The Irish Education System

The Irish Education System has a lot in common with the British system, therefore if you’re moving over the water to start a new assignment or a brand new way of life your children shouldn’t see a significant difference in schooling methods.

If however you’re relocating with your family to Ireland from the USA, Canada, Europe or beyond, the schooling system may seem slightly different to both you and your child and it is very important that you familiarise yourself with the workings of the system before enrolling your child into the local school.

There are a number of well renowned non-state funded schools and colleges available throughout Ireland but there is also an excellent and progressive Government Department of Education which has thoroughly reformed schooling in the country in recent years.  Their work has led to a massive increase in literacy levels and also a significant increase in the numbers of children staying in education up to the age of 18 and beyond.

The fundamentals of the system work as follows: -

-  Full time education is compulsory for children resident in Ireland between the ages of 6 and 16.  In practice most 4 and 5 year olds are also in full time education as well.

-  Around 90% of those aged between 16 and 18 remain in what’s known as ‘senior cycle’ education.

-  Education is Ireland is state (Government) funded, although, as mentioned, there are private alternatives available to parents and students…these are 100% privately funded.

-  The National Curriculum followed by children at both primary and secondary level is set by the Government Minister for Education.

-  The Government Department of Education has an inspection body that inspects the standards of all state run schools and ensures that the National Curriculum is being taught correctly.

Generally speaking parents of children in state schools are responsible for the purchase of both school text books and also school uniforms.  It is also usual for parents to have some degree of input into the running and funding of their child’s school via the boards of management at each individual school.  Parents often get directly involved with fund raising events and also some extra curricular activities for the direct benefit of their child’s education - from sporting activities to art, drama and music for example.

When you move to Ireland your physical location will have some direct bearing on which schools are available to your child.  If you have a degree of choice you should spend some time examining each school available in turn, from the angles of results and league tables and also from how happy and well adjusted students at the school appear to be.  A good school will allow you to speak to teachers as well as students and parents of already enrolled children.  This should help you find the school where your child will best fit in and benefit from the best education available.

Some primary schools now teach entirely through the medium of the Irish language, and while you will want your child to adjust to life in Ireland and you too will be keen to settle into your new community, entering your child into such a system could severely restrict their potential especially if they are over the age of about 8 or 9.  Consider instead schools which teach the Irish language and maybe even another European language in addition to the rest of the curriculum, that way your child, assuming they are fluent in the English language, will benefit from complete understanding in primary subject areas such as maths, science and English and additionally benefit from learning a second and even third language.

The Irish education system offers a free and quality education as a right to all children resident in the country; and parents relocating to Ireland can rest assured that their child will be well catered for when it comes to schooling and education.