Education (2024)

Excellent and innovative education and training facilitates individuals, through learning, to achieve their full potential and contribute to Ireland’s social, economic and cultural development.

The education system in Ireland is made up of early years education, primary and post-primary education.

State-funded education is available at all levels, unless you choose to send your child to a private institution.

Education is compulsory for children in Ireland from the ages of 6 to 16 or until students have completed three years of post-primary education. Most children attend state-funded schools although some are educated at home or in non-recognised schools, (example: a private primary school).

The compulsory age to begin education in Ireland is 6 years. All forms of pre-primary education are optional.

In general, early childhood care and education (ECCE) is delivered outside the formal education system, by a range of private, community and voluntary interests, which can be described as crèches, nurseries, pre-schools, naíonraí (Irish language pre-schools), playgroups and day-care services.

Aistear is the early childhood curriculum framework for all children from birth to six years in Ireland. Aistear can be used in the range of early childhood settings including children's own homes, childminding settings, full and part-time daycare settings, sessional services and infant classes in primary schools.

The Framework uses four interconnected themes to describe the content of children's learning and development:

Early-years education inspections are carried out in early-years services participating in the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme – a programme which provides a period of free early childhood care and education for children before they start school. Read more

Although children are not obliged to begin education until the age of 6, most 5-year-old children are at school. Primary education consists of an 8-year cycle: junior infants, senior infants, and first to sixth classes. In Ireland all children are entitled to free primary education.

All primary schools in Ireland have a patron, which sets the ethos for the school. Most schools have a board of management appointed by the patron to manage the school. The school's board of management is comprised of members nominated by the patron of the school, parents of children attending the school, the principal and a member of the teaching staff and community representatives.

Children normally attend their local school. Find schools in your area. You can send your child to the primary school of your choice, as long as there is a place for them. While most schools can enrol all the children who apply, there is no guarantee of a place in the local school. You can read more on our School Enrolment page.

Schools open from Monday to Friday. Classes usually start between 8:30am and 9.30am. A primary school day lasts 5 hours and 40 minutes. The school day may be shorter for children in infant classes. For more information including the dates of Christmas, Easter and mid-term breaks see our School Holiday Dates page.

The primary curriculum aims to provide a broad learning experience and encourages a rich variety of approaches to teaching and learning that cater for the different needs of individual children. The primary curriculum is designed to nurture the child in all dimensions of his or her life – spiritual, moral, cognitive, emotional, imaginative, aesthetic, social and physical.

Standardised tests are used to measure a child’s reading and mathematical achievement, and to determine children’s progress in those areas. Information from the tests is important given the vital role of literacy and numeracy in enabling children to access the full curriculum.

All primary schools are required by the Department of Education to administer standardised tests during the period May/June for all students in 2nd, 4th and 6th classes.

Children from about 12 to 18 years attend a post-primary school. The minimum school leaving age is 16 or after 3 years of post-primary education, whichever is later.

The school patron, is the body that establishes and operates the school. The patron appoints the Board of Management of the school and is responsible for the school’s characteristic spirit and ethos.

Community Colleges are established by the local education and training board (ETB) which is also the sole patron of the school.

Community Schools are established either by one or more private or religious patrons coming together with an ETB patron or as the result of the amalgamation of voluntary secondary and ETB schools.

Voluntary Secondary Schools are privately owned and managed post-primary schools, usually under the patronage of an individual body such as a religious community, a charitable trust or a private charitable company.

Community colleges, community schools and voluntary secondary schools are funded by the Department of Education and deliver the post-primary curriculum determined by the Minister for Education, supported by syllabuses, guidelines for teachers, circulars to schools and prescribed material for the examinations.

You can send your child to the post-primary school of your choice, as long as there is a place for them. Find schools in your area. While most schools can enrol all the students who apply, there is no guarantee of a place in the local school. You can read more on our School Enrolment page.

Schools open from Monday to Friday. Classes usually start between 8:30am and 9.30am. The minimum hours of instruction per day is 6 and the minimum hours of instruction per week is 28. For more information including the dates of Christmas, Easter and mid-term breaks see our School Holiday Dates page.

Post-primary education consists of a 3-year Junior Cycle, followed by a two or three year Senior Cycle, depending on whether the optional transition year is taken between Junior Cycle and Senior Cycle.

The Junior Cycle caters for students generally in the 12 to 15 year age group. The Framework for Junior Cycle 2015, provides the basis for post-primary schools to plan quality, inclusive and relevant education programmes with improved learning experiences for all students, including those with special educational needs. The Junior Cycle examinations are held at the end of the third year of Junior cycle in post-primary schools and culminate in the awarding of the school based Junior Cycle Profile of Achievement (JCPA)

The Senior Cycle caters for students generally in the 15 to 18 year age group. It includes an optional transition year (TY) which follows immediately after the Junior Cycle. TY provides an opportunity for students to experience a wide range of educational inputs, including work experience, over the course of a year that is free from formal examinations. The Leaving Certificate Established is a 2-year programme that aims to provide learners with a broad, balanced education while also offering some specialisation towards a particular career option. Subjects are assessed by an examination paper and by additional assessment methods including oral and aural examinations, practical examinations and assessment of practical coursework at the end of the two-year programme of study. Performance in the examination can be used for purposes of selection into employment, and into further and higher education. Read more here.

In terms of examinations at the end of Junior and Senior cycle, the State Examinations Commission is responsible for the development, assessment, accreditation and certification of the Junior Cycle examinations and the Leaving Certificate examinations.

The Leaving Certificate Established is a 2-year programme that aims to provide learners with a broad, balanced education while also offering some specialisation towards a particular career option. Subjects are assessed by an examination paper and by additional assessment methods including oral and aural examinations, practical examinations and assessment of practical coursework at the end of the two-year programme of study. Performance in the examination can be used for purposes of selection into employment, and into further and higher education. Read more

This 2-year programme combines the academic strengths of the Leaving Certificate with a dynamic focus on self-directed learning, enterprise, work and the community. Read more

The Leaving Certificate Applied is a 2-year Leaving Certificate, available to students who wish to follow a practical or vocationally orientated programme. The Leaving Certificate Applied is made up of a range of courses that are structured round 3 elements: Vocational Preparation, Vocational Education and General Education. Read more

The State Examinations Commission is responsible for the development, assessment, accreditation and certification of the leaving certificate examinations.

Inclusive education is a fundamental principle of our education and training system – a system that welcomes and meaningfully engages all learners, including those with special educational needs and learners impacted by disadvantage.

We place the student at the centre of education strategy and policy development and value learning as a public good, in light of its core role in the development, cohesion and wellbeing of an inclusive society.

All learners should have the opportunity to reach their potential, and the government is committed to helping them do so. Read more

The standards and quality of education provision in the Irish education system are assured by a number of elements, including inspections in early learning settings, schools and centres for education.

Inspections are carried out to improve the quality of learning and teaching that children and young people experience in Irish schools, centres for education and other settings, and to support the development of the Irish education system. The Department of Education’s Inspectorate does this through providing high quality evaluation, analysis, support and advice in relation to education provision mainly at early years, primary and post-primary levels. Inspectors also provide advice on a range of education issues to school communities, policy makers in the department and to the wider education system. See more:

The Department of Education works with international partners, including the European Union, Council of Europe, OECD and UNESCO, to enhance international policy co-operation in education and training Read more