Secondary Schools in Dublin

Irish children attend secondary school in Ireland from the age of 12 to either 17 or 18. Some schools offer a ‘Transition Year’, which extends the usual five-year education to six. In general, the Irish system is of high quality, although it is more directed at academic children and the vocational sector is still developing.

Exams in secondary school

Students take two state exams: the Junior Certificate at the end of the third year, and the Leaving Certificate at the end of the final year. Schooling is compulsory to the age of 16.

There are 26 Junior Certificate subjects on offer in Ireland, although, this varies from school to school depending on demand. Irish, English, Maths, Civic, Social and Political Education are the core compulsory subjects in schools, and the periphery certificates are often extensions of these primary subject areas.

Leaving Certificate subjects cover a wider range, again depending on the school. Students intending on going to university in Ireland need to take English, Irish, Maths and another European language plus two other subjects.

Exams are written, practical, oral or aural depending on the subject. All languages include both oral and aural components.

Class sizes in secondary schools

The Department of Education guidelines limit general class sizes to 30 and practical classes to 24, but teachers’ unions report this is often exceeded in more popular subjects. It is an ongoing subject of contention between teachers’ unions and the department in relation to funding and building.

Sport in secondary schools

Sport classes are known as Physical Education. The recommended guideline is two hours per week. Many schools satisfy this requirement by making Wednesday afternoons as “Sports Afternoon”, with all regular classes finishing at noon. However, other schools report an average of 69 minutes per week due to pressure on the timetable from exam subjects.

Most schools focus on team sports such as Gaelic football, hurling, rugby, basketball or volleyball. Athletics and other track sports are also very common. Swimming and martial arts are dependent on facilities and access to trained staff.