ETB hopes to see student grant extended further

Grant funding for the 2024/25 school year will be set at a rate of €309 for Junior Cycle students, covering the cost of all schoolbooks and classroom resources. The update was welcomed by Cavan-Monaghan ETB board members, who hope to see it also extended to Senior Cycle students.

“We’re awaiting final confirmation,” ETB Director of Schools, Paddy Flood, told a board meeting in Monaghan last week.

The scheme, which will add over €1M to ETB coffers, will provide schoolbooks for all students in Junior Cycle years in recognised post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme, and eliminate the cost of schoolbooks for parents and guardians of children enrolled in first three years.

With close to 3,500 junior cycle students attending ETB schools across the two counties, the extension of the grant “would create more work” for schools, Mr Flood admitted.

The grant will not cover the cost of personal insurance, school trips, or Transition Year.

Even still, he said the larger grant stands to benefit the most “disadvantaged” families in the community.

Mr Flood said ETB Ireland, the body which represents ETB bodies nationally, is already formulating a proposal for the grant to include Senior Cycle students as well.

The change to the grant aid for Junior Cycle was welcomed by ETB board chair, Cllr P.J. O’Hanlon (FF).

Kingscourt’s Clifford Kelly stated it was a “step in the right direction”, adding that Minister Foley should be “encouraged” to raise the bar up as far as Leaving Certificate.

Teaching rep, Micheál Martin, acknowledged that a lot is being done to better support families. He also mentioned the free meal schemes being rolled out. “It helps enormously.”

New subjects

Mr Flood meanwhile said that schools would have to decide whether to provide new subjects being introduced in schools from the 2025/26 school year.

Two new Senior Cycle subjects are Drama, Film and Theatre Studies, and Climate Action and Sustainable Development.

Mr Flood said ETB schools in Cavan-Monaghan already provides a comprehensive level of subjects. While “students drive” the provision of education, he intimated that schools should only accept taking on a new subject if they feel the interest is there and it would be “sustainable” long term.

Senior cycle reform

The ambitious programme for Senior Cycle Reform “will put strain” on the use of practical class accommodation at local ETB schools, said Mr Flood. From 2025, new subject specifications will incorporate external assessments that are not a traditional written examination.

Schools rep Joe McGrath said he was unsure whether schools are fully prepared to embrace the need to provide more practical learning. “We’re in no way ready,” he suggested. “It’s a good idea, and sounds logical, but the systems are not in place.”

Mr Flood made the point that it is important, whatever changes are made, that students are not being subjected to a greater workload than they already are.