What’s it like to eat, sleep, study and partake in extracurricular activities away from home? Sylvia Thompson went to Clongowes Wood College to see why parents are willing to spend €25,000 to send their child to a boarding school in 2026.
She talked to students and staff about the ethos, facilities, routine, environment, structure and spirit that exists inside the gates at the 60-hectare campus in Co Kildare.
Also in today’s newspaper, teacher Conor Murphy says he doesn’t understand the issue around students changing their names from ones associated with one gender to those associated with another. And education columnist and guidance counsellor Brian Mooney answers a query from a parent worried about their daughter who is due to sit the Leaving Cert in June, but has not applied to the CAO.
Meanwhile, for those a little further down the education road, The Irish Times today publishes a supplement called Postgraduate & MBA Options 2026, which offers expert guidance, course insights, MBA pathways, alternatives to traditional postgraduate study, key sector stats and student stories.
Classroom to College newsletter: your essential Leaving Cert guide
CAO 2026 calendar: With the Leaving Cert over, here are the important dates you need to know
Proposed dismantling of centralised PhD scholarship programmes needs to be reconsidered
Leaving Cert applied maths paper marks end of 2026 exams
Whether you’re advancing your career, changing direction or returning to education later in life, the supplement, hopefully, will give you what you need to make an informed, confident decision about your postgraduate future.
And you can, of course, read all the articles over the next few days here.
