Irish people have always been proud of our education. The world famous image of the ‘island of saints and scholars’ has a good deal of historical basis, and within Irish society teachers and poets have traditionally been highly respected. The right to education is guaranteed under the Irish constitution, and free education is provided for Irish students until university undergraduate level.
In recent years, there has been a good deal of investment in the Irish education system, with lots of new facilities built and new courses and subject areas introduced. With the improvements in our economy, more and more Irish students are going to college and university. Ireland now has one of the highest third level participation rates in the world, with 60% of Irish students going on to higher education.
The Irish education system is administered by the Irish Government Department of Education and Science. At present the Minister is Mary Hanafin T.D., who as a former teacher is very concerned and experienced in dealing with education matters. The Department officially oversees standards, curricula, and qualifications throughout the education system, although universities and third level colleges have a good deal of autonomy.
There are three main levels to education in Ireland. Between the ages of five and twelve, students attend primary school, before spending a further six years at post-primary or secondary level. Students can then choose to move on to third level education and attend a college or university. There are also many other education options in Ireland, including Montessori schools, adult education programmes, and a variety of vocational training schemes.
This website concentrates on the third level or higher education sector. The undergraduate qualifications available are higher certificates, ordinary bachelor degrees, and honours bachelor degrees. These qualifications fit in at levels six, seven, and eight respectively in the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ). NFQ encompasses all education and training awards in Ireland, providing recognition for learning achievements at all levels, and organising all courses into an easy to understand ladder system. It is easily possible to progress up the ladder from each qualification to the next. Levels nine (masters) and ten (PhD) involve postgraduate study and research.
There are a number of different institution types within the Irish third level sector, which specialise in a mixture of the qualifications available under the NFQ. These include universities, institutes of technology (ITs), independent colleges, colleges of education, further education colleges, and private colleges.
Universities generally teach more academic subjects and carry out research in a wide variety of areas. ITs are a little more practically orientated and can concentrate on more career – based subjects. Colleges of education, independent, and private colleges often specialise in a particular discipline. Further education colleges provide very practical and vocational training. The width and breadth of the Irish third level system ensures that all students are able to find a course that suits their own particular abilities and career aspirations.
