Students deserve a reformed Leaving Cert that prepares them for the modern world
Plans to introduce more project work would reduce pressure and provide a broader assessment of candidates’ abilities over a longer time
Leaving Certificate
Discover the latest updates on the Leaving Cert syllabus, with news and adivce on exams, results and your educational journey
Explainer: why are second level teachers protesting outside schools today?
Unions want Leaving Cert reforms to be delayed, but Norma Foley says millions is being invested to support changes
Teachers to protest next week in bid to delay Leaving Cert reform
ASTI and TUI say school day will not be disrupted by planned demonstrations
‘We need extra time now’: Students with additional needs call for State exam changes
Many neurodiverse pupils are high achievers, but the education assessment system can present them with unique challenges
Leaving Cert students may face single English exam, with project in fifth year
New plans aimed at easing stress facing students in the traditional high stakes written exams
I’m not sure my son will be organised enough to meet upcoming CAO deadlines. Can you help?
There is no great urgency in selecting courses, but it is very important to read up on all-important instructions
Third-level open days: Questions Leaving Cert 2025 students should ask
Open Day visits provide prospective students with a valuable opportunity to investigate third-level facilities
‘Early mornings worked best. I was at my desk at 4.30am’: How I got 9H1s in the Leaving Cert
Robin Caren, who secured top grades in all nine of her end-of-school exams, shares the secrets of her success
A super-charged technology threatens to destroy the integrity of the Leaving Cert
Additional assessment components worth 40% are being introduced at a time when AI tools are developing rapidly and relentlessly
Students from Republic missing out on UK places because of junior cycle marking
Everyone wants senior cycle reform to succeed, but if junior cycle is an indication, there are real grounds for concern
My son in thinking of going to college abroad due to high CAO points at home. Is this wise?
Courses can be demanding but are an excellent pathway for a student to study their dream course
‘We’re fully booked’: How grind schools became big business
Rugby stars such as Brian O’Driscoll and Caelan Doris are among the investors in a booming private tuition sector which promises top grades in the Leaving Cert points race. But is it piling too much pressure on students?
Will CAO points fall next year due to reduction in Leaving Cert grade inflation?
Supply and demand of places, as well as applicants’ grades, determine CAO entry points for individual courses
Is inexplicably hard marking at Junior Cycle meant to prove a point to teachers?
Same students facing frustration at mediocre marks in the Junior Cycle are about to be the guinea pigs for the new Senior Cycle. This is doubly unfair
It’s worse than George Orwell imagined. There’s no need to ban books no one wants to read
What Aldous Huxley feared has come to pass: we are drowning in a sea of irrelevance
Phone pouches: What school principals, teachers and students are saying
Most agree phones can distract from learning. But is the Budget 2025 allocation of €9m for pouches the best use of funds?
Budget 2025: Opposition calls for election as Coalition defends budget ‘bonanza’ in face of fierce criticism
Labour says budget was ‘all glitter and full of shiny gimmicks’; Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has said she ‘wants to see a full restoration’ of barristers fees
Budget 2025: Double child benefit payment; petrol and diesel prices to increase; series of personal tax cuts
The final cost of living package will now come in at just shy of €2 billion, well in excess of the €1.5bn expected
Leaving Cert supervisor’s claim for increased mileage expenses for using better roads fails
Daniel Murphy told Workplace Relations Commission that he risked getting stuck behind silage traffic while travelling cross-country from Co Monaghan to Co Meath
My approach to college resulted in a just-about-scraped-a-pass degree. I regret nothing
I regarded university as a resource to be used, not a place to be told what to do
One in five Leaving Cert results upgraded after rechecks
Thirty-one students who did not appeal results get upgrades following quality assurance checks
Higher Options opens to 30,000 school students
European and UK universities seeking to attract Irish college applicants amid rising rental costs at home
Career path: How to build a career in the construction industry
With so many educational options available to school-leavers, we looked at the different entry routes in one key sector in the Irish economy
‘I scowled, grew up and, ultimately, found out that they were right’
How we did it: From landing their first job to finding purpose in their careers, we spoke to three graduates to see how they navigated life after college.
How to use your time at Higher Options
Higher Options offers students the opportunity to attend talks or talk directly with representatives of third level institutions
Help your child to identify their interests and passions
What parents need to know about the course selection process and how to support your children when choosing their next steps
One of best-kept secrets for access to college is a new route that does not require CAO points
One of best-kept secrets for access to third level is a new route that does not require Leaving Cert points
Do we understand what the Irish education system is doing to our young people?
Use of technology in schools has increased exponentially since the Covid-19 pandemic but why is there so little discussion around it, apart from the continuing debate about smartphones?
Two new veterinary colleges to almost double number of such graduates each year
New places at South East Technological University and Atlantic Technological University may ease CAO pressure
My daughter wants to drop to ordinary level Irish so she can focus on a top grade in other subjects. Should she?
It is common for students to be strategic in order to target high CAO points, but it is a misguided approach
Most Leaving Cert students availing of grinds but little evidence of gain for higher achieving students
Some 55 per cent of final year students availing of private tuition to boost chances of accessing university
Leaving Cert students to get up to 50% of marks by creating video in new subject
Drama and film studies to be introduced to schools on ‘phased basis’ from 2025 onwards
Dentists seek cap on course places for overseas students to ease CAO points for Irish school leavers
Up to half of places on dental sciences courses are set aside for international trainees who pay €45,000 per year
Have your say: Did the CAO work for you?
Following criticisms from secondary school principals we would like to hear your views on the Central Applications Office system
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