Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 28 June 2023
78. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Education the steps she will take to seek a reduction in the cost of schoolbooks at both primary and secondary school level including e-books; her views on the similar prices being affixed to both versions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31559/23]
View answerAs Minister for Education I believe it is crucially important that children and young people are actively supported to access education in its fullest forms. This Government recognises that the cost of preparing children for school each September can be a cause of financial difficulty and worry for many Irish families.
I am keenly aware of the challenges faced by educators and parents, in relation to costs of digital devices including eBooks, and my Department continues to work to help support schools and families meet these costs. In 2017 a circular letter issued to schools with measures to be adopted to reduce the cost of school uniforms and other costs. This circular also instructed schools to consult with parents and their school community on the issue of ensuring costs are reasonable for parents, and how to avoid costs acting as a barrier. This circular specified that wherever possible, generic rather than branded items should be specified (e.g. uniform, clothing, IT tablets, sports equipment etc.). The issue of costs to parents will also be included in the Guidelines that will issue with the Education (Student and Parent Charter) Bill 2019.
Since June 2020, and over the past three Budgets, I have secured funding to support measures aimed at supporting schools and parents to reduce costs. One of the most important policies in this regard has been the establishment of Ireland’s first national primary school book scheme, which will provide free schoolbooks, workbooks and copybooks, in primary schools and special schools. More than 558,000 pupils enrolled in approximately 3,230 primary schools, including over 130 special schools, will benefit from this measure.
This free schoolbooks scheme will eliminate the cost to all families for schoolbooks at primary school, including workbooks and copybooks.
On the 26th April I announced the payment of the grant funding under the new scheme to schools, totalling over €53 million. This significantly increases the funding for school books currently provided to all recognised primary schools in the country.
The extension of the free school book scheme to students in recognised post-primary schools will be considered in the context of the available resources going forward. My Department currently provides a book grant of over €10.2 million to all recognised post primary schools within the Free Education Scheme in order to provide assistance for books, including book rental schemes (which can include ebooks), and all schools are encouraged to operate book rental schemes to help alleviate costs to parents.
The decision to use technology including e-books is a matter for the Board of Management of schools. Where the introduction of new technology is planned, consultation with members of the school community including parents is advised. The cost and other implications must be fully considered by the Boards of Management before a decision is made. Schools, in conjunction with parents and the wider school community, retain local autonomy for decisions on the use of digital technologies in the context of their digital learning planning, and how to embed their use to enhance teaching and learning. In making this decision each school should consider all the available information.
Many publishers issue eBooks free of charge with the purchase of their text books, but this is at the publisher’s discretion. The current policy within the Department of Education is not to endorse or promote any particular programme, product or publication to support the teaching of subjects. However, there are a number of exceptions where the department has procured textbooks or resources in order to fill a specific and urgent need. Apart from a small number of prescribed texts at post-primary, determined by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), the decisions on which textbooks, programmes and products to use in primary and post-primary schools are taken at school level.
In terms of the content, the Department of Education does not have a role in approving, commissioning, sponsoring or endorsing any content in any educational product. The Curriculum specification and prescribed syllabus material are determined by the NCCA and it is the responsibility of each individual school to select the resources that it will use to support its implementation of the curriculum.
The price of schoolbooks and associated items, including ebooks, cannot therefore, be determined by my Department and is a matter which is dictated by the commercial marketplace.
Scoilnet, the Department funded website, provides open access to the Irish education system to rich appropriate content including Encyclopaedia Britannica, Irish newspaper archives, and other curated sites.
