sector on the basis that the state should fund all of the nation ’ s children equally and if parents choose to send their children to a fee paying school it should be their choice without prejudice .