Aisling Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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303. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the way in which homeschooled students are assessed for their junior and leaving certificate. [66914/25]

Aisling Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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304. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if schools are obliged to accept home educated students to sit the leaving certificate exams as external candidates; and if not, where these students can be accommodated. [66915/25]

Aisling Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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306. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if junior and leaving certificate assessments completed at home can be assessed by home school educators; and if it is necessary to have them assessed by a teacher in a school. [66917/25]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 303, 304 and 306 together.

The State Examination Commission (SEC) has statutory responsibility for the administration of the State certificate examinations. This includes setting out the requirements for the authentication of coursework components, in line with overall examinations and assessment policy.

In view of this, I have asked the SEC to respond directly to you with the information you have requested.

Aisling Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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305. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if home schooled students can avail of the free book scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66916/25]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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The Constitution acknowledges the family as the primary and natural educator of the child and sets out the rights and duties of the State in the matter of education. The Constitution makes explicit that the State does not oblige parents to send their children to any particular type of school. Parents are free to provide education in their homes, in private schools, or in schools recognised or established by the State.

In line with the provisions of Section 14(1) of the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000, Tusla’s Alternative Education Assessment and Registration Service (AEARS) is responsible for the regulation of the provision of education for children in places other than in a recognised school, including children who are homeschooled or who are enrolled in a non-recognised independent school. This is to ensure that such children receive a certain minimum education.

Parents who wish to educate their child in a place other than a recognised school, including in their home or in non-recognised independent school, are required to make an application to AEARS to have their child included on the Section 14 Statutory Register. The AEARS will then make an assessment of the educational provision to determine if the child is eligible to be placed on the register.

The funding provided under my department’s Primary and Post-Primary Schoolbooks Scheme is specifically to provide free schoolbooks and core classroom resources to all students enrolled in primary and post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme. Children who are homeschooled are outside the scope of the scheme.