One in every ten post-primary student is enrolled full time in a fee-paying secondary school or in a grind school, according to new research.
Figures published by the Irish Independenttoday also show the number of students in fee-paying schoools has risen by 22 per cent over the past 15 years.
The research found parents are spending over €110 million a year to send their children to fee-paying schools.
The "Celtic Tiger" and the pressures of the CAO points scheme were cited as reasons for the change in Irish education.