Exemptions from studying Irish: What is your view?
New Department of Education instructions on psychologists’ reports highlights issue of Irish exemptions
Second Level
News and advice on the second-level education system.
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
A crisis years in the making: Second-level pupils in classes without qualified teachers
Roots of the teacher-shortage problem and ‘out of field’ teaching go back decades
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Unpublished Department of Education draft study finds a further 800 posts were occupied by teachers unqualified to teach subject
Taxpayers are subsidising private schools by more than €140m a year
Sinn Féin and Labour want to end State funding for fee-charging schools but Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael support current system
Fees have jumped across many of Ireland’s private secondary schools. Why?
Annual fees have climbed by up to 19% with charges for day pupils now ranging between €4,000 and €14,000
School attendance among pupils drops significantly since Covid-19 pandemic
About 42% of primary pupils in disadvantaged areas are missing more than 20 days of school, an increase linked to the Covid-19 pandemic
Young Irish are most likely in the European Union to struggle with foreign languages
Drop-off in numbers sitting French and German for Leaving Cert sparks concern
Six takeaways from Feeder Schools data: Education gaps remain despite progress
Feeder Schools data shows how Ireland’s children progress after completing second-level education.
Gap between State and fee-charging schools closes further
Just two of the 10 schools with the highest third-level progression rate in 2024 were fee-paying
Irish-medium schools continue to outperform
Irish-medium schools continue to outperform the national average in third-level progression but figures show cause for concern
‘I woke up one morning to 2,000 comments. I’ve had death threats’: How schools deal with social media fallout
Online hatred and toxicity can be hugely damaging, but are digital literacy classes really enough to tackle it?
Feeder Schools: Record numbers of students from disadvantaged areas progress to third level
Class gap persists with greater numbers from affluent areas attending college
Was Michael O’Leary right about teachers after all?
Teaching exodus continues, but educators are collectively doing little to change their lot
Quirks and questions on third-level progression rates
Brian Mooney outlines key aspects of third-level progression analysis and some common issues that arise
Pupils in Ireland among top maths performers in Europe, global study finds
East Asian countries such as Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea continue to dominate
Our boys are outperforming girls in maths and science at second level. Why?
New global study on maths and science performance reveals strengths and weaknesses in Irish education
‘It’s not just someone in a lab coat in a lab messing around with Bunsen burners’
Revamped Futurewize course opens a door to careers in science, technology engineering and maths to Junior Cycle students
Transition year gap: ‘Why is it only some schools get to go on trips abroad?’
The revolutionary programme introduced 50 years ago has proved hugely popular - but not all students have equal access to engaging and life-changing experiences
Crises, reforms and funding challenges: six key issues facing the next minster for education
The manifestos of the main political parties put an emphasis on boosting funding for the sector, but what will the new government be able to deliver?
‘Parents were apprehensive’: the school where ‘risky’ play is on the timetable
Some teachers believe climbing trees and other outdoor self-directed controlled risk-taking are crucial for fostering self-confidence and resilience
Sharp increase in autism diagnoses to require thousands of additional special needs places in schools
Official estimates point to a near doubling in proportion of children with autism in need of support at school within five years
Explainer: why are second level teachers protesting outside schools today?
Unions want Leaving Cert reforms to be delayed, but Norma Foley says millions is being invested to support changes
Phone pouches: What happens when a school locks its students’ mobiles away?
Minister for Education Norma Foley’s funding for phone pouches has been controversial, but the solution has proved transformative for St Raphaela’s school in Co Dublin
Our school admissions system is broken. Many parents are in for a rude awakening
Families who expected a straightforward enrolment process are grappling with the harsh reality of Ireland’s oversubscribed schools
My daughter wants to study engineering at college. I’m not sure it’s right for her
A degree in this area opens a vast array of career pathways and is highly valued around the world
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