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
Second Level
News and advice on the second-level education system.
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
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
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
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
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
Was Michael O’Leary right about teachers after all?
Teaching exodus continues, but educators are collectively doing little to change their lot
‘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?
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
Feeder Schools: Record numbers of students from disadvantaged areas progress to third level
Class gap persists with greater numbers from affluent areas attending college
Quirks and questions on third-level progression rates
Brian Mooney outlines key aspects of third-level progression analysis and some common issues that arise
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
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
‘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
Secondary school accused of demanding student’s ‘submission’ to gender identity in row over ear piercing
Boy returned after summer break with stud in ear and was told to remove stud, cover it with plaster or get second ear pierced
Teachers to protest next week in bid to delay Leaving Cert reform
ASTI and TUI say school day will not be disrupted by planned demonstrations
‘We need extra time now’: Students with additional needs call for State exam changes
Many neurodiverse pupils are high achievers, but the education assessment system can present them with unique challenges
Grind schools are booming. Would they offer any advantage in a properly resourced education system?
Schools are a dense web of educational experiences and social relations. How well does the grind-school offering compare on this front?
Learning outcomes slide for Irish pupils, report finds
Education levels have stagnated or slowly declined across much of the world, says Unesco
Our Government aspires to boost education through Irish - yet student numbers have fallen for the first time in 50 years
Parents should have a right to choose Irish-medium education for their children - otherwise, the status quo will never change sufficiently to meet demand
A super-charged technology threatens to destroy the integrity of the Leaving Cert
Additional assessment components worth 40% are being introduced at a time when AI tools are developing rapidly and relentlessly
Dozens of pupils unable to secure school places using grant for nine hours’ tuition at home
Enrolment pressure at second level most acute in Greater Dublin Area
Concern over ‘competence and confidence’ of some teachers in all-Irish schools
Minister for Education urged to ‘urgently’ release draft of long-awaited policy on Irish language education
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