Education affects all citizens and the Department faces many challenges in ensuring that it meets the needs of many stakeholders – students, parents, teachers, management, schools and further and higher education providers, employers, and society generally. Education plays a major role in shaping the values and skills of our young people, in equipping learners for participation in social and economic life, in promoting equality, social inclusion and citizenship, and in providing a skills base in the knowledge society which will support competitiveness and growth.

There are approximately 875,000 students following first and second level programmes in schools, with some 115,000 sitting Certificate examinations each year. Approximately 58,000 teachers are paid from funds administered by the Department across first and second level.

Key concerns within the system are to

• Ensure the supply of school places for the expanding population
• Promote social inclusion, address educational disadvantage, and provide supports for the successful integration to the optimum extent of students with special needs into mainstream settings at every level of the system
• Ensure a broad and balanced education which meets personal, social, and economic needs and provides a range of choices to meet the diverse needs and interests of students
• Promote intercultural education, the integration of newcomer pupils and addressing the needs of those for whom English is not the mother tongue 
• Strengthen ICT, vocational and language skills and promote increased participation in science, engineering and technology in upper second level education, and encourage more students to seek third level and career options in this area
• Promote the national strategy for Science Technology and Innovation, enhancing third level industry collaboration, promoting excellence and strategic innovation, significantly increasing the numbers of post graduate students and researchers in the system, and promoting world class transnational research and development capability in areas critical to economic and social development
• Promote and market Ireland as a centre of excellence for international students in further and higher education and in English language training centres.

Our education system must continue to evolve in order to maintain quality relevance and inclusion in a changing world.

The Irish education system is structured as follows:-

Early childhood education
This applies to children aged 0-6. In general, early childhood education is provided in the private sector in crèches, naíonraí, and childcare settings, and in childcare programmes funded by the Office of the Minister for Children. The Department of Education and Skills funds a range of Early Start Programmes in areas of disadvantage, as well as  pre-school provision for Traveller pupils and those with special needs.  In addition, provision in national schools for children aged 4-6 is classified as pre-primary education.

The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment  (NCCA) has developed a curriculum framework for early learning, and the Centre for Early Childhood Development and Education is charged with providing a quality framework for the sector, promoting and supporting compliance, and engaging in research in the area.

Primary level 
In practice, the majority of students enrol in primary schools at 4 years of age and complete 8 years in primary school.  There are some 3,300 national schools, catering for of the order of 516,000 pupils. Approximately 31,900 teachers are employed at primary level.

Post Primary level
Pupils may transfer to a secondary, vocational, community or comprehensive school of their choice and complete a 3 year junior cycle leading to the award of the Junior Certificate. This is followed by an optional one Transition Year Programme which is offered in some 540 schools.  The Leaving Certificate in its various forms (established, Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme (LCVP) or Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA), is a 2 year programme which can be taken either immediately after junior cycle, or after Transition Year. There are approximately 304,000 students in second level schools. There are 25 subjects available at junior cycle, and 34 at senior cycle. 

Further Education
Further Education is education which is neither second level nor third level. It includes Youthreach and Senior Traveller Training Centre programmes for early schools, the Vocational Training Opportunity Scheme for unemployed adults, advanced vocational training on Post Leaving Certificate courses, adult literacy, community education, a Back to Education Initiative offering part time learning, and self funded adult education programmes. 

Provision is delivered in schools, further education colleges and out of school centres, and awards are certified by the Further Education and Training Awards Council (FETAC) at levels 1 to 6 inclusive in the National Framework of Qualifications. The majority of provision is delivered by Vocational Education Committees.

There are some 39,000 full time learners, and 56,000 part time or adult literacy learners. In addition, of the order of 156,000 adults avail of self funded part time adult education programmes offered in second level/FE schools. 

Vocational training is available in a wide range of disciplines covering such areas as business administration, ICT, electronics, multi-media, art craft and design, journalism, tourism and catering, childcare, construction, film, radio and sound, animation and equestrian studies.  

Third level education
Third level programmes ranging from Level 6 to 10 in the National Framework of Qualifications are offered in universities, institutes of technology, and colleges of education. An estimated 138,000 students follow full time programmes in colleges funded by the Department of Education and Skills. An extensive range of course options are available across the business, arts and social science, science, health,  engineering and technology, law, agriculture, food science and technology, education and veterinary fields.

Of the order of 1million full time students use the education system each day, attending first, second level, further and higher education institutions aided by the Department of Education and Skills. There are over 4,000 first and second level schools employing approximately 57,700 Teachers. Schools also employ Care-takers and Secretaries, and Special Needs Assistants. In higher education, 29 colleges are funded by the Department providing services to 160,230 full time students.   

Education policy in Ireland is the responsibility of the Department of Education and Skills. The Department is headed by a Minister  who is assisted by a number of  Ministers of State with inter-departmental remits in youth affairs and adult education, innovation policy, disability and mental health, children, and integration policy.

The demand for teachers in first and second level schools is expected to continue to grow in line with the increasing population, and as additional demands arise in regard to inclusion of students with special needs, and language supports for newcomer pupils with an English language deficit.

Curriculum reform, embedding of ICT, the demand for an array of active teaching and learning approaches, an increased emphasis on assessment in primary schools, a strengthened focus on inclusion and interculturalism, will all pose challenges for teachers and require that they continue to engage in professional development.

The role of a teacher continues to evolve as schools strengthen their links with parents, with local businesses and with community organizations, and as more emphasis is placed on facilitating students’ learning to learn, research and evaluation skills, and as technology influences classroom practice and subject content.