On the day that 60,000 children began school for the first time, the Irish National Teachers' Organisation published a booklet aimed at their parents entitled Your Child in the Primary School: Tips for Parents. It covers areas such as preparation for learning, making life manageable for the junior infant, adapting to the school day, health and hygiene, including providing healthy lunches, bullying and homework.
Launching the booklet, INTO president Mr Tony Bates said it was "a disgrace" that Irish primary schools continued to be the most underfunded and ill-equipped in Europe.