Earlier this year, I announced a landmark new scheme which saw the government investing over €50 million in providing free schoolbooks, workbooks and copybooks for pupils.
More than 558,000 pupils enrolled in approximately 3,230 primary schools, including over 130 special schools, will benefit from the new scheme this year.
The Department currently provides a book grant to all recognised post-primary schools within the Free Education Scheme in order to provide assistance for books, including Book Rental Schemes. Schools participating in the Department’s DEIS Programme receive an enhanced rate of book grant. My Department provided funding of €10.2 million in 2022 to these schools
Book grant funding is provided to schools annually for a full academic year and is based on the most recent year’s validated enrolment figures.
Based on the figures provided by the Deputy, the cost to provide a free schoolbook scheme to students entering the Junior Certificate cycle and the Leaving Certificate cycle in public post primary schools is estimated as follows:
Junior Certificate Cycle
Number of pupils is based on validated enrolment figures for 2022/23 for students in public post primary schools Junior Certificate cycle (69,894) increased by the projected increase in post primary enrolments from 2022/23 to 2023/24 as published in my Department's projections of full time enrolments for 2021 to 2036. As these projections are overall/total projections a percentage increase is applied in proportion to the overall increase in projected enrolments. That is total validated enrolments for post primary students in public schools in 2022/23 is 379,200. Projected enrolments for 2023/24 increases by 7319 which is a 1.9% increase. 1.9% increase on 69,894 equates to 71,222.
€192 x 71,222 pupils = €13,674,624
€200 x 71,222 pupils = €14,244,400
€220 x 71,222 pupils = €15,688,840
Senior Certificate Cycle
Number of pupils is based on validated enrolment figures for 2022/23 for students in public post primary schools Senior Certificate cycle (61,876) increased by the projected increase in post primary enrolments from 2022/23 to 2023/24 as published in my Department's projections of full time enrolments for 2021 to 2036. As these projections are overall/total projections a percentage increase is applied in proportion to the overall increase in projected enrolments. That is total validated enrolments for post primary students in public schools in 2022/23 is 379,200. Projected enrolments for 2023/24 increases by 7319 which is a 1.9% increase. 1.9% increase on 61,876 equates to 63,052.
€192 x 63,052 pupils = €12,105,984
€200 x 63,052 pupils = €12,610,400
€220 x 63,052 pupils = €13,871,440
The extension of the free schoolbook scheme to post primary schools will be considered in the context of available resources as part of budget negotiations.
