Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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230. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to schools here in which pupils were requested to buy tablet devices (details supplied) for their studies. [32700/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I am aware that many schools choose to use tablets for teaching and learning.  Under Section 15 of the Education Act 1998, the Board of Management is the body charged with the direct governance of a school. The position is that the day to day running of a school is a matter for its Board of Management.

It is a matter for each individual school to determine the curriculum to be taught and the strategies to be employed to support teaching and learning in their school. The decision to use tablet devices is a matter for the Board of Management of each school. Where the introduction of new technology is planned, there should be consultation with members of the school community including parents. The cost and other implications should be fully considered by the Boards of Managements before a decision is made. My Department recently communicated with schools on measures to be adapted to reduce costs to parents and requested that schools annually review the cost of items they require parents to purchase and make this information available to the school community. It is my intention, as resources permit, to reward schools that can provide evidence of having adopted the Principles of cost-effective practice.

As part of the Digital Strategy for Schools 2015-2020, my Department provides advice on ICT equipment and digital learning tools that are best-suited to support learning and teaching in schools. An advice sheet on the adoption of tablets in schools is available on the PDST-Technology in Education (PDST-TIE) website, detailing what tablets can offer a school, educational considerations, purchasing considerations and software.  Further information and the advice sheet on tablet devices can be found at

€210m will be allocated over the period of the Strategy, with the first tranche of €30m already distributed to schools in respect of the 2016-2017 school year. I recently published the Digital Strategy Action Plan for 2017, detailing objectives that will be progressed during the year.

There is a School Books Grant Scheme in place that provides assistance for books including ebooks for students in all recognised primary and post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme.