Hildegarde Naughton: No Requirement for Personal Devices

Go raibh maith agat, Cathaoirleach, I welcome the opportunity to respond to this motion. I recognise and share the genuine concern felt by many families at the beginning of the new school year which can bring real and often significant financial pressure. I've listened to parents who've described the financial pressures they face when a number of education related costs can arise all at the same time and that is why this government has made affordability a central focus of education policy. The concerns reflected in this motion are ones which I have heard directly from parents and it is important that we continue to help families meet these costs in a practical, evidence-based and sustainable way. While digital technology can greatly enhance teaching and learning, I believe that no family should be placed under financial strain because of an expectation that they purchase a device. As our schools continue to embrace the opportunities of digital learning, we must ensure that access to technology remains fair and inclusive for all families. I'm very conscious that parents can feel under pressure when some schools seek the use of digital devices for learning and that is why on the 25th of May this year I wrote directly to all schools and made it very clear that there is no requirement for students to have their own personal device for school. I encouraged schools to consider how existing ICT supports and funding can be used to meet students' needs before any expectation is placed on parents to purchase devices and I also asked schools to carefully consider the financial impact of any digital device arrangements on families. In particular, I asked schools to engage with all parents and not just their parents' associations before making a decision around the use of digital devices. I also asked schools to ensure that no student is disadvantaged because of their circumstances. While digital technologies can support teaching and learning and assessment, the way in which they are used should be guided by the educational needs of each individual school. That is reflected in the requirement for every school to have a digital learning plan which requires schools to set out a clear vision for digital learning. We know from the research commissioned by my department and published by the OECD in 2025 that access to digital technologies alone does not guarantee improved learning outcomes. Rather, their effective use depends on deliberate, pedagogically informed decisions about how and when technology is used to support specific learning objectives. This really emphasises the importance of schools taking a planned and evidence-based approach to the use of digital technologies. To support this, last May my department issued guidance to schools on the use of digital devices and the cost considerations for students and parents. The guidance asked schools to place affordability, equity and value for money at the centre of their decision-making and, before introducing any expectation that families purchase devices, to consider whether students' needs can be met through shared devices or school-managed loan schemes funded through existing ICT supports. I am aware that deputies have called for further measures. I share the fundamental objective behind those calls, and I strongly believe that no child should be placed at a disadvantage in their education because they do not have access to a digital device. At the same time, we must recognise the way our school system operates. Under the Education Act 1998, schools and boards of management have responsibility for decisions at local level while operating within national policy. That balance is important. It allows schools to respond to their own circumstances, their own students and their own educational priorities. But it also means that decisions about digital devices should be grounded in pedagogy, informed by engagement with parents and students, and mindful of affordability for families. That is why the Government has taken a balanced approach, clear guidance, significant investment in school ICT infrastructure and flexibility for schools to respond to the needs of their own communities. My objective is straightforward. Every student should have access to the benefits of digital learning, regardless of their family's financial circumstances. Technology should support better educational outcomes and greater opportunities for learners, while remaining accessible, affordable and inclusive for all. While digital devices are a particular growing concern, I fully recognise that the cost pressures on families goes much wider. Deputies have also raised issues relating to school uniforms, transport fees, voluntary contributions, capitation funding and the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance. I will turn first to school uniforms, because this is an area where practical measures can make a meaningful difference for families. School uniform policy has traditionally been a matter for each school's board of management, reflecting local needs and traditions. However, Circular 32 2017 makes clear that schools should take practical steps to reduce costs for families, including using generic items where possible, avoiding unnecessary exclusive supplier arrangements, using sew-on or iron-on crests and consulting with parents. We recognise that more can be done. That is why a working group, including the National Parents Council and education partners, is reviewing the Circular to strengthen and update the guidance. We are also commencing work to promote uniform swap shops across primary schools, helping families save money while supporting sustainability. Since September 2025, all students in the free education system, almost 1 million children and young people, have benefited from free school books and core classroom resources. This represents an investment of €160 million and the full delivery of the Programme for Government commitment to provide free school books for every child. We are also maintaining our commitment to affordable, accessible transport. The school transport scheme, which Bus Éireann operates on behalf of my department, has expanded significantly in recent years. Since 2018, the number of children and young people using the service has grown from 117,800 pupils in 2018 to over 180,000 pupils in 2025, which equates to an increase of close to 54%. I think it is worth highlighting that for the coming school year, a primary school ticket will cost €0.55 per school day, a post-primary ticket will cost approximately €0.60 per school day and the maximum daily cost to a family will be no more than €1.32, regardless of the number of children per family who use the service. To help cover the cost of clothing, as of this month, the Department of Social Protection issued back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance payments totalling €47.8 million to over 123,000 families in respect of over 229,000 children. The scheme has been extended this year to include children aged 2 and 3 and now covers eligible children between the ages of 2 and 17 and 18 and 22 if returning to second-level education. A central tenet of our education policy is that schools need to always engage openly with parents and students, to listen as well as to inform them. That is the principle at the heart of the Education Student and Parent Charter Bill, which is progressing through the Oireachtas and is expected to go to committee stage before the end of this year. When enacted, this legislation will require every school to consult with parents and students on key policies and activities. It will set clear expectations for communication, transparency and respect between schools, parents and students. We have also taken major steps to support schools with their running costs. In Budget 2026, my Department secured €39 million to increase capitation funding, giving schools greater flexibility to cover running costs. This includes an increase of €50 per pupil in primary schools, €20 per student in post-primary schools and additional support for GES and special schools. Over the past three Budgets, capitation funding has increased by nearly 50% at primary school level and 28.5% at post-primary level, a very substantial uplift. I want to again thank all the deputies for bringing this motion forward. The concerns today that were raised are real. They reflect the pressures that many families experience at the start of the school year, and they are concerns that I also share. The Government's approach is practical and focused on easing pressure for families. The Government is supporting families through free school books, the expansion of hot school meals, increased capitation funding, continued investment in school transport, the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance, the strengthened guidance on school uniforms and digital devices. School costs should never stand in the way of a child taking part fully in school life. No family should feel that their child is at a disadvantage because of the cost of uniforms, transport, digital devices or other school-related expenses. That is why we will continue to work with schools, parents, students and education partners to reduce costs, to support inclusion and to ensure that every child can participate fully and confidently in education.