The State's largest grind school, the Institute of Education, has acquired its closest rival, Bruce College in Dublin, in a deal which highlights the boom in the sector.
The move will see over 850 students take the Leaving Cert at the institute next year, including about 150 former Bruce College students. Both full- and part-time teaching staff at Bruce will, however, be interviewed for vacant positions with the institute.
Bruce College, which will continue to run separate operations in Cork and Limerick, has been the institute's main rival for business since it opened off Dublin's Grafton Street about 15 years ago. In recent years, its reputation has suffered because of a high turnover in senior staff.
Demand for student places at the institute is at record levels, despite full-time fees of over €5,200 per student.
Over 3,500 students this year attended the college's evening and Saturday grind classes, 3,000 attended Easter revision courses, and 1,500 attended Christmas revision courses. A high proportion of students attending these courses come from fee-paying schools. Recent surveys suggest that over 70 per of all Leaving Cert students take grinds.
The acquisition of Bruce College is part of the continuing expansion of the institute, which took over another rival, the Pre-University Centre, four years ago.
Established in 1969, the institute has been widely criticised by the teaching unions for it focus on CAO points and its alleged failure to provide a rounded education for students.
The director of the institute, Mr Ray Kearns, says he operates in a niche system, mainly for parents "who are prepared to pay money to get the best teachers". He acknowledges poor students have little hope of availing of this extra tuition, but says his college allows all students to "maximise their potential", irrespective of their academic ability.
