Second Level

News and advice on the second-level education system.

AI is a threat to the essence of education

'AI’s application in education, in the form our Department of Education intends it to be used, should be resisted until we are satisfied that we can control these inherent risks'

Funding crisis for secondary schools

The suggestion that schools are sitting on piles of cash is deeply offensive to those of us struggling to keep the lights on

‘Are there paths into careers in technology other than through the university route?’

As tech evolves at an unprecedented pace, employers increasingly value what you can do today and how quickly you can learn

Edtech company suspends chief executive over alleged attempt to divert business

Ian Gaughran has concerns about the ‘financial viability’ of Olive companies

Special-needs assistants protest outside Leinster House demanding ‘job security’

Government got review of SNA allocation at schools ‘wrong’, Simon Harris says

Weaknesses in policymaking: A challenge to the Convention on Education

Reviews of the Department of Education have found it to be overworked, reactive, overly absorbed in short-term operational issues and lacking space for long-term strategic thinking

‘It was quiet. Too quiet’: A trial run at the empty nest

‘I will return to grumbling about empty cereal bowls and endless analysis of Love Island’

Life at Ireland’s biggest boarding school: ‘I have so much more independence’

At Kilkenny College, a co-educational school under Church of Ireland patronage, student boarders are given a voice

Significant component of Leaving Certificate science exams risks student safety, teachers claim

Department of Education advised to pause AAC implementation immediately on health and safety grounds

How to make the most of the months before the Leaving Cert

Here are some important dates in the CAO calendar in the next few months - along with important links, reminders and information about fees.

Pause in proposed SNA changes offers a chance to reflect on their real value

Contribution of special needs assistants represents sound investment in our children

How students who scored more than 600 points approached the months before the Leaving Cert

From YouTube videos to whiteboards, last year’s Leaving Cert students share advice for making the most of the final stretch

‘How does education need to evolve to support children?’: Convention invites public to speak up 

Public invited to have their say into how education system needs to evolve

‘My disorganised son is struggling in school, should I get him an ADHD assessment?’

Ask the Expert: He is in the first year of secondary school and is struggling a bit

I Wish Festival targets gender gap in construction and applied Stem subjects

Nearly 4,000 women students expected to attend RDS event in February

Post-Leaving Certificate courses play growing role as routes to work and higher education

Exploring PLC options is now considerably more straightforward in Co Dublin, thanks to a clearer, unified application system

Making the most of (and surviving) the Leaving Cert mock exams

Time for parents to provide reassurance and acknowledge work the child has done

Teacher admits lying about romantic relationship with former student at fitness-to-teach hearing

Woman confirmed that she and ex-pupil are in a relationship, approximately six years in length, and that she loves him

Should you become a teacher in Ireland? I find it hard to recommend it these days

Having three unions in teaching is not a great thing; in fact, it’s quite a bad thing

Secondary students to learn more about ‘brutal reality’ of Holocaust

Government to provide €100,000 to the Auschwitz Birkenau Foundation to support its education programme

What are the key factors to be aware of when filling out a CAO application form?

Every year some students miss out on round-one offers due to errors, omissions or failure to spot an important message

Chronic absenteeism twice as prevalent in Deis schools, report shows

Over one-third of students in the most disadvantaged schools missed 20 or more days in 2023-24

Why do one in 10 Irish youths believe the Holocaust is a myth?

Teacher says ‘nuance’ is lost online and some young minds are ‘struggling to decipher’ what algorithms put before them

Here’s a study guide for the final months before the Leaving Cert exams

We got expert tips from two of Ireland’s leading study websites and their learning experts

Concerns over use of post-primary students’ data in performance tracker

More than 400 schools use Athena Tracker, which predicts and monitors individual capabilities

Forget the CAO: Here are some alternatives to college

Apprenticeships, traineeships and PLCs provide alternative routes to exciting, well-paid careers

College Choice: Essential reading for Leaving Certificate students

We hope there’s something for every Leaving Cert student (and parent!) in today’s College Choice guide in The Irish Times

Key dates for 2026 CAO applications: from early-bird applications to Leaving Cert appeals

Here is every important date in the CAO calendar along with important links, reminders and information about fees

What should you be thinking about when deciding on a third-level college?

Students should think beyond their course choices towards career options, experts advise

Six things you need to consider before making your third-level and further education choices

CAO applicants for 2026 will need to register before February 1st at 5pm

‘My daughter, along with most of her classmates, seem laser-focused on going to UCD or Trinity’

She could sit down with her guidance counsellor in school and explore how her interests and learning style align with the available options

FAFO parenting has taken over from the gently-gently approach

This new trend sounds remarkably like the parenting of the 1980s and 1990s, the kind we’ve mostly been trying to avoid

Things to consider when choosing an Irish secondary school for your child

Feeder schools tables are informative, but there are plenty of other requirements to consider when looking at schools

Feeder schools: How graduates of Irish second-level schools are progressing to third-level institutions

Pick up our supplement with The Irish Times today to find out everything you need to know

How do I choose the right secondary school for my child?

Apart from feeder schools lists, what else should parents and guardians consider?

Feeder Schools 2025: What you need to know about latest data for Irish schools

Data is compiled from State Examinations Commission Leaving Cert sits list and lists provided by higher education institutions

Feeder Schools: Six take-aways from this year’s listings

Deis has improved progression prospects of students in disadvantaged areas but Ireland is still not an equal-opportunity society for children

Feeder Schools: Why are further education and training progression rates not included?

Further education and training is a category that includes Post-Leaving Cert (PLC), apprenticeship and traineeship courses

Feeder Schools: How to make sense of school progression charts

14,000 of the 2025 Leaving Cert class decided that applying to the CAO was not right for them

Third-level progression rates: Why do some schools score more than 100%?

It seems mathematically impossible, but the percentage number accounts for several different elements

Teaching has become an increasingly lonely profession

In my past life, which included a stint as a private detective, there was time for a chat and a joke with a colleague. Not any more

‘My son has no idea what he wants to do after college, so how real is the CAO cut-off point?’

The February 1st initial deadline is in many ways an administrative carryover from a bygone era

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