Mark Wall on €540 Chromebooks and the Cost to Families
Mark Wall raises parental concerns after a school told fifth-year students they must buy Chromebooks costing €540 ahead of September, warning this undermines gains from free schoolbooks and adds to family costs. He asks the Tánaiste to confirm ministerial action after the Minister for Education wrote to schools and the CCPC warned on school costs.
What Mark Wall raised
Mark Wall read emails from parents reporting that a school has told pupils entering fifth year they will require a Chromebook at a cost of €540. He highlighted a family whose benefit from free schoolbooks has been partly erased by the device cost.
Family financial impact
Deputy Wall emphasised that technology costs risk offsetting recent measures such as free schoolbooks and hot school meals, increasing the financial burden on households. He noted schools saying they could not cover a potential €80,000 bill to buy devices for all students.
Official response and guidance
The Minister for Education has written to schools about Chromebook costs, and the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has reminded schools to avoid restrictive or costly uniform policies. The Tánaiste said she would raise the point directly with Minister Naughton
Next steps and implications
Wall called for clarity on whether Leaving Cert reform is being presented as a reason for mandatory devices; both he and the Tánaiste rejected any simple cause-and-effect. The exchange underlines tensions between curriculum changes, school budgets and efforts to reduce the cost of education for families.
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Go raibh maith agat lás, Ceann Comhairle. Tánaiste, I wanted to raise with you one of a number of emails that I've received in the last week or so and it basically goes on to describe the following. The school informed my son that he is now attending fifth year and the students will require a Chromebook when returning to September at a cost of €540. And the school have commented that this is the only practical way to manage coursework due to the changes in the leave and certainty course. And the school itself have said that they cannot afford a potential £80,000 expenditure to buy Chromebooks for every student in it. Now, the email goes on to say that this is the first year that their family will benefit from free schoolbooks, which is a fantastic initiative as we know, but this has been eroded now by the cost of €550. We had the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission writing to all schools today reminding them to avoid restrictive and costly uniform policies as well, Tánaiste. When we're serious about free education, we're eroding the good work that's been done by government and the department by what's happening on the ground. And can you comment on that, Tánaiste? I have received a PQ back from the Minister for Education saying that she has written to all schools about the cost of Chromebooks and that is not related to leave and certainty. Maybe you might confirm something similar. Thanks very much, Deputy Wall and thanks for engaging with the Minister for Education on this. I mean, you're right, the general direction travel that all of us in this House want to see is reducing the cost that families face in terms of their children attending school. And that's why we've had the hot school meals, that's why we have the free schoolbooks, it's why we are genuinely trying to work with the CCPC and others in terms of uniform costs as well. And it would be extraordinarily disappointing and counterintuitive if we saw the cost of technology then actually eroding some of that benefit to families as well. I'd share the Minister's view that there shouldn't be a cause and effect between leaving cert reform and the need for that technology. But on footer you're raising this, I'll speak to Minister Nocton directly also.
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