Moving your Children to Primary School
InformationIf you are moving to Ireland and you have a child of school-going age, you will need information about the educational choices available to you and the procedures involved in getting your child enrolled.
The Irish school year for primary school children stretches from 1 September to 30 June approximately. Children attend primary school from around the age of 4 or 5 years until they are 12 or 13 years of age. The primary school cycle is 8 years long. Schools generally have 2 years of infant classes, followed by class 1 to class 6.
The school-going age in IrelandYour child will not be obliged to attend school before the age of 6. However, it is common for Irish children to attend school at 4 or 5. As a result, the youngest classes in the primary school system incorporate much of what would be considered "pre-schooling" in other countries.
You also have a constitutional right to educate your child at home. However, this is not common practice.
The types of schools availableThe Irish primary education sector consists of state-funded primary schools, special schools and private primary schools. State-funded primary schools used to be known as national schools and you may still hear this term being used. State-funded schools include religious schools, non-denominational schools, multi-denominational schools and Gaelscoileanna, which are schools that teach the curriculum through the Irish language. You can view a list of State-funded primary schools in Ireland on the Department of Education's website here.
Religion in Irish schoolsMost Irish primary schools are under the management of one denomination or another and the majority of these are Roman Catholic. There is, however, a growing choice of schools of other denominations and of multi-denominational schools.
Schools that cater for a single religion may give priority to children of that religion but they will also admit children with other religious beliefs, or none. Children do not have to attend religion classes and you may choose to withdraw your child from such classes if you wish.
Regardless of religion, all primary schools operate under similar rules. The main differences relate to the appointment of the principal of the school and the choice of teacher representatives on the Board of Management.
The primary school curriculumThe Irish primary school curriculum is child-centred. It emphasises:
The "full and harmonious" development of the child, with allowances made for individual difference. The central importance of activity and guided-discovery learning and teaching methods. Teaching and learning through an integrated curriculum and through activities related to the child's environment. In recent years, a pilot project has introduced the teaching of modern European languages to 5th and 6th class students in a number of schools around the country.
Choosing a school You should, in theory, be able to send your child to the school of your choice. However, when it comes to enrolling your child, you may find that there is little or no choice in the area in which you live. Each school operates an admissions policy, which they must make available on request. It is important to ask for the admissions policy of any school in which you are interested.
State-funded primary schools tend to give priority to children living in the immediate area, but problems can arise if their classes are already full and they have a waiting list. Multi-denominational schools, non-denominational schools and Gaelscoileanna each decide their own admissions policy.
Some secondary schools give priority to students coming from particular primary schools so it may be useful to plan ahead when choosing a primary school for your child.
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Rates The majority of primary schools are state-funded. This means that you will not have to pay annual fees for your child's education.
In practice, however, schools often need to raise extra funds for additional resources such as computers, sports equipment or improved facilities. You may be asked to make a contribution or to take part in fund-raising for the school, but your participation in these activities must always be voluntary. State-funded schools cannot require you to make contributions.
If you choose to send your child to a private school, you will have to pay annual fees. These can vary considerably from school to school. Contact the school of your choice to ask for details of fees and other expenses.
How to apply Contact the school to which you want to send your child. Ask for their admissions policy and check whether you need to register your child's name on a waiting list.
Moving your Children to Secondary School
Information The Irish secondary (also known as post-primary) school cycle is generally 5 or 6 years long. Children begin their secondary school studies around the age of 12 and leave around the age of 17 or 18, having taken two state exams in that period.
Whether you are coming to Ireland for the first time or whether you are returning after an absence, you may find the Irish education system very exam-focused. However, a lot of changes and improvements have been made to the educational system over recent years and a far greater range of options is now open to students than in the past.
Most schools offer students the option of a Transition Year after they have completed the first 3 years of secondary education. This allows students to explore non-academic interests, whether they are social, creative or linked to the world of business. It gives them a chance to look around and to mature before moving into the Senior Cycle, which will lead them to the final Leaving Certificate exam.
The exam system itself has also changed. The Intermediate Certificate examination has been replaced by the more flexible Junior Certificate and final year students may now choose from 3 different Leaving Certificate programmes. They can take the traditional (established) Leaving Certificate or they can choose from the Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme or the Leaving Certificate Applied Programme, both of which focus on a student's more practical and technical abilities.
The school yearThe Irish secondary school year stretches from the first week in September to the first week in June. If your child is going in to a Junior Certificate Class or a Leaving Certificate class, however, they will not finish until later in June, as they will be taking their exams at that time.
The types of schools availableThe post-primary school system includes secondary schools, vocational schools, community or comprehensive schools and private secondary schools. The majority of Irish children go to secondary schools, which are privately owned and managed and often run by religious orders, although the teachers in these schools are generally lay staff. The majority of secondary schools are free, but there are fee-paying schools also.
Vocational schools and community or comprehensive schools are all free. These schools tend to provide both academic and technical education and they often provide additional further education opportunities for school-leavers and adults in the local community.
There are a small number of private international schools in Ireland including a French school, a Japanese school and a German school.
Choosing a school and enrolling your childYou can get a list of Irish schools on a county-by-county basis from the Department of Education and Science.
You should gather as much information as possible about the schools in which you are interested. Schools can vary quite considerably in the ways in which they operate and the emphasis they put on areas such as exams, sports, the arts, personal development, religion, social affairs, European languages and practical skills acquisition.
Talk to teachers and, if possible, to other parents in order to see whether the school is likely to meet the needs of your particular child.
Some schools will have a waiting list. They may favour children who already have a relative at the school or who are related to a past student. Some schools favour children coming from particular primary schools. You will need to investigate the admissions policy of the school in which you are interested and in general you should plan the enrolment of your child well in advance.
If you are planning to remain abroad and to send your child to an Irish school as an overseas student, you can choose from a range of boarding schools or you can enrol your child in a day secondary school that arranges home-stay accommodation and guardianship, as appropriate.
The points systemIf your child wishes to go to university or another third-level institution, they will need to score enough points in their Leaving Certificate exams. They will receive points for the 6 best grades they receive with the highest points going to an A1 in a paper at Honours level. Most students take 7 subjects in the Leaving Cert.
The points they need for third-level courses will depend on the subject they wish to study. If they are interested in one of the very competitive courses such as Veterinary Medicine, Dentistry or Law, they will need to score well over 500 points in their exams. The highest possible number of points is 600.
For more information on going to third-level education, see Application procedures and entry requirements
Rates Education in state-funded second-level schools is free.
Fees charged by private secondary schools can vary considerably. You will need to check with each individual school.
Whatever school you choose, you will need to pay for school books and, where appropriate, school uniforms. Usually, you will also have to pay for extra-curricular activities.
How to apply Apply directly to the school in which you are interested, as early as possible. Ask about their admissions policy. Some will have waiting lists and, if they have developed links with a particular primary school, they may favour children coming from that school. Some schools may ask your child to sit an entrance exam, for which they will charge a fee.
There are some organisations that will arrange to place a child in an Irish secondary school for a fee.
The above information has been kindly provided by http://www.citizensinformation.ie