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Second Level
News and advice on the second-level education system.
Competitive parenting in China: ‘School starts at 7.30am and I pick him up at 9.30 in the evening. We usually arrive home around 10pm. Then he studies again’
Fierce competition for places at top secondary schools drives some parents to push their youngsters to succeed, believing they owe it to their children to give them the best start in life
Synge Street CBS board of management says it will ‘not proceed’ with move to Gaelcholáiste
Board says the change to planned move in 2026 is due to staff concerns
‘I had first-years with a WhatsApp group mainly used for porn sharing’: Why parents are delaying access to smartphones for their kids
Mounting concern over role of social media algorithms in pushing inappropriate content to young people
School meals to be made available during summer in bid to tackle ‘holiday hunger’
Many pupils taking part in summer programme will have access to ‘nutritious’ lunches
Protest at Dáil gates for Synge Street Gaelcholáiste
Students call on Minister for Education Helen McEntee to provide a timeline for promised Gaelcholáiste
‘The pressure is relentless’: parents voice support for phone ban in schools
€9m smartphone pouches at second level sparked criticism from Opposition parties who labelled it wasteful and unnecessary
Stigma persists that disadvantaged students ‘low-achieving’ or ‘non-academic’
Many poorer schools saddled with sub-standard classroom facilities, research finds
Big tech is bullying teachers into premature adoption of AI. We need to slow down
Most of the Irish debate concerns potential for cheating in the assessment components of new senior cycle. Why are widespread calls for a delay being ignored?
Irish-language exemptions: ‘It’s all firefighting and band-aids, instead of a sensible approach’
Critics say there is an urgent need to overhaul how we teach Irish following a century of failure
As a teacher it makes me so sad to hear young people say how much they dislike Irish
We need to ensure language lessons are active, engaging and fun instead of pure drudgery
What Ireland can learn from Finnish schools in tackling disinformation
The Nordic country is helping students learn about spotting false information. Is there space in the Irish curriculum to do the same?
How can I make sure my son has filled out his CAO form correctly?
Watch out for a piece of correspondence which lands in May. It is crucial to a successful application
Three teachers struck off register as complaints increase by 35%
A total of 45 complaints concerned conduct or behaviour including physical abuse or assault, verbal assault and sexual or intimate contact with a student
Storm Éowyn: Widespread damage anticipated as storm is expected to bring 130km/h gusts
Red weather warnings across Ireland see public warned to take shelter
Students were giddy at prospect of school being cancelled for Storm Éowyn - until the principal came on the intercom
Covid-era remote learning means schools are in a better position to cope with weather-related disruption
Paying travel costs may boost supply of substitute teachers to tackle classroom staff shortages, report finds
Insufficient cover across schools despite large number of substitutes, Department of Education study finds
Storm Éowyn: Schools, childcare and colleges to close on Friday due to red weather alert
Ireland weather: Automatic closure of education facilities triggered by Met Éireann status red warning
Most secondary teachers will struggle to authenticate students’ work under Leaving Cert reforms, survey finds
Exam integrity will be compromised by access to artificial intelligence tools, ASTI says
‘We’re not going back to a world before AI’: how technology is changing the classroom
Teachers are harnessing the power of artificial intelligence – and navigating its pitfalls – with the help of new courses
Tender for controversial €9m mobile phone pouches for secondary schools published
Successful applicants will supply their pouch for a one-year period with the option to extend by a further year
More than 20,000 pupils with Irish exemptions studied European languages
Dyslexia group says there are genuine reasons why students with additional needs go on to study French or German
Future of many Protestant fee-charging schools ‘at risk’
Exclusion from State funding undermines guarantees to protect minority faith education, schools say
Exemptions from studying Irish: What is your view?
New Department of Education instructions on psychologists’ reports highlights issue of Irish exemptions
Leaving Cert 2.0: What to expect from the reformed senior cycle
Students starting fifth year in September will be the first to experience sweeping changes
It’s time to get rid of the damaging Leaving Cert points race
Unrestricted access to third level education in Ireland would allow schools to educate holistically and give pupils a chance to flourish in the subjects they enjoy most
Tension between teachers and special-needs assistants flagged in official report
SNAs' ‘over-familiarith’ with students’ parents can result in sensitive information being shared, say school leaders
Young scientist exhibition: Students deploy innovative skills at frontier of renewable energy
Solar and wind power feature creatively in a number of projects at the annual competition
Young scientist exhibition: Twin sisters ‘mind the gap’ as they try to modernise study habits
AI brings challenges to contest but more positives than negatives, co-founder says
CAO system should be changed to match Leaving Cert reforms, education experts say
Apprenticeships and new tertiary degrees could be combined into a single applications system, says Department of Education advisory board
My son is stressed about the February 1st CAO deadline. Is this really the cut-off point?
There is no need to fret: in most cases, students have until July 1st to finalise their course choices
The first Leaving Cert 100 years ago: girls-only exams, botany tests and imperial measures
The biggest reforms to the exam in a century are due to roll out later this year. Are schools ready for the challenge?
Officials contact dozens of secondary schools over high numbers of students exempt from Irish
Principals say rise in students from abroad and pupils with additional needs are behind high numbers
Hundreds of teaching posts vacant at secondary schools across country, report finds
Unpublished Department of Education draft study finds a further 800 posts were occupied by teachers unqualified to teach subject
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