A Brief History: From Book Rental to Book-Free
For years, many schools relied on book rental schemes or asked parents to bear the full cost of educational materials. Recognising the pressure this placed on families, especially those with multiple children, the Department of Education introduced the Schoolbooks Scheme for Junior Cycle students in 2024. The success of this first phase led to its expansion in 2025/26 to cover Transition Year and Senior Cycle students.
This universal approach now supports nearly 400,000 students across the country, and with it comes the freedom for schools to think differently about how they support learners.
The Core Benefits for Schools and Students
- Equality of Access: All students receive the same learning materials, levelling the playing field.
- Financial Relief: Parents are no longer asked to purchase or contribute to schoolbooks or core learning tools.
- Bulk Purchasing Power: Schools can streamline procurement and reduce waste.
- Curriculum Flexibility: Schools can choose resources that best align with their teaching goals.
- Long-Term Planning: Books remain school property and can be reused, saving future costs.
But the scheme doesn’t stop at traditional print resources.
The Vision Behind the Scheme
The Department has made it clear: this is about more than books.
The Schoolbooks Scheme is about removing cost barriers, yes, but also about enhancing learning environments. As digital technology continues to transform education, the scheme opens new doors to support digital literacy and real-world skills development, provided funding is used in line with the scheme’s priorities.
Can the Scheme Be Used for Digital Resources? Absolutely.
Once a school has met all the required needs for books and core resources, any surplus funding may be used for:
- Ebooks and digital subscriptions
- Online learning platforms
- Teacher-generated digital content
- Educational apps
- Digital skills certification programmes
While the scheme does not allow funding for purchasing devices like laptops (except in very specific teacher-content-led schools), it does support digital tools that directly aid teaching and learning—and that would otherwise be a cost to families.
As confirmed in Section 4.6 of the scheme’s official guidance, schools can apply grant funding to purchase or subscribe to educational platforms that form part of the curriculum or learning plan.
ICDL: The Perfect Fit for the Post-Primary Schoolbooks Scheme
ICDL is a globally recognised digital skills certification programme. It provides students with foundational to advanced knowledge in:
- Digital Productivity
- Online Collaboration
- Cyber Safety
- Data Literacy
- Digital Creativity
Why is ICDL the ideal use of this scheme?
✅ Curriculum-Aligned: Supports subjects like Digital Media Literacy, Computer Studies, and TY Programmes
✅ Future-Proof: Equips students with real-world digital skills demanded in higher education and the workplace
✅ Fair Access: Removes financial barriers that might otherwise exclude students from digital certification
✅ School-Ready: ICDL integrates easily into class timetables or extracurricular digital programmes
When the Department encourages use of the scheme for “resources that would otherwise have been paid by parents,” ICDL ticks every box.
Ready to Future-Proof Your Students? Let’s Talk.
We believe that every school in Ireland should be empowered to deliver world-class digital education, without putting the financial burden on families.
If you’d like to explore how ICDL can be embedded in your curriculum using the Post-Primary Schoolbooks Scheme, we’re here to guide you.
Reach out to our team today to learn more, access planning support, and join the growing number of Irish post-primary schools using ICDL to give their students the skills they need to thrive.
