Education

A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

MixCollage-17-Jan-2025-04-36-PM-3143
Caitríona Redmond: Returning to education doesn't need to be a financial burden
'Like giving to one child by taking from another': Mother's fear for autistic son's future
'Like giving to one child by taking from another': Mother's fear for autistic son's future
Early intervention classes, preschools for autistic children between the ages of three and five, are “slowly but surely phased out, under the guise of inclusivity”, the Dáil heard last week. 

Mon, 27 Apr, 2026

Nearly 8,000 apply for special school places despite plan for just 3,000
Nearly 8,000 apply for special school places despite plan for just 3,000
5,895 applicants are already enrolled in schools and have places within the system but have been recommended for a place in a special school or special class

Fri, 24 Apr, 2026

computer class
Oireachtas committee hears how Estonian schools use AI app to boost critical thinking
Estonia’s education system is trialling an AI app that prompts critical thinking instead of supplying direct answers

Thu, 23 Apr, 2026

Department has no control over school book about tree that doesn't sustain Ireland's ecology
Department has no control over school book about tree that doesn't sustain Ireland's ecology
The book about the Sitka Spruce, which was sent to all primary schools last week, also features a foreword by former forestry minister Michael Healy-Rae expressing 'hope' that the story will help the reader 'see forests in a new way'

Wed, 22 Apr, 2026

Irish students shine at one of world's most prestigious maths events
Irish students shine at one of world's most prestigious maths events
Students Aifric Barron, Charlotte Walmsley, Roisin Spratt, and Siobhan McGale represented Ireland at the European Girls Mathematical Olympiad

Tue, 21 Apr, 2026

Sad boy standing alone in the hallway
Cabinet to discuss inquiry into child sex abuse in schools 
Hildegarde Naughton will tell Cabinet colleagues the four appointments will include a senior legal consultant and child safeguarding experts

Tue, 21 Apr, 2026

Blackrock College abuse
Experts appointed to historical school sex abuse commission
That inquiry was launched in 2022 after brothers Mark and David Ryan revealed abuse they suffered at Blackrock College in Dublin

Mon, 20 Apr, 2026

School costs
New Deis strategy is not radical enough
The Education Act vows to 'equality of access to and participation in education'. Today, we are nowhere near realising that, write Brian Fleming and Judith Harford

Wed, 15 Apr, 2026

Female entrepreneur drawing on whiteboard
A third of teachers considering going abroad for better opportunities
The TUI survey of more than 1,000 teachers found a range of concerns

Thu, 09 Apr, 2026

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 Horgan: 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

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Mick Clifford
Mick Clifford

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