Another fee-paying school joins free system

Newtown School in Waterford has become the latest fee-paying second-level college to join the free education scheme.

The Quaker-ethos school will join three others to have moved, or decided to move, to the entirely State-funded second-level system in recent years.

Principal Keith Lemon said pressure on families to meet tuition fees of over €6,000 had been a big factor in the move, which follows lengthy talks with the Department of Education.