Department of Education responds to principals' concern over free school book scheme

The Department of Education has released a statement in response to secondary school principals who have voiced their concerns over the rollout of a new free school book scheme this coming September.

Issues which have caused concern include that of the workload of paperwork involved in order to implement the scheme, as well as the financial side of it and the expertise required to process it.

Describing the scheme as a "landmark initiative", the Department of Education said it is "committed to providing additional guidance and support to schools to aid them with procurement and its roll-out for the 2024/25 school year".

"The Department recognises that this scheme is in its first year, and that, when implementing any new initiative of this size, challenges may be experienced," it says in a newly released statement. 

"The Department has committed to providing additional guidance and support to schools to aid them in fulfilling their obligations under procurement legislation, and greatly appreciates the continued commitment of school communities and management bodies to overcoming any challenges and to deliver this valuable scheme in time for the start of the new school year."

The new Junior Cycle School books Scheme, introduced for the 2024/25 school year, will remove the cost from families of funding school books, including that of eBooks, and core classroom resources for all Junior Cycle students in post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme.

"This is a landmark moment in Irish education and will result in free schoolbooks for up to 213,000 students in over 670 recognised post-primary schools from this September," the Department says.

"It follows the hugely successful roll-out of the free school books scheme for all children and young people enrolled in primary and special schools this past year.

"Providing Junior Cycle students with schoolbooks will help to enhance their educational experience, not just in the classroom but at home and as they prepare for life after school. It will help to ensure that no student will be disadvantaged by a lack of ability to access essential learning resources, and help to ease some of the financial burden facing families," the statement reads.

The Junior Cycle Schoolbooks Scheme grant funding has now issued to 672 post-primary schools.

Concerns were initially raised by the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals (NAPD), which said that the process of applying and completing the paperwork associated with the new scheme as 'complex' and requires 'special expertise'.