{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/67c5d757b48a8f157c1f9076/689b000fe6e5400d47a7d91e?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"Meath TD Calls for Minister to Establish Fund to Support Damilies With Costs as 1 in 4 Secondary Schools Move to Digital Devices - 12/08/2025","description":"<p>Sinn Féin spokesperson on Education and Youth, Darren O'Rourke TD, has called on the government to intervene and support families facing the cost of mandatory digital devices in so-called 'iPad schools', after new data reveals that almost 1 in 4 secondary schools require parents to purchase these devices.</p><p><br></p><p>The Department of Education confirmed to Deputy O'Rourke that from the 2024/25 school year, a new question was included in their School Data Collection Survey asking post-primary schools: “Are parents of children in your school asked to purchase or provide digital devices?. All schools responded, with 173 schools (36 DEIS and 137 non-DEIS) out of 722 answering ‘yes’ - meaning nearly a quarter of secondary schools are placing this financial burden on families.</p><p><br></p><p>Deputy O’Rourke spoke to us this morning on The Agenda about this. </p><p><br></p><p><br></p>","author_name":"lmfm "}