Prestigious schools in Ireland for foreign students - useful information
If compared with the leading private schools in the UK, the popularity among foreign students of advanced private schools in Ireland is lower. At the same time, prestigious schools in Ireland provide the highest level of quality of educational services, while at the same time the cost of education is lower by a third compared to British boarding schools.
Irish secondary education - what does it include?
The Irish Department of Education is responsible for developing and approving educational standards. So, there are 30 subjects to choose from for foreign students, namely foreign languages such as English, French, German, Spanish, and other disciplines like mathematics, economics, geography, history, biology, chemistry, physics, work, music, drawing.
The Irish secondary education system has three main parts, namely:
- Junior School
- Junior High School Cycle
- Senior High School Cycle.
Please note that some private schools in Ireland provide for an extra year, which is a transitional class, between high school cycles.
So, at the first stage of education, namely, junior high school, students who are 6 years old and under 12 years old are admitted. As part of this phase, students are required to study mathematics, English, as well as Irish. On an additional basis, it is envisaged to attend classes in music, art, as well as sports.
The duration of education in the second educational level, in other words, junior high school, is three years. The target audience for education are foreign students aged 13 to 16 years. At this educational stage, the list of academic subjects for study is increasing, thereby amounting to 10. When completing education within this stage of education, a foreign student is given the opportunity to study at the Transition Year, representing the year during which the student selects a list of subjects for study corresponding to individual goals and preferences, as well as interests. Please note that in the walls of elite private schools in Ireland, education in the framework of the transition year is mandatory, in other Irish educational institutions the student independently chooses to study in the framework of the transition year.
Irish students must go through elementary school and junior high school. After passing the two educational stages, the Junior Certificate exam is provided. Directly on the basis of the results, enrollment in an Irish high school is carried out.
As for the senior secondary school , the duration of study is 2 years, the purpose of the educational course is effective education, aimed at unhindered admission to the top universities of foreign countries of the world. Within the framework of this educational program, teaching from 6 to 8 disciplines is provided, while English and mathematics are mandatory for study. As for the remaining subjects, they are independently selected by a foreign student taking into account individual goals, preferences and future specialization. Upon completion of education, students are expected to pass the exam, in addition, in case of good academic performance, graduates are issued a Leaving Certificate (LCE), which is an analogue of the British A-level program. Please note that this certificate is universally quoted by all English-speaking countries. Having this certificate in hand, the graduate has an excellent opportunity to enter ranking universities not only in Ireland, but also in the USA, Australia, and Great Britain.
Leading private schools in Ireland - useful information for foreign students
Statistics show that there are over 800 schools in Ireland, 20% of which are private. Please note that the leading public schools in Ireland accept foreign students, while in accordance with Irish law a teenager who is under 18 years old must have a guardian who is a citizen of Ireland. In the case of enrollment in a ranking private school in Ireland, the role of the guardian is assigned to the educational institution. It is also worth noting that the emergence of public Irish schools accounted more for the 60s of the 20th century, while at the same time giving way to private schools in terms of many factors.
Special attention deserves the fact that Ireland’s leading private schools have a centuries-old history of functioning, improvement of teaching methods, as well as modern infrastructure equipment. As for school campuses, they are modern campuses, on the territory of which there are educational buildings, canteens, libraries, sports grounds, hostels, the accommodation of students in which is subject to constant and careful monitoring by teachers and educators. Please note that the prestigious private schools in Ireland differ in the format of instruction, namely joint or separate (only for boys or girls).
Upon reaching the age of 12, foreign students can enter elite private schools in Ireland. As practice shows, the predominant number of foreign students go to Irish ranking schools to study in the last two classes in order to undergo effective pre-university education.
Regardless of the age of the adolescent, elite Irish private boarding schools develop a wide list of educational programs that are available for foreign students. It is worth noting that it is envisaged to teach foreign students physics, biology, chemistry, geography, history, drawing, music, economics, physical education, art, accounting, etc. In addition, teachers emphasize the comprehensive development of the student. In this connection, without fail, all students, without exception, attend classes in a particular sport or / and musical, artistic arts.
The procedure for entering the top private schools in Ireland - useful information for foreign students
To enter the best private school in Ireland, you need to prepare the following package of documents, including:
- Copy of your passport
- School grades for the last two years of study, the share of excellent grades should be at least 40%
- International language certificate confirming a high level of English proficiency
- Letters of recommendation prepared by teachers in mathematics and English, in some cases it is necessary to provide a letter from the principal
- A student’s motivation letter stating the reasons for wanting to get a high school education in a particular leading private school in Ireland.
Please note that these requirements are not limited to the listed list, therefore, you may need to provide additional documents upon admission to some leading private schools in Ireland. In addition, a foreign student needs to demonstrate a fairly good level of language and academic knowledge. Also, the requirement for writing an entrance test in English and mathematics is not ruled out. More information can be found on the portal of a particular private school in Ireland.
In addition, the package of documents should include all the awards and regalia received for high results in sports and creativity. It is worth noting that when entering some ranking Irish schools, an interview is required on Skype, as well as passing additional tests in mathematics and other academic subjects.
Once again, SMAPSE experts note that preparing a package of necessary documents is worth doing in advance. So, the vast majority of prestigious private schools in Ireland accept applications until January.
The cost of elite secondary education in the best schools in Ireland
Democracy is a key characteristic of tuition at prestigious private schools in Ireland. So, if you compare with the UK, USA, Switzerland, then the cost of education in Ireland is about 20-30% lower. At the same time, the infrastructure and technical equipment of educational institutions, as well as the quality of educational services, are in most cases higher than in leading boarding schools in England and America.
Thus, the cost of education, taking into account accommodation and meals, on average ranges from 10,000 to 15,000 €. Considering the educational institutions of Dublin, which is the capital of Ireland, a foreign teenager has the opportunity to receive high-quality secondary education, the cost of which varies from 9,000 to 14,000 €. Please note that the price of education includes a curriculum, school uniform, teaching materials, food, as well as accommodation.
It is also worth noting that, having a certificate of complete secondary schools in Ireland, this document is universally quoted by top universities in countries such as the UK, Canada, the USA , Switzerland, etc. Thus, having become a holder of a certificate, a foreign graduate can freely enter the ranking universities of Ireland and other countries of the world.
Pros of elite secondary education in private schools in Ireland
- Lower cost of education, which does not affect the quality of educational services;
- The education provides for the gradual introduction of specialization, which allows foreign students to choose disciplines taking into account individual goals and preferences;
- Ensuring comfortable living conditions, guaranteeing round-the-clock safety of students in the school territory;
- The widest list of disciplines for study and educational programs that are focused on the comprehensive development of students.
