set up apple ID on ipad, never had a email yet

You will have to get an email address as an AppleID requires one. You can use a free gmail, hotmail, yahoo, AOL or any other free email service. Just sign up, get the email address, then create an AppleID using it.

While it is true that an iCloud email address is, by default, also an AppleID, you will need an email address when setting up the iPad initially to create the iCloud account. All Apple services, including iCloud, must be tied to an AppleID in order to create the account in the first place, and an AppleID must be a valid email address.

So without any email address to start with, there is no way to go forward with any Apple Service. You will need a valid email to setup an Apple device and initiate use of any Apple Service (iCloud, FaceTime, iMessage, the iTunes, App or iBook Stores, these forums, etc, etc). You cannot complete the process without first having a valid email address.

Apple ID - Official Apple Support

Create and start using an Apple ID - Apple Support

If they have never had an email before I would personally recommend getting a free google gmail account. It’s stable (Google’s not going to disappear and cut off your email anytime). And gmail has amongst the best spam filtering of any of the free email offerings.

They don’t have to use it for email either, just as the identifier for their AppleID.