Second Level Education in Ireland

The second-level education sector comprises secondary, vocational, community and comprehensive schools.

Secondary schools are privately owned and managed. The trustees of the majority of these schools are religious communities or Boards of Governors. Vocational schools are administered by Vocational Education Committees while community and comprehensive schools are managed by Boards of Management of differing compositions.


Building on the foundation of primary education, second-level education aims to provide a comprehensive, high-quality learning environment which enables all students to live full lives, appropriate to their stage of development, and to realise their potential as individuals and as citizens. It aims to prepare students for adult life and to help them proceed to further education or directly to employment.

Second-level education consists of a three-year junior cycle followed by a two or three-year senior cycle. The Junior Certificate examination is taken on completion of a Junior Certificate course of three years duration. The Junior Cycle covers a vital period in young people's lives when they encounter significant changes in their educational experience. The principal objective of the Junior Cycle is for students to complete broad, balanced and coherent courses of study in a variety of curricular areas relevant to their own personal development and to allow them to achieve a level of competence in these courses which will enable them to proceed to senior cycle education.

The Transition Year

Transition Year which has been one of the major innovations in Irish education is an option which is now firmly embedded in our system. It provides an opportunity for students to experience a wide range of educational inputs and work experience at a remove from the examination focus.

The Leaving Certificate

The Leaving Certificate examination is held at the end of the Senior Cycle in post-primary schools. It is the terminal examination of post primary education. The Senior Cycle caters for pupils in the 15 to 18 year old age group. Students normally sit for the examination at the age of 17 or 18, after 5 or 6 years of post primary education. Pupils following the established Leaving Certificate programme must take at least five subjects.