A Cavan Monaghan TD says that families must not bear the cost of iPad schools.
Sinn Fein TD Cathy Bennett is calling on the Minister for Education to intervene and ensure that that hard-pressed school families aren't unduly burdened with the cost of new mandatory devices in so-called iPad schools'.
Her comments came as more and more schools are increasingly making requirements of parents at what Bennett described as 'an incredibly significant cost'.
Deputy Bennett said: "While government laud free school books any potential benefit to many parents finances are being obliterated as more and more schools make digital devices such as tablets or laptops compulsory.
Speaking to Northern Sound she outlined the pressure extra cost puts on parents: "While government laud free school books any potential benefit to many parents finances are being obliterated as more and more schools make digital devices such as tablets or laptops compulsory.
"That the minister believes this is a matter exclusively in the hands of individual schools beggars' belief. Many parents simply cannot afford to buy such devices for their children and the minister cannot simply wash his hands of the matter. The existing ICT grant scheme funds infrastructure and does absolutely nothing to directly help parents where a school introduces such a mandate.
"Sinn Féin have repeatedly called for targeted measures to tackle back-to-school costs, including the expansion of the free school books scheme - but the ministers failure to acknowledge this issue is a failure on his part to recognise, let alone address, a digital divide that is expanding, and leaving lower income families stranded on his watch."
