‘Free’ schoolbooks and free schoolbooks

What a telling framing around the issue of free schoolbooks for primary school children in The Irish Times. 

This on foot of a report that:

Primary schools are to receive almost €100 per pupil to buy schoolbooks and copybooks which they may purchase from any bookshop under guidance due to issue to schools later this week.

It follows a Government announcement in Budget 2023 of a package of free schoolbooks for more than 500,000 primary school pupils from September 2023 at a cost of about €54 million.

Informed sources say a funding package of €96 per student will be paid to schools to cover schoolbooks, workbooks and copybooks.

Schools will also be advised not to seek voluntary contributions from parents for any book-related expenses on foot of the grants.

This is, I suspect, what many of us will consider a good thing. This is the investment in primary school education that is so often called for (though the corollary of that can be a scepticism about third level access being as inexpensive as possible or free). 

But consider the headlines the piece had at various times yesterday morning. 

First thing it was:

Primary schools to get €96 per pupil for ‘free’ schoolbooks

By 11 am it had changed to:

Free schoolbooks: Primary schools to get €96 per child and not to ask for parental contribution