Children will be allocated nearly €100 each under new free schoolbooks scheme

The Free School Books Scheme will be introduced this September.

The Free School Books Scheme will be introduced in schools across Ireland in September, the Department of Education has confirmed. The scheme will be a welcome relief for parents as they struggle to make ends meet due to the ongoing cost of living crisis. The scheme has been introduced to help parents and guardians with increasing back-to-school costs. Nearly €100 will be allocated for each child in primary school.

Over half a million pupils will benefit from the scheme.

558,000 children are set to benefit from the school during the next school year. According to the Department of Education, over half a million pupils will be given around €96 worth of books and copies, as well as workbooks. The initiative will only be available in primary and special schools at first, but Foley hopes to extend it to secondary schools in the future. The Department of Education stated: "The Free Primary Schoolbooks Scheme in primary schools will remove the cost from families of funding schoolbooks for children and young people enrolled in recognised primary schools and special schools. "Parents will no longer be required to make any contribution towards the cost of schoolbooks. This also includes the cost of any workbooks and copybooks. "Where the funding allows, some related classroom resources may also be provided by schools under the new scheme. Schools will communicate with parents in relation to the scope of the scheme in their school." It is believed the free school book initiative is costing €50 million.

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