Enrolments at Leaving Cert grind schools are up - but do they offer a better education than traditional State schools, asks Ali Bracken
Business was brisk at the State's grind schools again this year, as the trend of more students opting to finish their secondary school education at the private Leaving Cert colleges continued. The cost of attending such schools, which are not governed by the Department of Education but run as private enterprises, ranges from €4,000 to €5,650 a year. But the high cost involved ensures that they operate as an exclusive option available only to a minority - which creates an apartheid in education, according to the Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI).
Full-time grind schools, often referred to as Leaving Cert colleges, have cropped up all over the Republic, catering for fifth and sixth year students as well as those opting to repeat their Leaving Cert. While some representatives from the education sector point to the fact that these private enterprises are not subject to education legislation, the schools in question would say their students' results speak for themselves.
"We do not consider them schools. They are for-profit businesses and are run as such," says John MacGabhann, education research officer with the TUI. "The teachers are not subject to inspection by the Department of Education. They are not publicly accountable in any way."
However, John Morris, vice-principal of the largest grind school in the country, the Institute of Education on Dublin's Leeson Street, argues that grind schools are extremely accountable - to their students and their students' parents. "We have emerged because traditional schools can be flawed. Things like teachers being difficult to remove and limited subject choice are the main reasons students come to us."
Unlike State schools, says Morris, the Institute of Education is in a position to terminate teachers' contracts if they don't meet the satisfaction of the student body. "Students fill out a questionnaire about teachers, management and facilities every year. We examine customer satisfaction and teachers don't always get kept on, unlike in other schools."
ENROLMENT WITH THE Institute of Education looks set to increase again this year, says Morris. "The fifth year students enrolling this year will match if not surpass last year. And remember, fewer people are actually sitting their Leaving Cert these days."
Grind schools Yeats College in Waterford, Bruce College in Cork, Cork Leaving Cert College, Dean College in Cork and Limerick Tutorial Centre also reported an increase in students enrolling this year. The Cork Leaving Cert College estimates as high as a 30 per cent increase in enrolment. Hewitt College in Cork, Park College in Galway and the Dublin Tutorial Centre (the only school in the Republic to offer A-Level courses as an alternative to the Leaving Cert) all say that the number of students this year so far matches last year, but point out that enrolment and interviews are still ongoing.
Micheál Landers, principal of Bruce College in Cork, says enrolment can continue until the end of September, as some students will return to their State schools before realising they would rather attend a grind school. "And we are regulated in the sense that we have to teach courses according to department rules," adds Landers. "At the end of the day, if we're not doing it right, the students won't keep coming back."
WHILE THE NATIONAL Parents Council Post-Primary (NPCPP) welcomes choice within the educational system, it urges caution with regard to grind schools. "We would gently advise parents who are considering sending their sons and daughters to grind schools to ensure that their expectations match those of their children," says Jim Jackman, before adding that such schools do not take a holistic approach to education.
MacGabhann echoes this view, saying that these for-profit organisations have no allegiance to the community. Morris, however, refutes this strongly. "We are a community within ourselves, and we offer extra-curricular activities like chess and debating as well as sports." The impressive Leaving Cert record held by many of these schools speaks volumes, but MacGabhann highlights other factors that could affect exam results.
"For the most part, students who attend these grind schools are coming from families where education is valued, which makes a difference," he says. The huge advertising revenue at the disposal of these for-profit businesses also helps boost their enrolment, he adds. "The purpose of their advertising is to frighten parents into believing their children will not achieve their potential in exams unless they attend these places."
While MacGabhann believes that State schools are as good, "if not better", than grinds schools, Landers argues that they are simply different and cater for students who are specifically interested in going on to university or an institute of technology. Landers and Morris believe that their grind schools successfully combine business with education, and that there is nothing wrong with doing so. Grind schools are undeniably lucrative; the Institute of Education earned a reported €9 million in tuition fees last year.
MacGabhann, meanwhile, believes there are more important things to be considered. Anecdotal evidence and suggestions from third level institutions, he says, implies that some grind school students don't perform as well as expected. "Those in grind schools might do well in their exams, but the nature of learning they undertake doesn't necessarily prepare them for the demands at third level."