The Minister for Education has called on school principals to ease the financial burden on parents after some schools demanded that students purchase tablets and digital devices.
Hildegarde Naughton intervened after parents raised concerns and has since written directly to school principals, reports RTE.
In the letter, the minister stated that there is no requirement for students to have their own laptop or device for the Junior Cycle or the Senior Cycle.
Ms Naughton highlighted research commissioned by her department, which showed that access to digital technologies alone does not guarantee improved educational outcomes, reports RTE.
“I appreciate that decisions on the use of digital devices rest with the Board of Management of each school. I am conscious, however, that a growing number of schools have introduced, or are considering introducing, arrangements that involve a requirement that students use digital devices, in some cases through school‑facilitated purchasing arrangements with third‑party providers,” she wrote.
She added that some parents are being asked to spend considerable amounts of money on devices, and that in some cases families have been directed toward commercial credit arrangements to meet these costs.
“Such arrangements place a significant financial burden on families, some of whom cannot afford to meet the cost of purchasing devices,” Ms Naughton said, reports RTE.
The letter also advises schools to engage with parents before any decisions are made and to consider the views of those who may not be on a parents’ association, reports RTE.
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