The Irish government provides free education at both primary and secondary level, and approved third level courses are provided at no cost. Entry to approved third level courses is extremely competitive and places are allocated on the grades achieved in the Leaving Certificate - the final secondary level school exam.
Full-time education is compulsory from the age of 6 to 16 and there is no nationwide subsidised pre-school system. The Department of Education and Skills is responsible for the educational system in Ireland.
Comparability / Transparency of Qualifications
Information is available in a number of languages at
