Main colleges and particular colleges will obtain funding this week to pay for schoolbooks for all pupils subsequent yr.
Minister for Training Norma Foley and Minister of State for Particular Training and Inclusion Josepha Madigan have confirmed over €53 million for the scheme.
It quantities to €96 per youngster.
The measure is designed to ease a number of the monetary burden dealing with households with back-to-school prices and brings Eire into line with different developed international locations.
The scheme will profit greater than 558,000 pupils nationally in roughly 3,230 main colleges, together with greater than 130 particular colleges.
Minister Foley mentioned: “Whereas it’s crucial that each youngster in Eire has the sources required to entry schooling, the Authorities recognises that back-to-school prices could be a supply of monetary issue for a lot of households yearly.”
“Grant funds being made this week as a part of this groundbreaking new scheme will imply that oldsters or guardians will now not want to purchase or lease schoolbooks, workbooks or copybooks for his or her youngsters,” she acknowledged.
“Faculties will now have the funding required to cowl the prices of offering this stuff forward of the beginning of the brand new college yr, serving to to make sure that each youngster has the identical alternative to entry and reap the advantages of schooling,” she added.
Minister Madigan mentioned: “By offering youngsters with free schoolbooks, we’re enhancing their instructional expertise not simply within the classroom, however of their households and communities additionally. That is notably true for our pupils in particular colleges and lessons throughout the nation.”
