Education

A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

Students having a lesson in the lecture hall
Ireland 'an example' in giving disadvantaged students access to higher education, report shows
OECD analysis notes Ireland has made a 'sustained effort to increase the participation of underrepresented groups in higher education over multiple decades'

Wed, 12 Nov, 2025

A person writing in a blackboard during Religion class in a school. Next, some books.
Another survey — but still no change for children who opt out of religious instruction
If the Government is truly committed to equality and inclusion in education, it needs to move beyond surveys and start legislating for it, writes Aoife Cassidy

Tue, 11 Nov, 2025

A crucifix hangs on the wall of a classr
Parents are being asked three simple questions about what they want from primary schools
For the first time, Irish parents and guardians of current and future schoolchildren are being asked for their preferences on gender mix, language medium, and patronage/ethos

Sun, 09 Nov, 2025

A crucifix on a book against the background of a chalkboard
S Mick Clifford: Survey on school patronage should be conducted beyond the current crop of parents
Parents of all children up to the age of 12 are being asked to take part in an online survey to determine what kind of patronage they want for their local school. Don’t hold your breath in anticipation of change, writes Mick Clifford

Sun, 09 Nov, 2025

Primary school girls are taught during a lesson by a male teacher
Irish Examiner view: 'Voluntary' school payment practice must stop
The Department of Education told this newspaper the Education (Admissions to schools) Act 2018 'explicitly prohibits' the charging of admission and enrolment fees for admission to, or for continued enrolment in, a school

Fri, 07 Nov, 2025

Stripe to partner with Irish Maths Trust to secure olympiad's future
Stripe to partner with Irish Maths Trust to secure olympiad's future
The sponsorship by the financial services company follows Ireland’s best-ever performance in the 2025 International Maths Olympiad, which saw the team take home two silvers and a bronze

Fri, 07 Nov, 2025

Books-Mark Ronson
Jennifer Horgan: From infidelity to conflicts of interests, our infinite choice culture has us all in a heap
I know I’m not the only one who exhausts themselves scrolling through films and series, feeling so depleted that I end up watching 'Schitt’s Creek' again

Fri, 07 Nov, 2025

Royal High School
Jess Casey: Seeking illegal school admission fees acts as 'soft barrier' for many parents
It's understood the seeking of registration fees by schools is more widespread than just the five Cork schools outlined in Thursday's 'Irish Examiner' report

Thu, 06 Nov, 2025

Cost of living crisis
Five Cork schools illegally seeking fees from parents
One school described the fee as a 'non-refundable' registration fee, while another described it as a 'voluntary registration fee'

Thu, 06 Nov, 2025

Educational group activity at the kindergarten or daycare
Children of different backgrounds in Ireland show developmental gap from age of three, study finds
The Growing Up In Ireland study also found 'adolescent girls reporting higher levels of anxiety and emotional difficulties, while adolescent boys demonstrate higher levels of antisocial behaviour'

Wed, 05 Nov, 2025

Wire strippers. The electrician cleans the protective insulation from the wire using a wire stripper. The process of connecting
'Compromised' exam papers for apprentice electricians withdrawn
Concerns that the papers may have been sold

Tue, 04 Nov, 2025

Rising cost of tools paid for upfront hampering apprentices, Oireachtas committee to hear
Rising cost of tools paid for upfront hampering apprentices, Oireachtas committee to hear
The Oireachtas Further Education committee will also hear that Ireland’s roughly 30,000 apprentices have to travel 'the length of the country' to attend the educational phase of their course

Tue, 04 Nov, 2025

School stock
Sustainability of special class growth questioned with amount almost doubling in four years
Despite this level of growth, parents who spoke to school inspectors highlighted having to apply to several schools before their child secured a place

Mon, 03 Nov, 2025

Female entrepreneur drawing on whiteboard
Warning over substitution crisis as hundreds of teaching posts remain unfilled
The survey found that almost 290 people with no teaching qualification carried out substitute work in schools up to mid-October

Mon, 03 Nov, 2025

Parents take children to school. Crowd of happy students walk with family. Mother, father and kids with bags go back to school v
Special education: Number of early intervention classes falls in some counties
New data shows that 18 counties have either seen a reduction or no increase in the number of such classes since 2023

Mon, 03 Nov, 2025

A crucifix on a book against the background of a chalkboard
School religious discrimination may still be happening despite law
The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance found that religious discrimination in school admissions might still be happening in practice

Tue, 28 Oct, 2025

Inclusive education schemes must go on so more first-generation graduates can change their family stories forever
Inclusive education schemes must go on so more first-generation graduates can change their family stories forever
We have to protect Ireland’s investment in education and the social-mobility programmes that made university accessible to families like mine, writes Cian O'Donnell

Thu, 23 Oct, 2025

Limited subject choices continue to restrict girls' access to Stem subjects, survey finds
Limited subject choices continue to restrict girls' access to Stem subjects, survey finds
The survey carried out by I Wish also found that girls who play sports reported higher confidence in Stem subjects and school life

Tue, 21 Oct, 2025

The Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast: Suspensions 'crisis' at Cork special school
The Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast: Suspensions 'crisis' at Cork special school
Opened in 2021, Carrigaline Community Special School issued 17 official suspensions out of a maximum student body of just 48 in three years

 Listen | Tue, 14 Oct, 2025

 Listen |
Cork special school planned to cut student days amid ‘critical’ staffing crisis
Cork special school planned to cut student days amid ‘critical’ staffing crisis
St Gabriel’s Special School in Bishopstown says an SNA shortage has created unsafe conditions

Fri, 10 Oct, 2025

Empty Classroom Ready For Pupils
Families believe children are being punished for behaviour linked to disabilities, authority warned
Cork special school has issued 17 official suspensions out of a maximum student body of just 48 in three years

Wed, 08 Oct, 2025

Budget 2026: €10 rise in State pension and core welfare rates secured in late night talks
Budget 2026: €10 rise in State pension and core welfare rates secured in late night talks
In childcare, funding will be made available to provide thousands more places through a building blocks scheme which will allow existing services to fund extensions

Tue, 07 Oct, 2025

Budget 2026: Here's what's expected as talks set to go down to the wire
Budget 2026: Here's what's expected as talks set to go down to the wire
Paul Hosford and Louise Burne break down what we are likely to see on Tuesday across each of 12 government departments 

Mon, 06 Oct, 2025

female construction apprentice and colleague
Secondary school curriculum 'should include access to apprenticeships'
Ibec tells Oireachtas further and higher education committee there is 'significant scope for improvement' despite growth in apprenticeships

Wed, 01 Oct, 2025

Student health and wellbeing survey
C&AG: Department of education lost €1.3m to enrolment fraud
Schools inflated or overstated enrolment numbers in a bid to retain teachers or have funding increased

Tue, 30 Sep, 2025

Calculating Company Business Expense Invoice And Budgeting
Options 'on the table' to change student capitation grant, cutting annual college fees in budget
Elsewhere, government sources have indicated that, while there may be no imminent public transport fare hikes, it is not off the table into the future

Mon, 29 Sep, 2025

Ofsted inspection report
Only 14% of children with disabilities are thriving in school, survey finds
The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability heard from various representatives

Wed, 24 Sep, 2025

Children's social care sector
Children of all needs must learn together 
An inclusive education system lays the basis for respect for all differences, so we cannot continue separating children with special needs from the mainstream

Tue, 23 Sep, 2025

A Unifil flag fluttering over Southern Lebanon
Irish Examiner view: United Nations a long way from what is required
Today, the UN looks far from the organisation once described by the second secretary general, Norwegian Trygve Lie, as having been created 'not to bring us to heaven, but to save us from hell'

Tue, 23 Sep, 2025

Action Plan on Competitiveness and Productivity
Taoiseach: Suspensions 'not the ideal way' of dealing with students in special schools
Speaking in New York, Micheál Martin told the 'Irish Examiner' that it was important that education and training boards become more involved in the provision of special education

Mon, 22 Sep, 2025

School children in classroom
'It wouldn’t be acceptable in a mainstream school, so why should we have to take it?'
Carrigaline Community Special School issued 17 suspensions in three years — with one parent saying most children in the school 'would not understand the concept of suspension'

Mon, 22 Sep, 2025

Little 7 years schoolboy going to school.
Suspensions ‘crisis’ at flagship special school in Cork 
One parent says Carrigaline Community Special School — for children from 4 to 18 with a dual diagnosis of autism and intellectual disability — handed out suspensions 'like confetti'

Sun, 21 Sep, 2025

174 researchers apply for Global Talent Ireland as interest surges from US and UK
174 researchers apply for Global Talent Ireland as interest surges from US and UK
The new Global Talent initiative has attracted 174 applications, with strong interest from US, UK, and returning Irish researchers

Wed, 17 Sep, 2025

Graduation stock
College student fees to be cut by up to €500 in Budget 2026
October budget measure comes as 'middle Ireland needs a break' — but second tier of child benefit for lower-income parents ruled out

Mon, 15 Sep, 2025

School stock
Early years education 'will continue to struggle unless staff get pay parity'
Early Childhood Ireland says low pay and poor conditions are pushing educators and graduates to leave the sector, leaving staff vacancy rates of up to 63%

Mon, 15 Sep, 2025

Teacher who had sex with Leaving Cert student struck off for minimum of 30 years
Teacher who had sex with Leaving Cert student struck off for minimum of 30 years
A series of allegations of professional misconduct, which were all proven, related to various times during the 2017/18 school year

Fri, 12 Sep, 2025

Investing in people powers our future through the halo effect 
Investing in people powers our future through the halo effect 
Further and higher education minister James Lawless explains why research capacity, student support, and aligning skills policy with future industry needs are priorities now

Wed, 10 Sep, 2025

Dyson Award for young graduate's invention which could help thousands of Irish patients
Dyson Award for young graduate's invention which could help thousands of Irish patients
Zoe O’Sullivan invention offers a convenient and comfortable home treatment for patients with lymphoedema, a serious condition affecting around 20,000 people who have been treated for cancer

Wed, 10 Sep, 2025

CAO Round Two offers over 1,200 students college places for first time
CAO Round Two offers over 1,200 students college places for first time
Students who received an offer in this round will have until 3pm on Wednesday, September 10, to accept

Mon, 08 Sep, 2025

'The secretaries and caretakers are not for stopping,' says Fórsa from protest at Taoiseach’s Cork office
'The secretaries and caretakers are not for stopping,' says Fórsa from protest at Taoiseach’s Cork office
The withdrawal of their labour is already pushing some schools to the brink of closure

Fri, 05 Sep, 2025

Fórsa: 'No credible reason' for Government delay on school staff strike resolution
Fórsa: 'No credible reason' for Government delay on school staff strike resolution
Fórsa urges Government to end the nationwide strike by school secretaries and caretakers, warning schools are struggling without essential support staff

Thu, 04 Sep, 2025

GAMBIA-GHANA-REFUGEE-RIGHTS-STATELESS
Ireland can pave the way to school for children everywhere
Irish people know firsthand the incredible changes that free education can bring to a country — we can help others reach their potential too

Thu, 04 Sep, 2025

Meals on Wheels should provide school lunches as suppliers withdraw from scheme - TD
Meals on Wheels should provide school lunches as suppliers withdraw from scheme - TD
Cork South West TD Michael Collins said: 'Meals on Wheels are already out on the road every single day, delivering to elderly people across rural Ireland. They are certified, professional, and up to the highest standards.

Wed, 03 Sep, 2025

Cianan Brennan: Hot school meals mess needs a rational solution
Cianan Brennan: Hot school meals mess needs a rational solution
The withdrawal of providers due to onerous new conditions around waste and staffing needs to be sorted, and quickly, writes Cianan Brennan

Wed, 03 Sep, 2025

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