Just three full-time, boarding-only schools remain in Ireland - Cistercian College in Tipperary, Clongowes Wood College in Kildare and Glenstal Abbey in Limerick. These schools cater for boys only.
In general, pupil enrolment at boarding schools has decreased so dramatically in the past decade that some schools have been forced to close. Others have adapted their policy and now accept both boarders and day pupils, while many have phased out boarders altogether, particularly in the past five years.
The cost, the availability of good, accessible education locally and a shift in how society values family life have all contributed to the fall-off in boarding school numbers.
"The choice of schools nowadays is very good and, more importantly, transport for children to get to and from school has made the difference. But really, I think most people now favour the idea of having their children at home," says Paul Meany, of the Joint Managerial Body (JMB), which represents two-thirds of all post-primary schools.
John White, general secretary of the second-level teachers' union, Asti, echoes this view: "There has been a societal change in how we view adolescents. There is much more interaction between parents and their children nowadays. There was a time when fathers had not much to do with their children, but that time has passed."
A survey carried out last year by the JMB found that 1 per cent of its members catered only for boarders. This compares with 8 per cent of boarding-only schools in 1994, when the JMB carried out the same survey. The survey also found that 8 per cent of their member schools cater for both day and boarding pupils, compared with 13 per cent in 1994.
From the 1950s until the 1970s, boarding schools were at the hub of the Irish schooling system but now many rural diocesan boarding schools have been forced to close, says White. The advent of free education in 1968 was a defining moment that marked the beginning of a steady decline of pupils opting for boarding school. "Until the introduction of free education, boarding schools were often a necessary choice more than a popular one. Free transport to schools was set up in line with free education; this made a huge difference too," explains Meany.
Dwindling numbers joining the religious orders is another aspect that influenced the closure of some boarding schools. When the manpower to maintain diocesan boarding schools didn't exist without hiring lay people, which did not always make economic sense, some schools faced serious financial problems.
The cost of attending boarding school varies greatly, tending to be significantly higher in urban areas. At the top of the scale, a year's board at St Columba's co-educational school in Dublin costs €16,980 for students from second to sixth year. The school provides a seven-day boarding service.
By contrast, boarding school fees for a year at Coláiste Sheosaimh in Galway are €2,900. However, this school caters for a five-day week and will have phased out boarders completely by 2008. Of the 30-plus boarding schools around the country, seven are based in Dublin and they all charge more than €10,000 a year.
The three remaining full-time, boarding-only schools - Cistercian College, Clongowes Wood College and Glenstal Abbey - charge €8,950, €12,650 and €11,850 respectively. Each reports that enrolment is thriving and points to their school's sporting facilities and academic record as advantages of the boarding option. "We offer our boys an anchor of stability," says Dan Smyth, president of Cistercian College. "They come in as children and leave as men. In a modern society that's very complicated, the community influence here gives great constancy."
While many boarding schools run by Catholic religious orders have faced bleak times in recent years, the same cannot be said of such Protestant-run schools. In the past decade, the number of pupils attending Protestant-run boarding schools has been maintained, according to Rev John McCullagh, secretary of the board of education with the Church of Ireland.
"Thirteen counties in Ireland do not have Protestant schools. So in the past, out of necessity, many parents sent their children away to a school that reflected the family's ethos," he explains. None of the Protestant-run schools caters only for boarders and Protestant families from "measurable economic disadvantage" are entitled to a grant towards their children's education. This grant scheme was introduced in line with the free education system in 1968.
Boarding school culture has evolved. In the past, many boarders were permitted to go home only once a month or during the holidays. Nowadays, the majority of boarding schools either offer a five-day service or are fairly flexible if pupils wish to go home every weekend. Sporting and leisure facilities have been brought up to date.
"Our boarders can take part in hip-hop dancing classes, aerobics and activities such as bowling," says Marion Healy, principal of the all-girls' boarding school Alexandra College in Dublin. "We try to create a home away from home." Alexandra College, along with most other boarding schools, offers a scholarship programme.
For parents, making the decision to send a child away to school can be difficult. But it is one that Mary Timmins has no regrets about. Her two sons, Mark and Carl, attended Glenstal Abbey in Limerick where Carl is currently studying for his Leaving Cert. Schooling away from home gave her two boys independence, academic focus and an outlet to fully express their passion for sport, she says.
While parents may no longer send children away to school in their droves, one education expert believes there will always be a market, however small, for boarding schools. "There are still plenty of circumstances where parents want to send their children to a boarding environment," says Rev McCullagh. "That option will never disappear."
