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In education in the Republic of Ireland, a voluntary secondary school (or privately-owned secondary school [1] [n 1] ; Irish : scoil dheonach [2] ) is a post-primary [n 1] school that is privately owned and managed. Most are denominational schools, and the managers are often Catholic Church authorities, especially in the case of Catholic schools. Like national schools at primary level, voluntary secondary schools are supported by the Department of Education, on a per capita basis. Approximately 90% of teachers' salaries are met by the state. Some schools charge tuition fees, while many others request top-up funding or voluntary fee contributions from parents. The local community may also be involved in fund raising.
The levels of Ireland's education are primary, secondary and higher education. In recent years further education has grown immensely. 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.
Irish is a Goidelic language of the Celtic and Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is spoken as a first language in substantial areas of counties Galway, Kerry, Cork and Donegal, smaller areas of Waterford, Mayo and Meath, and a few other locations, and as a second language by a larger group of habitual but non-traditional speakers across the country. A non-traditional speaker is known as a Gaeilgeoir.
Secondary education covers two phases on the International Standard Classification of Education scale. Level 2 or lower secondary education is considered the second and final phase of basic education, and level 3 (upper) secondary education is the stage before tertiary education. Every country aims to provide basic education, but the systems and terminology remain unique to them. Secondary education typically takes place after six years of primary education and is followed by higher education, vocational education or employment. Like primary education, in most countries secondary education is compulsory, at least until the age of 16. Children typically enter the lower secondary phase around age 11. Compulsory education sometimes extends to age 19.
Until 1966, all post-primary schools were voluntary secondary schools except for vocational schools run by Vocational Education Committees. The raising of the school leaving age by Donogh O'Malley triggered the creation of publicly managed community and comprehensive schools. Some smaller secondary schools subsequently merged with each other or with the public schools. Voluntary secondary schools still form the largest part of the post-primary school system and are attended by about 60% of post-primary education students.
A Vocational Education Committee (VEC) was a statutory local education body in the Republic of Ireland that administered some secondary education, most adult education and a very small amount of primary education in the state. Before 1992 VECs had authority over the Dublin Institute of Technology and the Regional Technical Colleges. They existed from 1930 to 2013, when they were replaced by Education and Training Boards.
Donogh Brendan O'Malley was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician and rugby union player. He served as Minister for Education from 1966 until his death in 1968, Minister for Health from 1965 to 1966, and Minister of State at the Department of Finance from 1961 to 1965. He served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Limerick East constituency from 1954 until his death. He played rugby for Connacht, Ulster and Munster.
The schools are generally managed by a Board of Management or less often a patron or religious institute. A school principal is in general control of everyday business. Some voluntary secondary schools are boarding schools, this is particularly so in the case of Protestant, many of which are Church of Ireland, as students cannot commute daily to such schools which are often located only in a few provincial towns. These schools generally receive additional grants to the normal per capita grant.
A religious institute is a type of institute of consecrated life in the Catholic Church where its members take religious vows and lead a life in community with fellow members. Religious institutes are one of the two types of institutes of consecrated life; the other is that of the secular institute, where its members are "living in the world".
A boarding school provides education for pupils who live on the premises, as opposed to a day school. The word "boarding" is used in the sense of "room and board", i.e. lodging and meals. As they have existed for many centuries, and now extend across many countries, their function and ethos varies greatly. Traditionally, pupils stayed at the school for the length of the term; some schools facilitate returning home every weekend, and some welcome day pupils. Some are for either boys or girls while others are co-educational.
The Church of Ireland is a Christian church in Ireland and an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. It is organised on an all-Ireland basis and is the second largest Christian church on the island after the Catholic Church. Like other Anglican churches, it has retained elements of pre-Reformation practice, notably its episcopal polity, while rejecting the primacy of the Pope. In theological and liturgical matters, it incorporates many principles of the Reformation, particularly those espoused during the English Reformation. The church self-identifies as being both Catholic and Reformed. Within the church, differences exist between those members who are more Catholic-leaning and those who are more Protestant-leaning (evangelical). For historical and cultural reasons, the Church of Ireland is generally identified as a Protestant church.
