Second Level

News and advice on the second-level education system.

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

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

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

‘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

Irish students in Germany explain Killorglin’s Puck Fair to dropped jaws

Ireland’s schools utilising EU funds to send students to Germany are pushing at an open door

Young Scientist: Kerry student (15) wins overall prize for brain cancer diagnostic tool

Aoibheann Daly develops GlioScope that can reduce need for invasive procedures

Education matters: Places on medical and paramedical degrees in Ulster University

Ask Brian: There are places open to Republic of Ireland students, but applications must be submitted to UCAS by January 14th

Stream of rejection letters from special schools is ‘soul destroying’, says father

Riley McMahon’s twin sister attends local secondary school, increasing his awareness of what he’s missing out on

Which CAO programmes must be listed due to portfolio, interview or performance criteria?

Ask Brian: All you need to know about the restricted application courses for 2026

Civil servants say targeted bursaries for teachers must be considered to boost supply

Naughton advised of shortage of personnel with qualifications in key subjects at post-primary level

Where CAO points are likely to settle in 2026

Ask Brian: Gradual reduction in grade enhancement begun this year will continue for the next four or five years

Leaving Cert AI reforms risk making a mockery of the principle of equality

Teachers are wearily getting on with the reformed Leaving Cert, but there are some things they just can’t do – like stopping students cheating

Secret Teacher: I handled that PT meeting incorrectly, even though I stand over what I said

Smiling like a self-assured Bond villain, the mother leaned in – ‘they don’t think they’re succeeding in your class’

EirGrid and Green Schools partner to power young minds

EirGrid’s support allowed An Taisce Green-Schools to bring back the energy theme of its programme last year

A national conversation about the future of Irish education is about to start. It could be magical

It must make space for voices that are too often left out, and children and young people must be at its heart

Nursing and midwifery offer careers for those with aptitude, curiosity and compassion

A degree in nursing or midwifery is a foundation for lifelong learning, with job opportunities across diverse settings

New Deis Plus plan for Ireland’s most disadvantaged areas needs to be bold

If Deis Plus is watered down, it will be horrifically depressing for everyone within education

‘Points don’t define potential – work ethic and passion do’

Rickwang Tientcheu says he drifted through the Covid years of second level before building up his own app for students, Edu Éire

Variation in primary teachers’ proficiency in Irish ‘a matter of significant concern’

Department inspectorate found ‘apparent lack of confidence’ among many teachers using Irish in English-medium schools

Ireland remains locked into the anglophone world. Will we ever make the multilingual leap?

Language specialists doubt whether existing educational policies can deliver on State’s linguistic competence deficit

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