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All children living in Ireland have the right to education, this includes refugees, asylum seekers, or children of migrant workers. They are also entitled to free pre-school, primary and secondary education, but you will still need to pay for the uniform, books, stationary and for any school trips. There are also private schools where you will need to pay fees every year. School uniforms are quite common in all levels of school, but vary from school to school. There are subsidies available to assist with this.
Although it is most common for children to commence primary school at aged four or five, education is compulsory for all children in Ireland from the ages of six to 16 or until students have completed three years of second level education including one sitting of the Junior Certificate examination.
In the Irish-speaking regions of Ireland, Irish is the primary medium of instruction at all levels. In these schools, English is taught as a second language in the second or third year.
In the English-speaking regions of Ireland, English is the primary medium of instruction at all levels. The exception to this is the specialised Irish speaking schools, Gaelscoileanna, where Irish is the working language. A student attending a school that receives public money must be taught the Irish language. However, certain students may get an exemption from learning Irish, e.g. students with a learning difficulty or those who have spent a significant period of time overseas.
Ireland offers a range of school types from private to public, co-educational to single sex, but some areas may have more limited options. The types of schools available for each level of schooling is discussed further in the following sections. Be aware that although controversial, religious schools, particularly of the Catholic and Protestant denominations, are allowed to give precedence to baptised children in circumstances where demand for places in the school exceeds the number available.
Special Education
All children, including children with disabilities and children with special needs, have a constitutional right to free primary education. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) role is to provide information to parents/guardians of children with special educational needs. They have released a helpful ‘Children with Special Educational Needs: Information Booklet for Parents’ with the aim helping you understand more about your child’s special educational needs, how these needs are assessed, and the supports that are available in school.
Some children attend special classes in mainstream schools and these classes generally have low pupil/teacher ratios. There are also over 140 special schools catering for particular types of disability and special needs. You can find the special schools in your area on the website on the NCSE website.
Learn more about Irish Schooling
- To find schools in the area that you are moving to, go onto the Department of Education’s website, ‘Find a School’ function.
- You can save money by buying, selling or exchanging second hand school books from the schooldays.ie website.
gabby
so I’m doing a project for my class, and I was wondering what is the literacy like in Ireland?
anju
hi
we lived in Ireland and got Irish passport for my daughter and she studied till primary school 6th grade and moved to another country. we r planning to move her for collage and my concern which type of collage fees she will be eligible to pay.
Colleen
Hi Anju,
Please contact the college for advice, as this website is not run by any college, so would cannot provide you with information about fees.
Shebbah
I am in Ireland on critical skills permit and my family will be coming in April. I have an 18 year old , 9 year old and 4 year old. My 18 year old son is in A level doing sciences (upper 6 ) in Zimbabwe and I would like to know which class he would likely be and how much fees would we have to pay in public schools?
Inga
Hi, I and my daughter are planning to move to Ireland in the coming summer. In August 2023, my daughter will be 6 years old. In which class we must apply senior infants or 1 class?
Lili
Hi Inga, same here my son wil be 6 on the 25th of June and it Is still not clear for me if he will be in senior infants or 1st class. I didn t understand if there Is a clear cut off depending on the month of birth.
Raja Hari
We are planning to migrate to Ireland this year. My kids are at 14 and 9. Is it any difficult for them to get school admissions as well as will it be tough for them. They are currently under CBSE indian curriculum.
Please advise.
Balaji Durairajan
Hi Raja Hari,
This is Balaji. I m also in similar situation .my son is in 9th grade 14 yrs old. Did you manage to get schools. Kindly let me know
Mahid
Hello,
My family is planning to move in the Ireland, I’m 18 Year, and i’m coming from italy, my question is i will continue to in a secondary Senior school? Or in a University?
alice zejglic
hi there
i am immigrating to ireland from SA and both my daughters and I have EU passports in January .. my worry is my eldest has completed grade 11 and what are the best options ie schooling .. online or repeating a year of school in ireland
Anne
hi Coleen
i would like to study my masters in Ireland and i have a 1 and half year old child and a girl of 13. how soon will they join and is is possible for them to school there.?and what do i require.
Colleen
It depends on your circumstances and citizenship. Please see here my guidance for coming to Ireland on a student visa.
Jeroen Kelderman
Hi,
I’m a EU passport holder, so is my daughter. Her mother, my partner has a South African Passport. Is it more advisable to marry before moving to Ireland or once we are in Ireland? What type of Visa would she need and would we only apply for a work permit for her once in Ireland?
Abdul
i have a german citizenchip and palnning to relocate to irland , are my kids alowed to go to the primay and secondary scholls for free ?
Colleen
In Ireland all children are entitled to free primary education.
Laura
Hi, I will move to Westport co Mayo for a month and would like my 4 year old to attend a kindergarden during that time. Do you think it is possible?
Thank you
Colleen
Hi Laura,
In order to get an accurate answer to your question, you would need to contact the kindergartens in that area to check with them about availability.
Teo
Hi, we’re from the States. If my husband gets a transfer with his company to Ireland, and he’s given a visa, do families typically get to come along? (And do we all get to ask for residency?) I’ve been trying to read up on it all, and it seems pretty different than what I’m familiar with here.
Also, my son has some learning issues, and although I read about special education in Ireland, I’m not seeing anything about homeschooling. If I choose to homeschool him, is it allowed in Ireland?
Thanks!
Colleen
It depends on the visa that he gets – more information about which visa’s family members can join on here. Information on home schooling can be found here.
Santosh Sah
Hi
We are moving to Dublin, Ireland in May/June. My daughter has passed class 11 in March 22, can she get admission in class 12 in any schools of Dublin?
Colleen
You will need to contact the school you are planning on enrolling her in and discuss it directly with them.
Mamun
Hi
This is Mamun from Bangladesh. I m planning to come to ireland in study visa along with my family. I want to know the fees structure of schools in Ireland. I want to take admission for my 10 years old son.
Thank you..
Vinod G Nair
Hi
My wife is in Dublin Ireland and I and my son is in India and now want to send my son to Ireland .He passed class 10 th exam this year from CBSE can he get admission there in next class and which school we have to choose
SL
Hi Colleen,
Thanks for your info. Can you advise me the following?
1. Is there any boarding offered by non-fee-paying secondary schools in Ireland?
2. The EEC citizen is able to apply the boarding, right?
3. Any Guidance of the kids is required if the parents have frequent travel and may not stay in Ireland throughout the year?
4. When will be application month for the secondary school in general for Sept 2022?
Thanks a lot for your answers.
Best Regards
SL
Pearl
Hi collin, I am from India and planning to move in Irland in the month of april 21. I have one kid which is 14years old and studying in 9th class in India and session end in the month of march. I want to know that in which class she got admission in irland. And confused about transition year which you explained here and should i come irland after completing her 10 standard ( next year) because this is totally different education system and i am not able to take decision.
Balaji
Hi Pearl,
This is Balaji and I have my son in 9th grade and I m looking for 10th grade . Could you help what approach you had taken
veronica
Hi Colleen I’m a mother of 4 from Nigeria, I have an M.ed in guidance and counselling, will it be possible to get teaching job in Ireland and will l be allowed to come with my kids, if eventually I get a job?
Please I also want to findout, just like the express entry programme in Canada ,is there a programme like for entering Ireland?
Thanks
Colleen
Hi Veronica,
I am not familiar with the education sector in Ireland. I suggest you contact some Irish recruitment agencies that specialise in placing applicants in education roles.
Suzan
Hello Colleen,
I have been offered a 2 year research position and will be moving from Estonia to Ireland with my family. The key issue for me is the fact that I have a 6 year old son who doesn’t speak much English and I am concerned that he would be losing a year (currently he is in Grade 1 in Estonia). I would very much appreciate any advice in terms of what school supports (if any) exist to support the transition?
Many thanks,
Suan
Colleen
I suggest you start by contacting the schools in the area you are moving to and discuss you concerns and needs with them to see what kind of additional support that they can provide. The Education website is a great resource.
priya
Hi. I’m priya from south korea. my native is India. me and 2.6 y child are moving to Ireland in early month of 2021. please guide a free education for my daughter and also for the admission in ashtown, dublin?
Colleen
Hi Priya,
You can learn more about primary school in Ireland here.
Alan Smith
Hello Colleen,
I was wondering if you could give me some advice, I have a job opportunity in Ireland if was to take the job it would mean relocating my family from the UK, my boys are 3 and 9 and I’m not to worried about them moving to new schools, my daughter will be 16 and would have completed her GCSEs in the UK, how will this transfer to an Irish education? she was planning on doing A levels to enable her to enroll into a university at 18? Any information or advice would be greatly appreciated
Colleen
Hi Alan Smith, I have a post on deciding whether to move to Ireland. I also suggest contacting the schools that you were planning on enrolling your children into to discuss your concerns with them. Also the School days website has lots of helpful information for parents and also a forum that you could use to contact other parents.
Andry
Hi!
I and my wife have a son of 4 and we are willing to move to Ireland.
Could you please clarify if the majority of primary and secondary school in Dublin and Kildare area are in English?
We would prefer avoiding those where Irish is the main language.
Thank you!
Andry
Colleen
You can search for school type in the area using the Government Education website.
Shammi
Hi Colleen,
Very useful content. I am relocating to Limerick with my family by October 1, 2020 from Mumbai, India. I have a daughter who is 7 years old and I want to take admission for her in class 2 in a primary school. I have a few questions and will be glad if you can clarify them for me.
– I am relocating to Ireland after the primary schools in the country have reopened. My daughter will be losing at least a month before she can start to go to school. Is this ok to lose a month of class? Should I finalize a rental home first or a school first? Not sure of this but I decided to finalize schools first. I have approached two schools situated in a locality which I like and one has responded back saying that my daughter will be in waitlist if I submit an application form. The other one has already denied admission stating they are full. For time being can I take admission to a different school in a different locality and wait for the waitlist to move ahead? Is there a possibility for the waitlist to move ahead in the middle of the academic year or will I have to wait till year-end?
– Is there a feeder system for secondary schools. If yes, then what is the possibility that my daughter can get admission to the secondary school of my choice if she is coming from a different locality/parish. I understand the American schooling system but not so clear about the Irish system. This will be useful for me to think ahead.
Neha
Hi Shammi ,
Just read your post . I am also sailing in the same boat as you were. I will be shifting to Ireland in November with two boys aged 4 and 9. Can you guide me how to search for a school in Limerick and whether to decided on my house first or the school .
Will greatly appreciate your help.
Thanks
Neha
Fabiola
Hello! I am a 17 year old Irish citizen. I was born and raised in Ireland. I moved away to the Netherlands about 4 1/2 years ago due to family problems. I am thinking of going back because the educational system here is horrible and I’m missing way too much. I’m 2 years back so that would make me in the 4th year of secondary learning school which is awful, they pulled me back because I had to learn the language. I believe I am capable of learning more things in English rather than dutch. Over here they teach only 4 subjects (maths, physics, Dutch and English) with an extra activity that has to do with building, woodwork etc. And it is simply horrific and I absolutely hate it. Now, to go back to ireland, I haven’t done my junior certificate, what year would they likely put me in? Will they make me to a test to see what year I would be in? I am thinking of getting extra tutor lessons because I would need to catch up a lot. Will they make me go back to 3rd year for me to do my junior certificate? How will it be with my exams etc. I’m really troubled and I want to get out of this country. I don’t see a future for myself here at all. Thank you and I hope you’ll give me a little bit of advice:)
Colleen
Hi Fabiola,
I don’t think I or anyone else would be able to advise you on your unique and individual personal circumstances. You would need to contact the school you are planning on attending and discuss it with them.
Martha
Hi
I am planning to do a post graduate certificate course in ireland . Is family allowed to go with student for the period of study
Thx
Colleen
If you are on a student visa, then in general, non-EEA students studying in Ireland have no entitlements to family reunification.
Iqra Fouzan
Can we apply for kindergarten I have 2 kids and we are from Pakistan
Colleen
Yes if they are eligible.
Geetanjali
Hello, dear
I am planning to move to Ireland in December with my 6 year old child. As i heard the from September new seesion will start, then how my child will get admission in mid session of school.
Thank you
Colleen
You will need to start contacting schools in the area you are moving to to discuss a mid-term enrolment with them.
Ramya
Hi Colleen,
Just reading through education system in Dublin and came across your post which is very informative.
Just a few questions:
Are there very few free/state funded secondary schools in Dublin?
And how do they compare in terms of education standard to private schools.
If the child is born in Ireland do we have access to free education irrespective of our nationality.
Thank you
Jen
Is learning Irish compulsory in fee paying boarding schools in Ireland. My daughter has attended a public NS since the age of 8 but we are considering a boarding school for secondary but would prefer for various reasons for her not to learn Irish at this level if she doesn’t have to.
Colleen
You can read more about exemption from Irish here.
Faz
Colleen hi,
A very useful site. I am British national. Can I live freely in republic of Ireland? Can I purchase property in Ireland? Do you have similar system of tax credits etc same tax system to UK?
Colleen
Yes to all.
Susan Skarzenski
Hello. I’m trying to get my daughter to live with my niece who already lives there to go to school for awhile. How would I go about doing this.
Colleen
Hi Susan Skarzenski,
You haven’t provided much information. I’m not sure what your question is?
Naomi
Hi Collen,
We are a family from the UK wanting to make the move to Ireland. I have a 16 year old that would need to start college and a 7 and 5 year old to start primary school. Does my 16 year old have to pay fees or the younger children.
Colleen
Children are entitled to free primary and post-primary education. The majority of primary schools are State-funded which means that you will not have to pay annual fees for your child’s education. However, if you choose other non-state funded schools then you will have to pay fees.
Steve
Hello, I am in a similar position with 5 kids (4 yrs to 17 yrs) and looking to relocate within the next 12 months, I am concerned about bullying in schools, particularly against English kids. Are you aware of any such instances or is there a different (better) societal acceptance of others in Ireland?
Colleen
Hi Steve,
I can’t answer this, but someone else might read this and be able to give you some advice. You could also reach out to other parents on the Schooldays.ie forum.
Zaker
Hello,
are the government schools And colleges are thoughts in english in Ireland? As I am planning to move to Ireland and I want to put my two children in school.
Colleen
Hi Zaker,
Just to bring your attention to the paragraph on this page which I believe answers your question ‘In the Irish-speaking regions of Ireland, Irish is the primary medium of instruction at all levels. In these schools, English is taught as a second language in the second or third year. In the English-speaking regions of Ireland, English is the primary medium of instruction at all levels. The exception to this is the specialised Irish speaking schools, Gaelscoileanna, where Irish is the working language.’
Rika
Hi
I am doing a task, I need information about the infrastructure of Ireland. What do classrooms have? Do teachers only use chalkboards or do they have projectors? How big is a classroom like how many learners consists in a classroom? Do schools have libraries? Do schools have laboratories for science? Are all hallways undercover? Do schools have fields learners can play one?
Colleen
Hi Rika,
You would be better to speak to someone who works in education who would have more knowledge than I. You can also Google schools in Ireland and go onto their websites to see images and information about the school and the resources they have available. You could also refer to the schooldays.ie website or reach out to people on the Boards.ie forum.
Each schools resources vary depending on location and the type of school. For example, city schools often have very little outdoor space, but those in the countryside may have fields for playing sport. Classrooms usually use whiteboards and have libraries. Highschools have labs to teach science. The design and layout of the school often depends on its age and location. There may be a number of buildings that the students have to walk outside to get to class.
Rina
Hi Colleen
My sister is doing a task on infrastructure of schools of Ireland, how classes look, sport fields ect. Can you help?
Colleen
Hi Rina, I have answered as best I can above.
Manju
Hi coleen
I have concern regarging my sons schooling
My son he is 11yrs irish citizen . Had to move abroad for 5yrs due to family problems .he will be returning back next year . He is in 5th class in a international school abroad . When is goes to college in ireland does the 5year compulsory residency effect .will he need to pay the fees .
Hope you can answer me
Thank you
Colleen
You must have been living in an EEA member state or Switzerland for at least 3 of the 5 years before starting your course. You can read more about the Student Grant Scheme here.
Shajna
Hello colleen,
This is shajna from India. I m planning to come to ireland in work visa along with my family. Thanks for your explanation about the schooling system in Ireland. I want to know the fees structure of schools in Ireland. I want to take admission for my 4 years old son.
Thank you..
Colleen
Children are entitled to free primary and post-primary education. The majority of primary schools are State-funded which means that you will not have to pay annual fees for your child’s education. However, if you choose other non-state funded schools then you will have to pay fees.
Mahesh Raman
Hi Colleen,
Thank you for creating this website. I have gone through your article on Schools and Education. Based on that I have below questions.
This is Mahesh Raman .I am from India and planning to come to Ireland in work visa along with my family . I have 2 sons ( 1st one is 6 years old & 2nd one is 2 years old).
Do I get a decent school where I can put both the kids. Please advise.
Regards,
Mahesh Raman
Colleen
Hi Mahesh Raman, I am not clear on what your question is? To check the schools that are available in the area you are moving to, go onto the Department of Education’s website ‘Find a School’ function. It depends on the school as to what ages they accommodate.
tom
Hello,
My family and I are planning to relocate to ireland due to the nature of my work. and i have my boys with me ages 17, 14 and 11. we are coming from the Philippines, my question is what would be the requirements if they will be studying in ireland? and can you give me an idea about the educational system in ireland and how my boys can transfer their schooling in ireland.
thank you very much
Colleen
Hi tom,
Have you read through my Education section? Have a look through the posts starting with my overview of Irish Schooling, then work through the appropriate schooling categories posts based on your children’s ages. Once you’ve read over them, then let me know if you have any further questions.