New leaf: Dublin school replaces books with iPads

FIRST year students at a Dublin school are to swap their heavy schoolbags for lightweight iPads.

Each first-year pupil at St Kevin's College in Crumlin will pay €150 for the iPad, which will contain all their text books. They will keep the computer for the year and do all their schoolwork on it.

The principal of the college, Blake Hodkinson, said the iPads "will bring alive the education the students receive".

He said the school aimed to get rid of schoolbooks entirely within the next five years.

"I think this is the perfect solution to the cost of schoolbooks. It brings down the cost of schoolbooks by 40pc and works out cost neutral to the school. And parents at the end of it will have children who are more employable with great IT skills


- Independent.ie reporters