Opinion: While free schoolbooks are a welcome support for families, they may be narrowing how children learn in the classroom
The recent announcement by the Minister for Education of a million free schoolbooks aims to ease the financial burden on parents facing back-to-school costs. But while this initiative is undoubtedly welcome, could it also unintentionally encourage an over-reliance on textbooks in the classroom—at the expense of more engaging, interactive learning?
What is the schoolbooks scheme?
Launched in 2023, the Department of Education's free schoolbooks scheme covers the cost of textbooks, workbooks and stationery for all primary schools. In 2024, it was extended to the Junior Cycle, with further expansion to the Senior Cycle from September 2025. The Department of Education recently confirmed that funding is now in place to cover 1,000,000 free textbooks.
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From RTÉ Archives, Kevin Healy reports for RTÉ News in 1979 on how students and parents face long queues for expensive books ahead of a new school year
For families, this is a relief, especially in households where books have long been a costly annual expense. But for educators, it raises an important question. Is this funding helping to broaden educational experiences, or is it reinforcing a narrow, textbook-focused model of teaching, especially with parents of children in school and the wider public?
Textbooks are familiar but limiting
Many of us remember the start-of-term excitement around new schoolbooks or, for those of us from larger families like mine, the hand-me-downs wrapped in brown paper. We also recall the endless textbook work that could be momentous and not tailored to our individual learning needs.
These shared memories point to how deeply ingrained textbooks are in Irish education. They have their place, particularly for guiding teachers or supporting learning in content-heavy subjects. But when textbooks become the main tool for teaching, the classroom experience can become rigid and uniform, leaving little room for creativity or differentiation.
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From RTÉ Radio 1's Liveline, parents call in about the cost of children returning to school
In post-primary settings, "teaching to the textbook" is a well-worn phrase. Preparing for high-stakes exams like the Leaving Certificate often results in one-size-fits-all teaching, which doesn’t suit the varied needs, interests, or learning needs of all students.
The primary curriculum and the rise of textbooks
Over the last 20 years, there’s been a rapid increase in the number of textbooks available for primary schools. This is not just in core subjects like Maths and History, but in areas like handwriting and wellbeing too. This trend raises concerns about whether we’re striking the right balance between traditional textbook use and more active, exploratory approaches to learning.
Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) offers an interesting case. At primary level, SPHE hasn’t been dominated by textbooks, giving teachers more freedom to adapt the subject to their local context. But this flexibility can also leave teachers unsure how to approach sensitive topics, particularly without access to high-quality, context-appropriate resources.
There's no doubt that free schoolbooks offer real relief to families, but what’s less visible are the educational trade-offs
Ireland’s new Primary Curriculum Framework promotes inclusive, evidence-based teaching that connects with children’s lives, interests and strengths. It champions playful, active and curiosity-driven learning, and encourages teachers to move away from narrow or overly prescriptive teaching methods.
But this vision needs support. Many schools are crying out for funding to enable more hands-on learning, whether that’s through play-based activities, field trips, project work or community engagement. While the new curriculum offers exciting possibilities, a funding focus on textbooks alone risks limiting the very flexibility it seeks to promote.
Rethinking what we fund
There’s no doubt that free schoolbooks offer real relief to families. But what’s less visible are the educational trade-offs. When funding prioritises textbooks, other vital teaching and learning supports often go under-resourced or ignored.
Children themselves know how they learn best—through games, exploration, creativity, and hands-on experiences. Findings from the Children’s School Lives study highlight that children thrive in learning environments that are playful, interactive, and connected to their lived experiences. If we’re serious about creating classrooms that are inclusive, engaging, and responsive to different learning needs, then we need to look beyond textbooks. They are part of the picture, but they shouldn’t be the whole story.
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The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ
