Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

It is the responsibility of each individual school to select the resources, if any, that it will use to support its implementation of the curriculum. The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) and my Department do not endorse or recommend particular materials. This includes text books, and it is a matter for each school to consider all relevant issues, including discussing licence requirements for e-Books with the educational publishers.

The decision to use technology including e-Books is a matter for the Board of Management of a school. 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.

The Professional Development Service for Teachers Technology in Education (PDST-TIE) offers advice to schools on digital technologies covering areas such as what tablets can offer a school, educational and purchasing considerations, and software.

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 measure to schools, totalling over €53 million. This significantly increases the funding for school books currently provided to all recognised primary schools in the country. In addition, 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, 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 Digital Strategy for Schools to 2027 is underpinned by an overall investment of €200m, €50m of which has already issued directly to schools for ICT infrastructure. In addition, €50m in ICT grant funding was issued to schools in November 2021 as part of Ireland’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) to address the needs of their learners at risk of educational disadvantage through the digital divide. €210m in ICT grant funding issued under the Digital Strategy for Schools 2015-2020. ICT Grant funding can be used to provide for loan schemes for digital devices including software, according to student needs.