Education

A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

National school in large Cork town concerned about accommodating classes in next two years
National school in large Cork town concerned about accommodating classes in next two years
A site was identified in January 2023 and subsequently purchased in Janeville for Owenabue Educate Together, but it doesn’t appear on the list of projects prioritised to proceed in 2026 or 2027

Wed, 08 Apr, 2026

Union passes motion to stop technological university pay grade changes without negotiation
Union passes motion to stop technological university pay grade changes without negotiation
The actions, including balloting for industrial action and or strike action across technological universities, has been passed unanimously

Tue, 07 Apr, 2026

Religious patrons to have 'ultimate say' on ethos of primary school, says minister
Religious patrons to have 'ultimate say' on ethos of primary school, says minister
It comes after a landmark survey found strong demand for more multi-denominational education

Tue, 07 Apr, 2026

A crucifix on a book against the background of a chalkboard
73% of parents with children in single-sex primary schools favour move towards co-education
40% of parents with children attending religious-run schools do not wish to retain their school's religious ethos

Tue, 07 Apr, 2026

Teacher pay and school funding on agenda of conferences
Teacher pay and school funding on agenda of conferences
Education Correspondent Jess Casey looks at issues 85,000 educators will consider at their annual union conferences this week

Mon, 06 Apr, 2026

Over €1m spent on advertising campaign to encourage school attendance
Over €1m spent on advertising campaign to encourage school attendance
“If you have a child in a mental health crisis, a billboard won’t get them into schools," said Sinn Féin TD Thomas Gould.

Sat, 04 Apr, 2026

Children's social care sector
Special school to finally move to full hours after Easter holidays
It’s understood there were concerns around the staffing allocations of special needs assistants

Tue, 31 Mar, 2026

Arnold Schwarzenegger receives Honorary Doctorate
'Hasta La Vista Ulster': Arnold Schwarzenegger presented with honorary degree in Belfast
Schwarzenegger, 78, said it was 'unbelievable' to be back in the city 60 years after his first visit.

Mon, 30 Mar, 2026

Teacher and students in a classroom
Teachers are not trained as first responders to students’ mental health needs
Teachers are on the frontline of student mental health. It is time the system supported them for the sake of the children

Mon, 30 Mar, 2026

Happy Students Socializing Outdoors on a Sunny Day
Jennifer Hogan: This won't go viral, but the kids are alright
Increasingly panicked and sensationalised coverage of teen dilemmas means we are missing the real lived experience of young people — they're clever, empathetic and more emotionally intelligent than ever

Fri, 27 Mar, 2026

Happy elementary school girl with healthy food in cafeteria
Kitchens and scratch-made meals 'should be mandatory in all new schools'
TDs and senators further suggested that the hot school meals programme be rolled out to secondary schools

Thu, 26 Mar, 2026

New principal and leadership team for Carrigaline special school
New principal and leadership team for Carrigaline special school
The school, which caters for students with a dual diagnosis of autism and an intellectual disability, was last year highlighted for its "alarming” pattern of suspensions

Wed, 25 Mar, 2026

New Deis strategy and Deis Plus scheme to receive funding of €48m
New Deis strategy and Deis Plus scheme to receive funding of €48m
Schools in the new Deis Plus scheme — including 12 in Cork — will receive extra 'intensive, tailored supports'

Wed, 25 Mar, 2026

School stock
Convention can be cornerstone for teachers shaping future generations
As the National Education Convention gets under way, INTO president Anne Horan looks at the urgent need to address issues relating to disadvantage and inclusion in schools

Tue, 24 Mar, 2026

University students attending a class at lecture hall.
Students either accrue six-figure debt or work three jobs to pursue medical degree
One student told the survey by student unions it was an 'awful feeling knowing I have €160,000 of debt to deal with when I finish'

Mon, 23 Mar, 2026

There’s a ‘sense of belonging, fun, possibility, and excitement’ in Cork’s Field of Dreams
There’s a ‘sense of belonging, fun, possibility, and excitement’ in Cork’s Field of Dreams
The Curraheen charity has evolved to not only serve training courses for adults getting ready to join the workforce, it also tends to the needs of children too, writes Imasha Costa

Mon, 23 Mar, 2026

Parent comforting helping sad emotional child at home, concept of bullying, stress disappointment, sadness.
'All the advice about having rhythms and routines — none made any difference' for child avoiding school
After two years of engaging with welfare services and being threatened with prosecution over her son’s school avoidance, a mother was told there were no autism class places available when he got his diagnosis, says Jess Casey

Mon, 23 Mar, 2026

The Children of Wolves," performance work, is part of Cruinniú na nÓg (a festival of creative activities for children and young
Children's creativity shouldn’t be left to a once-a-year celebration
The soft skills learned from the freedom to be creative are ones we all need in daily life, so where are the extra points for those who want to study arts, asks Patrick Holloway

Mon, 23 Mar, 2026

Special educational needs and disabilities survey
Mother of child with Down syndrome had to move homes to be near school with special class
'We must stop limping from crisis to crisis or taking a piecemeal approach to our vision for an inclusive education system'

Thu, 19 Mar, 2026

School stock
Jennifer Horgan: Two adults in a classroom makes sense in this day and age
A classroom works seamlessly when there is another adult in the room. It could be a team teacher, something increasingly common in countries like Austria, Denmark, and Italy, with positive results

Fri, 13 Mar, 2026

Children learning in a school classroom
Special school pupils have yet to get a full day of classes since November
Minister of state for disability Emer Higgins stated it was 'fantastic to see this wonderful special school up and running' despite the pupils missing out on eight hours of classes a week

Thu, 12 Mar, 2026

Parents devastated as special classes for children with additional needs delayed until 2027
Parents devastated as special classes for children with additional needs delayed until 2027
Twelve children with additional needs receive just two hours of daily education as planned Finglas special classes face delays

Thu, 12 Mar, 2026

AI prompt chat bot. Search website to generate data, text or image. Man using computer with artificial intelligence app. Virtual
Call for clarification after webinar says teachers could suggest students use AI for creative tasks
At the teacher training webinar, the use of AI was suggested three times to compose a poem, song or rap in the Leaving Cert Applied subject English and Communication

Thu, 12 Mar, 2026

A round peg forced into a square system: The reality facing one Cork special school
A round peg forced into a square system: The reality facing one Cork special school
Carrigaline Community Special School highlights the consequences of opening new schools without the therapy and resources students need

Wed, 11 Mar, 2026

Rosary in Girl's hands
The 'choice' not to practice religion is a myth in Irish education
There is a striking irony in how Irish people discuss America’s freefall into theocracy, undergirded by a rise in Christian nationalism — we treat it like fascism, while blithely ignoring our own almost entirely doctrinal education system

Wed, 11 Mar, 2026

Minister meets parents over concerns at Cork special school
Minister meets parents over concerns at Cork special school
On Monday, a mother spent the day outside the school after her son, 11, was refused entry as it reopened. In correspondence received on Monday evening, Fiona O'Leary, from Killeens, was told that the move was deemed a 'suspension'

Tue, 10 Mar, 2026

Mother spent day outside Cork special school after son, 11, refused entry
Mother spent day outside Cork special school after son, 11, refused entry
Fiona O’Leary from Killeens said her son, who turned 11 on Sunday, was refused entry when she went to drop him off at Carrigaline Community Special School

Tue, 10 Mar, 2026

'We end up giving them to our dogs' — Flood of complaints about quality of hot school meals
'We end up giving them to our dogs' — Flood of complaints about quality of hot school meals
Correspondence from parents seen by the 'Irish Examiner' lays out a litany of complaints from 'out of date meals' to 'incorrect allergen information'

Mon, 09 Mar, 2026

Symbols of religion : bread and wine
David O'Mahony: Reaching milestones reminds me time is what you make of it
Small people have their own way of interpreting the universe and, most of the time, it’s a lot more interesting than what we’ve collectively — if grudgingly — agreed constitutes adulthood

Sat, 07 Mar, 2026

A child using smart phone lying in bed
'Every day a dozen principals call us about the harm of social media on schoolchildren'
Teachers warn social media bullying is relentless, with children unable to escape harassment online even after the school day ends

Fri, 06 Mar, 2026

Football Training Celebrations
Kids' activities are starting to feel like a cult — I'm out
Instead of packing our children's schedule with activities, maybe we could allow them some time out for themselves, writes Laurie Morrissey

Fri, 06 Mar, 2026

School stock
School set to reopen after repairs address safety concerns
Parents told the school will reopen after around 40 contractors were brought on site to carry out repairs

Thu, 05 Mar, 2026

NCSE chief apologises for handling of 'botched' SNA review
NCSE chief apologises for handling of 'botched' SNA review
The chief executive of the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has apologised for the handling of a "botched" review of how special needs assistants are allocated which causes uproar among parents and educators.

Thu, 05 Mar, 2026

Closure of Cork special school must be 'catalyst for necessary change'
Closure of Cork special school must be 'catalyst for necessary change'
The school, which is in the Taoiseach’s constituency, is expected to reopen on March 9 following an incident on February 26 in which staff sustained injuries

Thu, 05 Mar, 2026

Back to school shopping
Kildare primary school closes temporarily over fire and structural safety concerns
Board moves to close 19-year-old prefab school building following fire safety and structural compliance concerns

Wed, 04 Mar, 2026

Will the great educational talking shop result in a plan or just more homework?
Will the great educational talking shop result in a plan or just more homework?
Every challenge we face comes from a lack of investment. When is the Government going to act on that?

Wed, 04 Mar, 2026

Mid adult professor teaching a lecture from desktop PC at computer lab.
One in five schools dropped a subject due to teacher recruitment crisis, TUI survey finds
Widespread vacancies leave schools reliant on student teachers, with key subjects hardest hit by staffing shortages

Wed, 04 Mar, 2026

Cork special school shuts to work through 'issues' including dysregulation of students and injuries to staff
Cork special school shuts to work through 'issues' including dysregulation of students and injuries to staff
School to reopen on Monday, March 9, after closing last Friday following incident during which staff members were injured

Tue, 03 Mar, 2026

Education minister cancels St Patrick's Day visit to South America amid SNA controversy
Education minister cancels St Patrick's Day visit to South America amid SNA controversy
Hildegarde Naughton was expected to travel to Chile and Argentina but as confirmed she will not now travel

Tue, 03 Mar, 2026

Special needs assistants protest
SNA protests: ‘My son suffers the same whether it’s a redeployment or a cut’
While the number of special needs assistants has grown, so too has the need for such posts, writes Education Correspondent Jess Casey

 Listen | Sat, 28 Feb, 2026

 Listen |
Education stock
'Looming crisis' as potential for hundreds of special school places missing for September
Surging demand for special classes and uncertainty over SNA funding spark fears hundreds could miss out on appropriate placements

Fri, 27 Feb, 2026

NORMA FOLEY TD; MINISTER FOLEY; CHILDREN DISABILITY AND EQUALITY
68 applications for scheme to develop eight childcare facilities across country
There is no indication where the eight facilities will be located as part of the multimillion-euro scheme

Thu, 26 Feb, 2026

SNA anger 'loud and clear', protesters warn Government
SNA anger 'loud and clear', protesters warn Government
Protests took place across the country, including outside Leinster House in Dublin, Cork City Hall, and Merchant’s Quay in Limerick

Wed, 25 Feb, 2026

School stock
Only time will tell if SNA retention is permanent 
By finding an extra €19m the Government has shown it can put its money where its mouth is in the face of public outcry

Tue, 24 Feb, 2026

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Mick Clifford
Mick Clifford

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