MORE than €1.8m in payments is being made to Donegal primary and special schools this week to provide free books.
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine and Donegal TD, Charlie McConalogue confirmed the landmark funding package yesterday.
The package, secured in Budget 2023, will see free schoolbooks provided in all primary schools and special schools, in a permanent measure designed to ease some of the financial burden facing families with back-to-school costs.
Grant payments are being made to schools this week to provide free schoolbooks to pupils within the free education scheme from September 2023. It will eliminate the cost to families for all schoolbooks, workbooks and copybooks at primary school, including special schools.
Minister McConalogue said it is crucial that every child in Donegal has access to education.
“Grant payments being made this week as part of this ground-breaking new scheme will mean that parents or guardians will no longer need to buy or rent schoolbooks, workbooks or copybooks for their children. Schools will now have the funding required to cover the costs of providing these items ahead of the start of the new school year, helping to ensure that every child has the same opportunity to access and reap the benefits of education.”
Guidance for schools and information for parents on how the new free schoolbooks scheme will operate has been published by the Department of Education online at gov.ie
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