Free schoolbooks for Junior Cert students this September

Parents of students in Junior Cycle will not be asked to buy or rent any schoolbooks for the 2024/25 school year, Minister for Education Norma Foley has confirmed. 

More than 212,000 students enrolled in approximately 670 secondary schools will benefit from the new Free Education Scheme.  

Participating schools will see post-primary students in first, second and third year will be given free schoolbooks and core classroom resources such as journals, copybooks, dictionaries and calculators.

Schools will be provided with sufficient funding to cover the costs of providing these item and the free schoolbooks must be returned at the end of the school year or the Junior Cycle, as they are property of the school. 

Minister Foley said: "This ground-breaking, permanent measure will ease some of the financial burden facing families with back-to-school costs.

"The transition from primary to post-primary can put an increased financial burden on families and by providing our young people in Junior Cycle years with free school books and core classroom resources, we are enhancing their educational experience, not just in the classroom but reaching out into the family home."

The most recent investment of over €68m is a significant increase of the funding that is currently provided.