The Leaving Certificate Examination, commonly referred to as the Leaving Cert or (informally) the Leaving, is the final exam of the Irish secondary school system and the university matriculation examination in Ireland. It takes a minimum of two years' preparation, but an optional Transition Year means that for those students it takes place three years after the Junior Cycle examination. These years are referred to collectively as "The Senior Cycle". Most students taking the examination are aged 16–19; in excess of eighty percent of this group undertake the exam. The Examination is overseen by the State Examinations Commission. The Leaving Certificate Examinations are taken annually by approximately 60,000 students.
Education in the Republic of Ireland is a primary, secondary and higher education. In recent years further education has grown immensely with 51% of working age adults having completed higher education by 2020. Growth in the economy since the 1960s has driven much of the change in the education system. For universities there are student service fees, which students are required to pay on registration, to cover examinations, insurance and registration costs.
A cram school is a specialized school that trains its students to achieve particular goals, most commonly to pass the entrance examinations of high schools or universities. The English name is derived from the slang term cramming, meaning to study a large amount of material in a short period of time. The word "crammer" may be used to refer to the school or to an individual teacher who assists a student in cramming.
All Hallows College was a college of higher education in Dublin. It was founded in 1842 and was run by the Vincentians from 1892 until 2016. On 23 May 2014, it was announced that it was closing because of declining student enrollment. The sale of the campus in Drumcondra to Dublin City University was announced on 19 June 2015 and completed on 8 April 2016. The college closed on 30 November 2016, becoming the All Hallows Campus of Dublin City University.
Kaplan, Inc. is an international educational services company that provides education and training services to colleges, universities, businesses and individuals around the world. Founded in 1938 by Stanley Kaplan, the company offers a variety of test preparation, professional training, career development, language training, university and student support services. The company is headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Graham Holdings Company.
Third-level education in the Republic of Ireland includes all education after second-level, encompassing higher education in universities and colleges and further education on Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) and other courses. The degree-awarding institutions which can grant awards at all academic levels are the University of Dublin, National University of Ireland, University of Limerick, Dublin City University, Technological University Dublin, the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Munster Technological University, Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest, Atlantic Technological University and South East Technological University, as well as St Patrick's College, Maynooth. Quality and Qualifications Ireland, a State agency, can grant awards in other institutions directly, or delegate the authority to do so. The King's Inns of Dublin has a limited role in education specialising in the preparation of candidates for the degree of barrister-at-law to practice as barristers. Medical schools in Ireland also have particular regulation. There were seven establishments of higher education within Ireland ranked among the top 500 universities worldwide by the Times Higher Education Supplement in 2023.
The Institute of Education (IOE), is one of the largest private secondary schools in Ireland, teaching 4th, 5th and 6th year pupils. As well as preparing for the Leaving Certificate, fourth year pupils at the Institute have the option to study a selection of subjects from the Cambridge International GCSE programme (IGCSE) as well as CEFR Language exams.
Ardscoil Rís is a voluntary boys' secondary school on Griffith Avenue, Dublin, Ireland. The school caters for approximately 570 students every year.
Mander Portman Woodward is a group of British independent schools, with branches in London, Birmingham and Cambridge, offering GCSE and A-Level courses.
Griffith College Cork (GCC) is a private third level college which merged with Skerry's College Cork in 2005. Griffith College Cork runs degree and diploma programmes in Business, Law, Computing, Media & Journalism, Pharmaceutical Management, and Professional Accountancy as well as evening courses in Marketing Management, Business Management, Human Resource Management and Digital Marketing. Pharmaceutical Management is an MSc in International Pharmaceutical Business Management. It will be offered on a full and part-time basis.
St Aidan's C.B.S. is an Irish Christian Brothers secondary school under the trusteeship of the Edmund Rice Schools Trust located on Collins Avenue, Dublin. It is beside Dublin City University. Most St Aidan's students have progressed from the local primary schools such as Larkhill Boys National School; Our Lady of Victories, Ballymun; St Patrick's National School, Drumcondra; and St Fiachra's School, Beaumont.
Ringsend College is a multi-denominational secondary school and further education college run by the City of Dublin Education and Training Board (CDETB). The college operates under a local Sub Committee which is representative of parents, staff, community, local primary schools and industry. It is chaired by Cllr. Kevin Humphreys.
In Ireland, grinds are private tuition; a major industry in Ireland, particularly at secondary school level.
Ballyfermot College of Further Education is an educational institution in Ballyfermot, Dublin, Ireland, a college of further and higher education.
Ashbourne College is a private school and sixth form located in Kensington, London, England.
Post-Leaving Certificate (PLC) courses are a set of courses and qualifications run in Ireland for students who have finished their secondary education. The term refers to post-secondary education courses which are not found within the higher education sector, but the further education sector in Ireland. The majority of students who enrol on a PLC course are under 23, but mature students are also welcome, and increasingly enrolling on such courses. A Post-Leaving Certificate course is taken after a student has passed their Leaving Certificate, and is generally between one and two years in duration. PLC courses are aimed primarily at students who would like to develop vocational or technological skills in order to enter an occupation, or progress to higher education.
Ormonde Education Group was a professional education provider based in Tullamore, County Offaly, Ireland. Under the name Ormonde Business School or Ormonde College, the group ran a number of Business, Administration, Accounting(ACCA), Design and IT. The college also ran English language courses, and training for entrance to medical schools.
Dorset College is a private college, located in Dublin city centre. Founded in 1983, it provides training in Computing, Business, English Language, University Foundation Programmes and Healthcare. A number of its programmes are accredited by the QQI at level 5 to level 8 on the Irish National Framework, as well as this it has programmes validated by professional bodies such as CIPD, QQI ACELS and PMI.
The Junior Cycle is the first stage of the education programme for post-primary education within the Republic of Ireland. It is overseen by the Department of Education and the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), and its terminal examination, the Junior Certificate, by the State Examinations Commission.
On 12 March 2020, all schools, colleges, and childcare facilities in the Republic of Ireland were shut down in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The shutdown resulted in the cancellation of the 2020 Leaving Certificate and 2020–2021 Junior Certificate examinations, as well as all 2020–2021 Irish language summer courses in the Gaeltacht.
