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Major €500 boost for thousands of Irish families as Leaving Cert students set to receive FREE school books
The free books scheme for the Junior Certificate saved most families €300 a year
LEAVING Cert students are to be given free school books — saving families around €500 a year — The Irish Sun can reveal.
The Government has decided to support the proposal by Education Minister Norma Foley for Budget 2025, which will take place on October 1.
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It’s expected to cost around €70m a year to implement.
The free book scheme is currently available to all primary schools and, since this year, the Junior Cert cycle.
However, paying private schools, which account for 30,000 pupils, are excluded.
A Government insider said: “Extending the free book scheme to the Leaving Certificate is a priority for the Coalition and the final bit of the jigsaw.
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Minister Foley has been pushing for it and all three parties in Government are supportive.
She said: "A Leaving Cert student has to pay around €500 for their books, which puts huge pressure on families — especially if they have one family member in fifth year and another in sixth year.
“Trying to find the money to pay for the books can be very difficult for parents.”
Minister Foley recently stated: “I hope that all school children will one day receive free textbooks.
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“I think we’ve made transformative progress, beginning with the primary schools.
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“We’ve now moved on to the junior cycle and, certainly, it would be my hope and expectation we can achieve it at the final leg of the senior cycle, as well.”
FREE BOOKS SCHEME FOR JUNIOR CERT
Free books for the Junior Cert came in last September.
The plan is to come into force for the Leaving Cert cycle from next September 2025.
Most secondary schools have a transition year followed by the traditional two-year course for the Leaving Cert in fifth and sixth year.
The free books scheme for the Junior Certificate saved most families €300 a year.
The Government source added: “We want to do as much as we can to help working families.”
A total of 136,000 students sat their Leaving Cert exams in Ireland last June.
One parent whose son begins studying in fifth year for his Leaving Cert this September said the bill for his books was €505.
He said: “It is a lot of cash to fork out, so free textbooks for the Leaving Cert is a great idea and will make a massive difference to families.”
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