Laois parents to save money on new free schoolbook scheme

Parents and guardians of students enrolled in Junior Cycle years across Laois will not be asked to buy or rent any schoolbooks, according to local Fianna Fianna Fáil Minister of State, Sean Fleming, who says it is a ground breaking move.

The Laois Offaly TD welcomed details announceed by the Minister for Education Norma Foley who expects more than 212,000 students enrolled in approximately 670 post-primary schools nationwide to benefit from this scheme.

Minister Fleming said the measure should ease pressure on families.

"Fianna Fáil understands that the transition from primary to post-primary can put an increased financial burden on families. I'm delighted to welcome details of this funding package of over €68 million for the introduction of a landmark new scheme which will provide, at a minimum, free schoolbooks, and core classroom resources for all students in Junior Cycle years in post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme for the 2024/25 school year.

"This scheme will ensure that parents and guardians of students enrolled in Junior Cycle years across Laois will not be asked to buy or rent any schoolbooks. Special schools in which children and young people with special educational needs are enrolled in Junior Cycle programmes will also receive the Junior Cycle rate in respect of these students in 2024/25.

"This ground-breaking, permanent measure is further evidence of Fianna Fail’s commitment to supporting access to education for all by enhancing the educational experience, not just in the classroom but reaching out into the family home and easing the financial burdens facing families during back-to-school time,'' said the TD.

The Department of Education says new scheme means that:

• Schoolbooks, and core classroom resources such as journals, copybooks, dictionaries and calculators will be provided for all students in Junior Cycle years in post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme. There is no need parents or guardians to buy or rent these items
• Schools will be provided with sufficient funding to cover the costs of providing these items
• Schoolbooks are the property of the school and must be returned at the end of the school year or the Junior Cycle
• Schools will be provided with additional administration support in the form of an Administration Support Grant

To support the administration of this scheme, the Department said it is allocating an Administration Support Grant to post-primary schools for the 2024/25 school year, based on the size of the school, to assist with any additional work required in order to implement the scheme. Schools may use this grant to employ an individual to carry out administrative work on the scheme or use the money towards other administrative costs associated with implementing the scheme.

The Department is issuing guidance for post-primary schools and any post-primary schools with queries about the scheme can contact the Department directly.

The Department has published guidance for schools and information for parents on how the new scheme will operate here