Early childhood education in Ireland begins a little later than usual.

The
compulsory school age begins at six rather than at four like many people
may be used to. There are options for early schooling, although these infant
classes were not always available or even offered at every school. Most of
the early childhood and infant education classes are handled by private
organizations or by volunteer groups. In 2010, the Department of Youth
Affairs has implemented a free Pre-School Year scheme that guarantees all
children between the ages of three and four the opportunity to attend a preschool program leading up to their enrollment in primary school. Though this
program is not required, nearly 94% of parents utilize this opportunity. This
outstanding number shows just how involved Irish families are in their childs
educations.
By the time children reach primary school they have many
opportunities available to them. Families may choose to send their child to
either state-funded primary schools, special schools or private/charter
schools. State-funded schools include Gaelscoileanna (Irish-medium schools),
religious schools, non-denominational schools or even multi-denominational
schools.
The set of primary school years are broken into eight parts. The first
two are junior infants and senior infants. After students pass the infant years
they continue from first to sixth grade. This marks the end of primary
education. Post Primary Education follows, which is broken into a three-year
cycle of lower secondary courses. This is typically focused around 12-14 year

olds. When students finish their junior cycle they are given a competency
exam which, if passed, allows them to move into the senior cycle of their
education. They may also choose to stay another year in a Transition Year.
The Transition Year is an opportunity for students to either master what they
have learned up to this point or make-up for any courses they may have
failed. The senior cycle is typically composed of 15-18 year olds.
Two years before the senior cycle ends, students must start one of
three programs leading to different certifications. The certifications include
The Leaving Certificate (TLC), The Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme
(TLCVP), or The Leaving Certificate Applied Programme (TLCAP). The Leaving
Certificate is an exam on the information taught in post-primary. Students
are required to take five courses of their choosing out of the thirty subjects
available; one of which must be Irish. The Leaving Certificate Vocational
Programme is nearly the same as the TLC except that students are required
to take additional vocational modules and must focus more primarily on
technical subjects. The Leaving Certificate Applied Programme is designed
for students who are not quite as advanced as the TLC and TLCVP courses.
This programme is a two year course that is more person-centered rather
than subject-based. The next step in education for these students is college.
Since 1980 the number of students attending higher education at a
university level has increased from 20% to nearly 55%. The growth in
education in Ireland is incredible and is constantly increasing with each
passing year.