The last thing Macron needs is a letter from an Irish mother, but I have my two cents to offer
The long French school day gives the state a sizeable presence in my son’s childhood
Leaving Certificate
Discover the latest updates on the Leaving Cert syllabus, with news and adivce on exams, results and your educational journey
State subsidies, no VAT and lower costs: how Irish private schools are attracting UK students
The Irish State continues to subsidise 50 private secondary schools by a total of more than €140 million a year
Why reducing the €2,500 student registration charge would be a double-edged sword
Do we really want our universities to be much cheaper than others in the EU?
Revising for exams: What works best?
Students have far more choice today when it comes to revision, but how do you find the method that suits your learning style?
Leaving Cert appeals: more than 5,000 results upgraded
Nineteen per cent of the total number of 26,454 grade appeals resulted in an upgrade
As controversy grows over Leaving Cert reform, Northern Ireland is going the other way
It should be possible to learn fascinating lessons by comparing outcomes either side of the Border
Is it too late to apply for a college grant?
Susi administers two types of grants: maintenance grants and fee grants
German chancellor under pressure after elections, and ‘concern’ at Leaving Cert reform
Early Edition with Andrew McNair
‘Widespread concern’ among those tasked with senior cycle reform, ASTI says
Union tells Minister and curriculum council of ‘frustrations’ with running of subject development groups
Concerns raised across multiple Leaving Cert review groups that experts not being listened to
Subjects affected include maths, English, chemistry, physics, biology and construction studies
Rollout of the reformed Leaving Cert should be suspended
Disadvantaged students will be most affected by the disastrous reform of the Senior Cycle
Irish education transformed radically under Bhreathnach
Current challenges call once more for a real vision in the mould of O’Malley and Breathnach
‘I had an idea what I wanted to study but it sparked other interests, for sure’
Delia-Sara Fandache is a fourth year business and Spanish student at DCU and ICADE Universidad Pontificia Comillas, Madrid
Irish interest in education is boarding on obsession
Classroom to College: Higher Options supplement is an essential guide for Leaving Cert students
How to make the most of your time at Higher Options 2026
Key to this event highlighting choices in further education, training and careers is to prepare beforehand while leaving room to discover something unexpected
A place to map out your future: Higher Options conference offers an ideal opportunity for students
Higher Options and WorldSkills Ireland event has a wide range of representatives to help you decide what to pursue after the Leaving Cert
Leaving Cert maths gender gap discussion needs wider subject context
What is good for the goose should surely also be good for the gander
‘I got to talk to people who had done the course or were teaching the course’
Ronan Meleady is a fourth year law and politics student at the University of Limerick
Why I walked away from the Leaving Cert maths reform group
The academic explains why she resigned in June from the group tasked with reforming Leaving Certificate maths
Student accommodation lobby group seeks VAT removal from building costs for student beds
PBSA Council of Ireland wants Government to remove VAT on construction costs for approved developments
‘I think only one of my friends has a job’: Youth unemployment report paints bleak picture
Report suggests teenagers are disproportionately affected by failure of jobs market to fully bounce back
Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin quits Leaving Cert maths reform group after concerns ‘ignored’
Proposed changes would ‘do a disservice to our young people’, DCU professor says
My daughter’s classmates have left for a grind school and she is desperate to join them
Grind schools have grown in popularity but they are not a guarantee of high achievement
The issues worrying students – and parents – when it comes to Leaving Cert 2026 results and CAO offers
Next Tuesday at 3pm is the cut-off point for receipt of acceptance of CAO round-one offers
A parent’s guide to helping your children start college life
‘Almost 4,500 every year in Ireland do not progress from year one to year two … There’s a lot of unhappy students and parents’
Advice for college first years: ‘You need to force yourself to go to at least one club’
If initially it can seem a bit hard to break into circles, clubs and societies are key to settling in to college life, says one fourth year
Starting college: ‘The social life, making new friends, new connections, the education’
New horizon beckons for teenager who hails from DRC but has progressed from St Aidan’s Community School in Tallaght
Cost of college: How much can you expect to pay for third-level education in Ireland?
Rent, food, travel, books, laptops and the €2,500 contribution fee add up to a considerable amount for students and families
Relief at securing a college place: ‘I’m just going to enjoy Galway city’
Having been denied Dare, Grace McNamara is very excited to have secured an arts place
CAO points and college places: Good news and bad for the class of 2026
For some, the good fortune of high points is countered by the misfortune of random selection
How to study at third level and what to expect in your first year
Many students find the change from learning at second level challenging, but there are a variety of supports in place
Still plenty of options for those who didn’t receive an offer
Applicants who receive no offer can check the CAO’s ‘available places’ facility, or wait for Round 2
Education matters: ‘Committing to something for four years, I needed to think about it’
When the offer came through, Alex Murphy was unsure if he wanted to pursue the course
‘It felt like I’d won’: CAO delight on anniversary of teen’s diabetes diagnosis
Danny Goff says moving to Maynooth will pose challenges, but he can’t wait to get started
CAO points 2026: Students receive round one offers
Leaving Cert students to find out points requirements for third-level courses amid CAO first-round offers
CAO round one offers bring delight, surprise and disappointment
Applications for veterinary medicine, physiotherapy and medicine all increased this year
Got a CAO offer? The temptation is to accept immediately, but take your time
How to accept or defer – and what happens if you get an upgrade in your Leaving Cert points
‘I left school without filling out CAO form’: Louth GAA’s Sam Mulroy insists Leaving Cert ‘doesn’t define you’
Businessman who runs his own gym says he ‘got 200 points in my Leaving Certificate, and still ended up with a Master’s degree’
CAO helpdesk 2026: our experts answer your questions
Submit your queries to our education specialists
Skills-based FET courses versus traditional university education: Which are the real routes to opportunity?
What are the outcomes for respective graduates, particularly on durability of skills and earning potential, in the age of AI?
Fall in Leaving Cert grades will not lead to points drop
Grades may be down, but applications to college are up
Sending a child to college costs an average of €11,102 this year. Here is the smarter way to pay
College costs a lot of money, so start planning now
Apprenticeships: ‘It’s hard, working and studying at the same time’
A social media post planted the idea of an accounting technician’s apprenticeship in Lauren Hickey’s head
What’s college life like for disabled students?
Specialised disability support services are improving, but stigma still exists and transition to third level can be a challenge
Restricted courses: It’s difficult when everyone around you is going, ‘oh, you’ll get in’
Students typically apply for restricted courses earlier in the CAO process
Huge range of options now available to school leavers to secure their desired course choices
Further Education sector growing in popularity with school leavers
Leaving Cert: All thoughts now move to CAO round one offers
Good luck on Wednesday, and please do get in touch if you have any questions
Leaving Cert students query free fees, Dare/Hear, and off-key music
Irish Times Help desk team continue to respond to readers’ questions
It’s not too late to apply for one of the many tertiary degrees on offer in Ireland
Entry to these programmes is not based on Leaving Cert points but instead looks at student drive, suitability, skills and ability
College entry system is rigged in favour of comfortable classes
Our system of admissions to higher education is designed to sort students into colleges and courses starkly divided by class
What impact will ongoing grade-enhancement reductions have on CAO points?
Continuing enhancement of Leaving Cert results, even at a reduced level, means an ongoing distorting effect
Leaving Cert results: Will CAO points rise or fall? The questions students are asking
Many school leavers are concerned about points requirements for courses. But there are also career pathways beyond the traditional route
Leaving Cert results: Tears and joy as students receive results; grades down compared with last year
Leaving Cert results have been delivered to more than 730 second-level schools, and are available online now
I’m now a lecturer at the college that didn’t offer me a place when I did my Leaving Cert
Being rejected from NCAD at 17 felt devastating, but more than two decades later Rachel knows one letter did not determine her future
Crosswords & Puzzles
Crosswords & puzzles to keep you challenged and entertained
Stardust
Inquests into the nightclub fire that led to the deaths of 48 people
Common Ground
How does a post-Brexit world shape the identity and relationship of these islands
Family NoticesOpens in new window
Weddings, Births, Deaths and other family notices