Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 October 2018
220. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to inaccuracies in certain textbooks being used for the junior certificate history syllabus; and the person or body responsible for same. [42064/18]
View answerApart from a small number of prescribed texts at post-primary, determined by the NCCA, the decisions on which textbooks to use in primary and post-primary schools are taken at school level. My Department does not generally approve, commission, sponsor or endorse educational textbooks.
Textbooks are commissioned and published by educational publishers, and schools select their books from those available from a number of publishers. The Irish Educational Publishers Association meet with the NCCA in order to discuss the content of the curriculum and to be made aware of any requirements in the curriculum.
The only requirement from the Department, on any resource used in a school, is that it covers the curriculum. Ultimately, the decision on which text, if any, most appropriately covers the curriculum, rests within the school itself.
Any issues regarding the accuracy of texts should be raised with the school management and the publishers.
