"Embracing diversity in all its forms": The voluntary secondary sector in Irish education

Ca oll, Eamonn; MacCoy, Selina; Ye, Keyu
Resea ch Repo
"Emb acing di e si y in all i s o ms": The olun a y
seconda y sec o in I ish educa ion
Resea ch Se ies, No. 182
P o ided in Coope a ion wi h:
The Economic and Social Resea ch Ins i u e (ESRI), Dublin
Sugges ed Ci a ion: Ca oll, Eamonn; MacCoy, Selina; Ye, Keyu (2024) : "Emb acing di e si y in all i s
o ms": The olun a y seconda y sec o in I ish educa ion, Resea ch Se ies, No. 182, The Economic
and Social Resea ch Ins i u e (ESRI), Dublin,
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‘EMBRACING DIVERSITY IN ALL ITS
FORMS’: THE VOLUNTARY SECONDARY
SECTOR IN IRISH EDUCATION
EAMONN CARROLL, SELINA MCCOY AND KEYU YE
RESEARCH
SERIES
NUMBER 182
APRIL 2024
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‘EMBRACING DIVERSITY IN ALL ITS FORMS’:
THE VOLUNTARY SECONDARY SECTOR
IN IRISH EDUCATION
Eamonn Ca oll
Selina McCoy
Keyu Ye
Ap il 2024
RESEARCH SERIES
NUMBER 182
A ailable o download om www.es i.ie
© The Economic and Social Resea ch Ins i u e
Whi ake Squa e, Si John Roge son’s Quay, Dublin 2
ISBN 978-0-7070-0551-5
h ps://doi.o g/10.26504/ s182
This Open Access wo k is licensed unde a C ea i e Commons A ibu ion 4.0 In e na ional License
(h ps://c ea i ecommons.o g/licenses/by/4.0/), which pe mi s un es ic ed use, dis ibu ion, and
ep oduc ion in any medium, p o ided he o iginal wo k is p ope ly c edi ed.
ABOUT THE ESRI
The Economic and Social Resea ch Ins i u e (ESRI) ad ances e idence-based
policymaking ha suppo s economic sus ainabili y and social p og ess in I eland.
ESRI esea che s apply he highes s anda ds o academic excellence o challenges
acing policymake s, ocusing on en a eas o c i ical impo ance o 21s cen u y
I eland.
The Ins i u e was ounded in 1960 by a g oup o senio ci il se an s led by
D T.K. Whi ake , who iden i ied he need o independen and in-dep h esea ch
analysis. Since hen, he Ins i u e has emained commi ed o independen
esea ch and i s wo k is ee o any exp essed ideology o poli ical posi ion. The
Ins i u e publishes all esea ch eaching he app op ia e academic s anda d,
i espec i e o i s indings o who unds he esea ch.
The ESRI is a company limi ed by gua an ee, answe able o i s membe s and
go e ned by a Council, comp ising up o 14 ep esen a i es d awn om a c oss-
sec ion o ESRI membe s om academia, ci il se ices, s a e agencies, businesses
and ci il socie y. Funding o he ESRI comes om esea ch p og ammes suppo ed
by go e nmen depa men s and agencies, public bodies, compe i i e esea ch
p og ammes, membe ship ees and an annual g an -in-aid om he Depa men
o Public Expendi u e NDP Deli e y and Re o m.
Fu he in o ma ion is a ailable a www.es i.ie.
THE AUTHORS
Eamonn Ca oll was a Pos -Doc o al Fellow a he Economic and Social Resea ch
Ins i u e (ESRI) and an Adjunc Assis an P o esso a T ini y College Dublin (TCD)
a he ime when he was wo king wi h he ESRI. Selina McCoy is an Associa e
Resea ch P o esso a he ESRI and an Adjunc P o esso in Sociology a TCD. Keyu
Ye is a Resea ch Assis an a he ESRI.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The esea ch eam would like o acknowledge he suppo and con ibu ion o
educa ion s akeholde s who ga e so gene ously o hei ime. We would also like
o hank membe s o he Depa men o Educa ion who p o ided da a on unding
o schools. We also g ea ly app ecia e and acknowledge he aluable
con ibu ions and engagemen o s uden s, pa en s, school p incipals,
SENCOs/guidance counsello s and o he school s a membe s, chai s/membe s o
boa ds o managemen , as well as o he s akeholde s who pa icipa ed in he
s udy. We would like o hank he Educa ional Resea ch Cen e eam o hei wo k
on PISA, which has p o ed an impo an pa o his s udy. We also app ecia e da a
om Oide on newly appoin ed p incipals. In addi ion, we would like o exp ess ou
hanks o in e nal ESRI and ex e nal e iewe s o pee e iewing his epo . Also
wi hin he ESRI, we would like o hank Cono O’Toole, Caoimhe Dempsey, Sa ah
Bu ns and Julianne Flynn o help ul guidance and P o esso Helen Russell, Head o
he Social Resea ch Di ision o he ESRI.
G owing Up in I eland (GUI) is unded by he Depa men o Child en, Equali y,
Disabili y, In eg a ion and You h (DCEDIY). I is managed by DCEDIY in associa ion
wi h he Cen al S a is ics O ice (CSO). Resul s in his epo a e based on analyses
o da a om Resea ch Mic oda a Files p o ided by he CSO. Nei he he CSO no
DCEDIY ake any esponsibili y o he iews exp essed o he ou pu s gene a ed
om hese analyses.
This esea ch has been unded by he Join Manage ial Body o Volun a y
Seconda y Schools (JMB), which p o ided aluable suppo a all s ages o he
s udy. The ESRI esea ch eam emained independen and ensu ed objec i i y a
all s ages in he esea ch p ocess. A no ime ha e he esea che s e ealed he
iden i y o he pa icipa ing schools o indi iduals o discussed any indings
ega ding indi idual schools.
This epo has been accep ed o publica ion by he Ins i u e, which does no i sel ake ins i u ional
policy posi ions. The epo has been pee e iewed p io o publica ion. The au ho s a e solely
esponsible o he con en and he iews exp essed.

Table o con en s | i
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABBREVIATIONS ..................................................................................................................................... ix
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................... xi
CHAPTER 1 In oduc ion ......................................................................................................................... 1
1.1 Mo i a ion o he epo 1
1.2 Policy con ex 3
1.3 Ou line o he epo 13
CHAPTER 2 Me hodology ...................................................................................................................... 15
2.1 In oduc ion .......................................................................................................................... 15
2.2 Sample design ....................................................................................................................... 17
2.3 Focus g oups wi h s uden s .................................................................................................. 19
2.4 In e iews wi h key s akeholde s ......................................................................................... 20
2.5 S uden su ey ...................................................................................................................... 23
2.6 Resea ch e hics ..................................................................................................................... 31
2.7 Summa y ............................................................................................................................... 32
CHAPTER 3 School p o ile ..................................................................................................................... 33
3.1 In oduc ion .......................................................................................................................... 33
3.2 His o ical school p o iles ....................................................................................................... 33
3.3 School p o iles in ou sample ................................................................................................ 38
3.4 School choice ........................................................................................................................ 51
3.5 Summa y ............................................................................................................................... 56
CHAPTER 4 School e hos and cul u e ................................................................................................... 57
4.1 In oduc ion .......................................................................................................................... 57
4.2 School e hos .......................................................................................................................... 59
4.3 School clima e ....................................................................................................................... 77
4.4 S uden engagemen ............................................................................................................ 80
4.5 S uden oice ........................................................................................................................ 88
4.6 Summa y ............................................................................................................................... 94
ii | The olun a y seconda y sec o in I ish educa ion
Chap e 5 School gende mix ................................................................................................................ 97
5.1 In oduc ion 97
5.2 Seconda y da a analysis 97
5.3 S uden su ey esul s 99
5.4 Quali a i e in e iews and ocus g oups 103
5.5 Summa y 106
CHAPTER 6 Technology and lea ning .................................................................................................. 109
6.1 In oduc ion ........................................................................................................................ 109
6.2 T ansi ion o seconda y school ........................................................................................... 109
6.3 Subjec choice ..................................................................................................................... 110
6.4 Ex en o which subjec s a e seen as in e es ing o di icul .............................................. 115
6.5 Junio Cycle expe iences ..................................................................................................... 116
6.6 Senio Cyle p og ammes and cu iculum............................................................................ 120
6.7 Academic sel -image ........................................................................................................... 124
6.8 Teaching and lea ning ......................................................................................................... 126
6.9 Academic and SEN suppo s ............................................................................................... 132
6.10 Summa y ............................................................................................................................. 138
CHAPTER 7 Technology use a school ............................................................................................. 141
7.1 In oduc ion ........................................................................................................................ 141
7.2 O e all use o echnology a school .................................................................................... 141
7.3 Summa y ............................................................................................................................. 154
CHAPTER 8 COVID-19 impac .......................................................................................................... 155
8.1 COVID-19 expe iences and impac ..................................................................................... 155
8.2 Quali a i e in e iews and ocus g oups ............................................................................ 159
8.3 Summa y ............................................................................................................................. 169
CHAPTER 9 B oade social and pe sonal de elopmen ...................................................................... 171
9.1 In oduc ion ........................................................................................................................ 171
9.2 Ci izenship educa ion and social awa eness ....................................................................... 171
9.3 Pa icipa ion in ac i i ies ou side school ............................................................................ 177
9.4 Bene i s o second le el educa ion ..................................................................................... 183
9.5 S uden wellbeing and li e sa is ac ion ............................................................................... 186
9.6 Plans and ou look o he u u e ......................................................................................... 193
9.7 Summa y ............................................................................................................................. 194
Table o con en s | iii
CHAPTER 10 Key challenges and s eng hs ....................................................................................... 197
10.1 Resou ces and unding ........................................................................................................ 197
10.2 Leade ship challenges ......................................................................................................... 204
10.3 Teache ec ui men ........................................................................................................... 208
10.4 Suppo om he JMB ......................................................................................................... 209
10.5 Posi i e school en i onmen s ............................................................................................. 212
10.6 Summa y ............................................................................................................................. 214
CHAPTER 11 Discussion and conclusion ............................................................................................ 217
11.1 Summa y o key indings ..................................................................................................... 218
11.2 Implica ions o he olun a y seconda y sec o ................................................................ 224
11.3 Implica ions o na ional educa ion policy ......................................................................... 229
11.4 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................... 235
Re e ences ...................................................................................................................................... 239
Appendix – Addi ional ables .............................................................................................................. 251
x | The olun a y seconda y sec o in I ish educa ion
NEPS Na ional Educa ional Psychological Se ice
NFQ Na ional F amewo k o Quali ica ions
OECD O ganisa ion o Economic Co-ope a ion and De elopmen
PE Physical educa ion
PISA P og amme o In e na ional S uden Assessmen
SEC S a e Examina ions Commission
SCP School Comple ion P og amme
SEN Special educa ional needs
SENCO Special educa ional needs coo dina o
SNA Special needs assis an (s)
SSS Sec e a ia o Seconda y Schools
SSSF School Se ices Suppo Fund
STEM Science, echnology, enginee ing and ma hema ics
SUSI S uden Uni e sal Suppo I eland
TY T ansi ion Yea
TCD T ini y College Dublin
VEC Voca ional Educa ion Commi ees
VLE Vi ual lea ning en i onmen
UN Uni ed Na ions
UNCRPD UN Con en ion on he Righ s o Pe sons wi h Disabili ies

Execu i e summa y | xi
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
INTRODUCTION
The I ish educa ion sys em is unde going signi ican change as i na iga es he
challenges o he 2020s. Schools a e a he on line o I eland’s e o s o in eg a e
mig an amilies, build an inclusi e socie y and ackle gene a ional socioeconomic
inequali y. They a e also, inc easingly, key si es o con es a ion o e deep social
ques ions like he place o ai h and secula ism in public ins i u ions and he bes
pa h o ensu ing young people h i e, ega dless o hei gende o sexual
o ien a ion. While many o hese challenges esona e ac oss he second-le el
sec o as all schools g apple wi h he di icul ies and oppo uni ies o educa ing
young adul s in oday’s I eland, he ocus o his epo is on he olun a y
seconda y school sec o .
The epo p esen s ich e idence om a mixed-me hod esea ch s udy ac oss 21
olun a y seconda y schools. The esea ch was commissioned by he Join
Manage ial Body o Volun a y Seconda y Schools (JMB), wi h he esea ch
ques ions designed o examine he ea u es and expe iences o s uden s, eache s
and school leade s ac oss he olun a y sec o . Howe e , he s udy allows o
compa isons be ween expe iences in olun a y seconda y schools and o he
sec o s. In pa icula , he su ey o s uden s unde aken in his s udy is compa ed
o he na ionally ep esen a i e longi udinal s udy G owing Up in I eland (GUI) and
he In e na ional S uden Assessmen (PISA s udy) on 15 yea olds in I eland and
ac oss he Eu opean Union (EU). This app oach allows o a deep explo a ion o he
olun a y seconda y sec o , while also placing expe iences in a na ional and
in e na ional con ex .
Volun a y seconda y schools, accoun ing o o e hal o all second-le el schools,
a e p i a ely owned and managed bu a e la gely publicly unded schools, usually
unde he pa onage o an indi idual body such as a eligious communi y, a
cha i able us o a p i a e cha i able company. The olun a y seconda y sec o
includes an inc easingly di e se school p o ile, pa icula ly in e ms o
denomina ion and e hos. They a e dis inc om he o he wo sec o s, Educa ion
and T aining Boa d (ETB) schools and communi y and comp ehensi e (C&C)
schools in ela ion o he managemen s uc u es in ope a ion and he ype o
educa ion adi ionally o e ed. T adi ionally, olun a y seconda y schools o e ed
academic ins uc ion o ‘academic s uden s’ while oca ional schools (as hey we e
hen called) o e ed oca ional and p ac ical ins uc ion, implici ly (and o en
explici ly) o ‘non-academic s uden s’. Such di e ences ha e na owed
signi ican ly o e ime, and he end emains owa ds con e gence.
xii | The olun a y seconda y sec o in I ish educa ion
This s udy examines wo key issues. Fi s ly, i seeks o conside whe he he
olun a y seconda y sec o emains dis inc om he o he sec o s in e ms o he
coho o s uden s who a end. Secondly, i explo es wo a eas in which olun a y
seconda y schools a e dis inc – he speci ic e hos o each olun a y seconda y
school and he gende mix ac oss he sec o . I also aims o cap u e he
con ibu ion o he olun a y seconda y sec o o he I ish educa ion sys em mo e
b oadly, a emp ing o ake a holis ic iew o wha schools a e doing and how hey
a e doing i .
In 2023, a la ge-scale mixed-me hod esea ch s udy was conduc ed ac oss 21
olun a y seconda y schools, selec ed o ep esen he na ional p o ile o schools
in he sec o in size, gende and composi ion. The esea ch included a su ey wi h
second and i h yea s uden s (N=2,243), ocus g oups wi h s uden s, in e iews
wi h school pe sonnel, pa en s, membe s o school boa ds o managemen and key
s akeholde s ac oss eigh o ganisa ions.
RESULTS
The epo analyses di e se pe spec i es wi hin (and beyond) he olun a y
seconda y sec o ac oss key dimensions, including school e hos and cul u e, school
gende mix, he s uden expe ience, eaching and lea ning, he (endu ing) impac
o COVID-19, s uden wellbeing, non-academic aspec s o school li e, as well as he
unique challenges and s eng hs o his sec o .
• The olun a y seconda y sec o has long included a di e se school p o ile, in
e ms o school size, loca ion, gende mix, denomina ion and e hos. While
nea ly 90% o olun a y seconda y schools ha e a Ca holic e hos, he e a e
sizeable numbe s o Chu ch o I eland, in e - and mul i-denomina ional
schools, and a numbe o Quake , Jewish, Me hodis , P esby e ian and Educa e
Toge he schools wi hin he sec o . Di e ences be ween he h ee sec o s in
in ake and ou come ha e na owed o e ime, hough some di e ences
emain. Howe e , he di e si y wi hin he olun a y seconda y sec o emains
p onounced, wi h di e en olun a y seconda y schools se ing di e en
popula ions in a a ie y o ways.
• The e hos alued by s uden s includes communi y-building, ex acu icula
engagemen , balancing academic and pe sonal de elopmen , and a
commi men o inclusion and di e si y. Despi e a ying iews on eligious
e hos, building a school e hos emphasising s uden -cen ici y, di e si y,
inclusion and communi y-building eme ged ac oss he schools.
• In e ms o school gende mix, his o ical da a indica e an inc ease in he
pe cen age o s uden s a ending coeduca ional schools. S uden s, ega dless
o a ending single-sex o coeduca ional schools, a ou ed coeduca ional
se ings, while p e e ences a ied among s a and pa en s. Al hough some
s uden s belie ed hei school’s gende mix suppo ed hei lea ning and
Execu i e summa y | xiii
p epa edness o he u u e, ewe han 20% o esponden s in single-sex
schools p e e ed hei school’s gende mix, compa ed o almos 90% in
coeduca ional schools.
• In e ms o cu iculum, gende di e ences pe sis in he subjec s a ailable o
s uden s and in e ms o hei ac ual subjec choices, as well as in he ex en o
which di e en subjec s a e seen as in e es ing o di icul . Only a small
mino i y o s uden s ind lea ning I ish in e es ing, aising implica ions o he
na ional language. A Junio Cycle conce ns a ose a ound an excessi e
emphasis on exams, he added p essu e placed on s uden s by he class oom-
based assessmen s (CBAs), he emo al o ounda ion le el pape s in he Junio
Cycle F amewo k, a pe cei ed lack o challenge, he high numbe s ecei ing a
‘me i ’ and a lack o p epa edness o he Senio Cycle.
• O e all, echnology was seen o enhance eaching and lea ning expe iences,
acili a e communica ion, suppo collabo a i e wo k and de elop
independen lea ning skills. Howe e , he e was awa eness ha i s
e ec i eness depends on how i is used.
• Despi e s ong en i onmen al awa eness, s uden s epo ed limi ed
engagemen in ela ed ac i i ies. While s uden s e lec ed posi i ely on hei
social, academic and pe sonal de elopmen , hey we e less posi i e abou
hei schools’ ole in building sel -con idence, encou aging eading o pleasu e
and, in pa icula , making iends wi h he opposi e sex. Al hough mos
s uden s ac i ely pa icipa ed in spo s and physical ac i i ies (dependen on
he olun ee ism o eache s), le els o pa icipa ion declined in Senio Cycle
and ac i i y le els we e also lowe among gi ls, s uden s wi h special
educa ional needs (SEN) and hose om economically ulne able amilies.
• Rega ding schools’ academic and SEN suppo s, some s uden s exp essed
conce ns abou hei speci ic lea ning needs no being me . The e was a
p e e ence among s uden s o mo e indi idualised o small g oup suppo s.
Conce ns we e aised in ela ion o inc easing demands placed on schools,
di icul ies in secu ing s a wi h he necessa y p o essional quali ica ions and
skills, in as uc u al de ici s and app op ia e class oom design o
accommoda e di e se needs.
• The esul s p o ide impo an e idence o an endu ing impac o he COVID-
19 pandemic on s uden mo i a ion, socio-emo ional wellbeing, social
de elopmen and abili y o econnec wi h pee s and manage s ess.
• Li e sa is ac ion le els also a ied widely, being somewha lowe among gi ls,
s uden s wi h addi ional needs and hose om economically ulne able
amilies. S uden s who epo eeling hey belong a school and who pe cei e
be e wellbeing suppo s a school a e mo e likely o sco e highe on li e
sa is ac ion. The po en ial de imen al impac s o inc eased echnology use on
s uden s’ wellbeing we e also no ed, coupled wi h calls o enhanced
p o essional de elopmen o eache s o suppo wellbeing.
• While he expe ience du ing he COVID-19 pandemic and since has highligh ed
he u gen need o p o essional, he apeu ic suppo s o child en and young
xi | The olun a y seconda y sec o in I ish educa ion
adul s, he esul s om his s udy also highligh he impo ance o esou cing
all school communi ies o p o ide a di e si y o en iching ac i i ies wi hin and
ou side he class oom o suppo young people as hey de elop.
• The epo concludes wi h some o e -a ching challenges acing he olun a y
seconda y sec o , including esou ces and unding and challenges in ela ion
school leade ship. In e iews wi h school leade s also highligh ed conce ns
ela ed o mee ing day- o-day cos s such as hea ing and insu ance, as well as
challenges in main aining old and o en unsui able school buildings buil o a
di e en e a. Finally, he epo concludes by discussing he deep a achmen
and p ide el by many esponden s om ac oss he school communi y
owa ds hei schools.
POLICY IMPLICATIONS
Implica ions o he olun a y seconda y sec o
Th oughou his s udy, he e idence has shown ha s uden s wi h ewe amily
esou ces and hose wi h addi ional needs gene ally a e less well han hei pee s
ac oss a ange o domains and ou comes. S uden s a ending DEIS schools we e
ound o bene i in e ms o cu icula p o ision, a s ong emphasis on li e acy
skills, oppo uni ies o pa icipa e in spo s (pa icula ly o gi ls), hei ole in
decision-making and he na u e o hei in e ac ion wi h hei eache s. Howe e ,
wo challenges eme ged. Schools se ing disad an aged communi ies ha a e no
pa o he DEIS p og amme s uggled o mee high le els o s uden need. A
second la ge p oblem ela ed o he capaci y o schools o mee g owing s uden
and communi y need, pa icula ly in a con ex o unding sho alls o schools,
a gued o be mo e p essing in he olun a y seconda y sec o . School leade s and
wide s akeholde s asked he ques ion, how much can schools ealis ically do?
S uden s a ending ee-cha ging schools bene i om addi ional esou ces, which
mani es in a di e si y o ways. S uden s epo highe le els o engagemen
(including liking school, wo king ha d a school and iewing schoolwo k as wo h
doing), lowe le els o school absence, highe academic sel -image, g ea e suppo
o highe -le el ma hs ake-up, g ea e le els o pa icipa ion in spo s (pa icula ly
among gi ls), and school cul u es ma ked by a s onge ocus on alues and s uden
oice. While many s akeholde s in ee-cha ging schools emphasised he inclusi i y
and di e si y o hei s uden body, o he s poin ed o a ension be ween hese
alues and he exclusiona y e ec o cha ging ees. In e iewees in ee-cha ging
schools poin ed o he challenges caused by he lowe le el o public unding hey
ecei e, especially in e ms o building main enance and de elopmen and eache
e en ion. Howe e , none o hese in e iewees o esaw a mo e away om he
ee-cha ging model in he nea e m, as hey el his would unde mine he school’s
abili y o sus ain i s cu en le el o cu icula and ex acu icula o e ings o
s uden s.
Execu i e summa y | x
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a p o ound and endu ing impac on young people
and hei amilies and schools. Fi h yea s uden s missed ou on c ucial phase in
e ms o hei ma u a ion, in pa icula missing ou on engagemen s wi h school
o e hi d and ou h yea , which hey see as impac ing on hei lea ning now.
S akeholde s and expe s con inue o highligh he impac o COVID-19 on young
people’s men al heal h, highligh ing d ama ic inc eases in e e als o Child and
Adolescen Men al Heal h Se ices (CAMHS). Addi ional cos o li ing suppo s
we e p o ided in Budge 2023 o mi iga e in la iona y p essu es on schools, as well
as €5 million o men al heal h suppo s o he 2022/2023 academic yea .
Howe e , i is likely ha much g ea e unding will be equi ed o p o ide adequa e
p e en i e and ea ly in e en ions as well as ea men in schools and o he
se ings.
The scale o he p e e ence exp essed by s uden s o coeduca ion was a su p ise,
wi h only a small mino i y o s uden s in single-sex schools ac i ely p e e ing hei
cu en school gende mix. One issue ha came o he o e in ou con e sa ions
wi h s uden s, and in he su ey da a, ela ed o pa icipa ion in spo s among gi ls,
pa icula ly gi ls in coeduca ional se ings. S uden s in some (bu no all)
coeduca ional schools highligh ed a hie a chy o oppo uni y, wi h boys’ spo s
aking cen e s age. A dominance o male-o ien a ed spo in coeduca ional
se ings has also been ound in o he coun ies and is explici ly acknowledged in
he Eu opean Commission’s Gende Equali y in Spo s a emen . The e is a clea
need o p omo e gende equali y in spo , including school-based spo .
Communi y ea u ed s ongly, e lec ing he inclusion o all s uden s and he
posi i e ela ionships be ween s a and s uden s. S uden s see espec as he
d i ing o ce o he e hos in hei school, linked o aluing s uden s o who hey
a e and also o s uden s ecip oca ing his espec and engagemen . The ques ion
o how a eligious e hos i s in o an inc easingly secula socie y is one which aised
s ong opinions on bo h sides, as well as a sizeable con ingen o people who didn’
eel s ongly abou i one way o he o he . O e all, he e was a sense in many
schools o he e hos de eloping signi ican ly o e ime, so ening and opening up
o mo e eligious di e si y among he s uden popula ion. Religion was also
highligh ed by s uden s o i s impo an ole in p omo ing awa eness, ole ance
and espec . S uden s a e less posi i e abou hei oice and in ol emen in school
decision-making p ocesses, aising an impo an issue o schools o add ess.
As well as conce ns o e he adequacy o suppo s and acili ies, school leade s
highligh ed he conside able demands being placed on hem ac oss he mul iplici y
o oles hey play – adminis a i e, inancial, human esou ces, indus ial ela ions,
in as uc u al. S akeholde s epea edly emphasised he excessi e and wide-
eaching demands placed on school leade s, he inadequacy o suppo s p o ided
and he widesp ead implica ions in e ms o bu nou and e en ion. While esea ch

x i | The olun a y seconda y sec o in I ish educa ion
p io o he pandemic showed wide a ia ion ac oss schools in he ex en o which
digi al echnologies we e embedded in eaching and lea ning (Ma cus-Quinn e al.,
2019), his s udy shows wide a ia ions pe sis in he pos -COVID e a. S uden s a e
acu ely awa e o hese di e ences and a e pa icula ly ocal on he pe cei ed
sho comings in eache compe encies in his ega d. As well as s a e-o - he-a
digi al ha dwa e and so wa e, a key challenge also ela es o he a ailabili y o
digi al esou ces.
Implica ions o na ional educa ion policy
Weaknesses in he Junio Cycle F amewo k ha e been highligh ed in his s udy,
pa icula ly in e ms o CBAs no being expe ienced as a posi i e lea ning
expe ience by some s uden s and eache s and a misma ch be ween Junio and
Senio Cycle educa ion, aising impo an issues o policy. I is in e es ing o no e
ha ecen publica ions om he longi udinal s udy o he Junio Cycle F amewo k
echo he esul s o ou esea ch in olun a y seconda y schools.
O e all, s uden s ac oss olun a y seconda y schools did no seem o be engaged
in ac i i ies ha p omo e global compe ence, bu la gely conside hemsel es as
being espec ul owa ds people om o he cul u es. In iew o he impo ance o
an in o med ci izen y, he e idence suppo s he a gumen o a g ea e ocus on
ci ic and cul u al educa ion.
S uden s, s a and wide s akeholde s spoke epea edly o he impo ance o
inclusion in schools. Many s uden s spoke o hei school’s e hos as embodying
inclusion and inclusi e alues. Resea che s ha e been inc easingly deba ing wha
inclusion should look like, pa icula ly in e ms o suppo ing s uden s wi h
addi ional educa ional needs. Commen a o s ha e sugges ed ha he p oli e a ion
o special classes c ea es a ension wi h policy objec i es a ound inclusion (Kenny
e al., 2020; McCoy e al., 2016). S uden s in his s udy alued being wi hd awn in
small g oups o ex a suppo s, a he han mo e ixed and la ge g oupings,
aising an impo an issue o policy.
Finally, his s udy has highligh ed how school in as uc u al de ici s and eache
supply p oblems a e impac ing he capaci y o schools o o e a di e si y o
cu icula and ex acu icula ac i i ies. The indings also highligh ha he sys em
is elian on olun ee ism o p o ide ex acu icula p og ammes and s akeholde s
ques ion he sus ainabili y o his. Ha o d and Fleming (2023) no e ha while he
issue o a s eady supply o eache s has been a ea u e o he e ol ing complexion
o he I ish educa ional landscape o decades, he p oblem has become mo e
p onounced in ecen yea s.
Execu i e summa y | x ii
Wi hin an e ol ing sys em, his epo shows some s eng hs o olun a y
seconda y schools ha should be p ese ed. In pa icula , in a ime o inc easing
ocus on in e na ional s anda dised assessmen measu es like PISA o T ends in
In e na ional Ma hema ics and Science S udy (TIMSS) sco es as he measu e o an
educa ion sys em, he commi men o olun a y seconda y schools o he holis ic
de elopmen o s uden s as pa o a school communi y is mo e impo an han
e e . Schools a e no jus places whe e young people lea n es able subjec ma e ,
hey a e a dense web o educa ional expe iences and social ela ions whe e
child en a e shaped in o adul s. We hope his epo gi es a sense o how olun a y
seconda y schools a e going abou his wo k a he momen , and how hey migh
con inue doing so in he u u e.
In oduc ion | 1
CHAPTER 1
In oduc ion
1.1 MOTIVATION FOR THE REPORT
The I ish educa ion sys em, like I ish socie y mo e b oadly, is unde going signi ican
change as i na iga es he challenges o he 2020s. Schools a e a he on line o
I eland’s e o s o in eg a e newcome amilies o I eland, build an inclusi e
socie y and ackle gene a ional socioeconomic inequali y. They a e also,
inc easingly, key si es o con es a ion o e deep social ques ions like he place o
ai h and secula ism in public ins i u ions and he bes pa h o ensu ing young
people h i e, ega dless o hei gende and sexual o ien a ion. These conce ns
do no exis in a acuum; schools a e esponding o hem unde he p essu e o he
COVID-19 pandemic and i s las ing e ec s, while ying o keep up wi h he
po en ial and pi alls o apid echnological inno a ion. Educa ion – he co e
business o schools – is a a possible poin o in lec ion as he dus se les on he
implemen a ion o he new Junio Cycle cu iculum and plans o Senio Cycle
ede elopmen begin in ea nes . The e is also cause o conce n in ela ion o he
ec ui men and e en ion o eache s, as well as o he i al s a , and o he isk o
wo k o e load and bu nou ac oss he school communi y.
While many o hese challenges esona e ac oss he second-le el sec o as all
schools g apple wi h he di icul ies and oppo uni ies o educa ing young adul s in
oday’s I eland, he ocus o his epo is on he olun a y seconda y sec o . The
Sec e a ia o Seconda y Schools (SSS) was es ablished in 1973 o look a e he
in e es s o olun a y seconda y schools. The SSS is a p o essional school
managemen o ganisa ion ep esen ing he in e es s o all olun a y seconda y
schools, p omo ing he ad ancemen o educa ion, p o iding suppo , aining and
ad iso y se ices, and ca ying ou educa ional esea ch and de elopmen . The SSS
is o ganised in o wo di isions, he Associa ion o Managemen o Ca holic
Seconda y Schools (AMCSS) and he Join Manage ial Body (JMB). Each has a
dis inc ole and unc ion. The AMCSS p omo es he in e es s and wel a e o
Ca holic olun a y seconda y schools in I eland. Some o he company’s ac i i ies
a e ope a ed by i s JMB di ision, including engaging in discussion and nego ia ion,
and speci ic suppo s and se ices.
Volun a y seconda y schools a e p i a ely owned and managed schools, usually
unde he pa onage o an indi idual body such as a eligious communi y, a
cha i able us o a p i a e cha i able company. They comp ise oughly hal o he
I ish second le el sec o , bo h in e ms o he numbe o schools and he numbe
o s uden s a ending hem. In he 2022/2023 academic yea , 385 ou o 723 pos -
p ima y schools we e in he olun a y seconda y sec o , while 215,955 ou o
8 | The olun a y seconda y sec o in I ish educa ion
1.2.5 Di e si y in schools
I eland has seen signi ican demog aphic change in he 21s cen u y so a , and
schools ha e e ol ed apidly o se e a mo e di e se s uden body. As wi h he
social inequali y discussed in he p e ious sec ion, i is i al ha schools p o ide
equal oppo uni ies o s uden s ega dless o hei place o bi h, ace o e hnici y.
In hei eigh h In eg a ion Moni o , McGinni y e al. (2023) no e ha he mig an
popula ion in I eland ends o ha e highe le els o educa ion han he I ish-bo n
popula ion. In e ms o PISA eading sco es, sco es a e signi ican ly lowe o
mig an s uden s who speak a language o he han English in he home compa ed
o I ish-o igin s uden s. O e all, he e is no di e ence be ween mig an s om an
English-speaking backg ound and I ish-o igin s uden s. The e a e also no
di e ences be ween I ish-o igin and ei he o he mig an -o igin g oups in ma hs
and science. Howe e , indings om ea lie moni o ing epo s on in eg a ion and
o he esea ch s udies highligh he ole o English-language skills, wi h e idence
sugges ing ha hose who speak a o eign language a home may ace
disad an ages. This unde lines he impo ance o moni o ing needs, spending and
e ec i eness o English-language ui ion in I ish schools. Hos -coun y language
skills a e also key o acili a ing economic, social and cul u al in eg a ion among
adul s so he lack o any coo dina ed s a egy o English as a second language in
I eland is judged o be o conce n (McGinni y e al., 2023). Howe e , i should be
no ed ha English as an Addi ional Language (EAL) speci ic inspec ions a e now
aking place in schools.
1.2.6 Capi al and cu en expendi u e
O e all, in e na ional compa isons sugges ela i ely low le els o in es men in
educa ion in I eland, as measu ed by g oss domes ic p oduc (GDP). Using his
me ic, I eland anks as one o he highes -pe o ming coun ies in Eu ope in e ms
o e iciency and e ec i eness. This s ems om ela i ely low le els o in es men
combined wi h high sco ing in e ms o ou pu s, a leas as measu ed by PISA
(Agasis i e al., 2023). Howe e , s akeholde s a gue ha modi ied g oss na ional
income (GNI*) is a mo e app op ia e me ic o I eland,
9
wi h analyses sugges ing
ha I eland’s expendi u e on seconda y educa ion is close o he EU a e age o
9
Acco ding o CSO (unda ed), he modi ied g oss na ional income (GNI) is a me ic ailo ed o measu e he I ish
economy’s size by excluding globalisa ion impac s. While g oss domes ic p oduc (GDP) quan i ies a coun y’s o al
economic ac i i y, i o en includes p o i s made in I eland bu immedia ely ans e ed o o eign company owne s.
In con as , GNI adjus s GDP by excluding ne p o i s sen ab oad, accoun ing o he ne income om o e seas,
making GNI a mo e accu a e e lec ion o he domes ic economy. See
h ps://www.cso.ie/en/in e ac i ezone/s a is icsexplained/na ionalaccoun sexplained/modi iedgni/. The
modi ied GNI (GNI*) is inc easingly being used as an indica o in domes ic assessmen o I eland’s deb posi ion and
iscal sus ainabili y analysis a ound he public inances (I ish Fiscal Ad iso y Council, 2023) as well as by he Eu opean
Commission (Eu opean Union, 2023) and o he in e na ional bodies such as he Eu opean Cen al Bank (Ande sson e
al., 2023).

In oduc ion | 9
1.8, and abo e he OECD a e age (Depa men o Educa ion, 2024).
10
Using his
me ic, he I ish educa ion sys em demons a es high pe o mance wi h ela i ely
equi able ou comes, as e idenced by high pe o mance in bo h na ional and
in e na ional assessmen s, mos ecen ly in PISA 2022 (Donoghue e al., 2023).
The Depa men o Educa ion p o ides unding o ecognised p ima y and pos -
p ima y schools in he F ee Educa ion Scheme by way o pe capi a g an s. The
g an s a e based on he ecognised en olmen s o he ele an academic yea . The
wo main g an s p o ided a e he Capi a ion G an o ca e o day- o-day unning
cos s such as hea ing, ligh ing, cleaning, insu ance and gene al up-keep, and he
Ancilla y/School Se ices Suppo Fund (SSSF) g an o ca e o he cos o
employing ancilla y se ices s a (such as school sec e a ies). Following he
adop ion o a Wo kplace Rela ions Commission ag eemen by Fo sa in 2022, g an -
unded school sec e a ies a e now placed on he Depa men ’s pay oll, elie ing
schools o sala y esponsibili ies.
11
The Ancilla y/SSSF g an is being adjus ed
acco dingly.
The DEIS p og amme se es as a p ima y policy ool in add essing educa ional
disad an age in bo h p ima y and pos -p ima y schools, aiming o suppo
s uden s a isk o disad an age and social exclusion while enhancing o e all
educa ional ou comes. DEIS g an s a e p o ided o suppo schools in achie ing
a ge s ou lined in hei DEIS ac ion plans, pa icula ly a ge ing child en and young
people mos ulne able o educa ional disad an age. The mos ecen igu es show
ha 232 pos -p ima y schools pa icipa e in he DEIS p og amme, wi h a o al
alloca ion o €5.5 million o he 2023/2024 academic yea , including €1.452
million o olun a y seconda y schools.
Schools also ecei e a ange o o he g an s such as he Book G an and p og amme
g an s (see Table 1.1 o g an de ails). Rega ding he Book G an , Budge 2024
alloca ed unding o ex end he p o ision o ee schoolbooks o Junio Cycle pupils
in pos -p ima y schools, wi h he scheme being olled ou o he 2024/2025
academic yea . This ini ia i e will bene i o e 213,000 s uden s ac oss 670
ecognised pos -p ima y schools, ensu ing access o essen ial esou ces such as
jou nals, copybooks, dic iona ies and calcula o s wi hou he need o pa en s o
gua dians o pu chase o en hem. To suppo he adminis a ion o he scheme,
he Depa men is p o iding an Adminis a ion Suppo G an o pos -p ima y
schools based on hei size o he 2024/2025 school yea , which can be used o
co e addi ional adminis a i e asks associa ed wi h implemen ing he scheme.
Funding o books o Senio Cycle and T ansi ion Yea s uden s will con inue o be
10
This in o ma ion ega ding capi al and cu en expendi u e was ob ained h ough pe sonal communica ion wi h he
Depa men o Educa ion in Ma ch 2024, when he epo was being p epa ed.
11
Ci cula Le e 0036/2022; see Ci cula -Le e -0036_2022.pd ( ssu.ie).
10 | The olun a y seconda y sec o in I ish educa ion
p o ided,
12
wi h schools in he DEIS p og amme ecei ing €39 pe s uden and non-
DEIS schools ecei ing €24 pe s uden . This g an emains in place o assis schools
in pu chasing schoolbooks, including hose o book en al schemes.
TABLE 1.1 POST-PRIMARY CAPITATION RELATED GRANT RATES
G an ype
Volun a y
seconda y (€)
C&C (€)
ETB (€)
De ails
Capi a ion
G an /Non-Pay
G an
316.00
276.00
276.00
Ra e pe s uden
SSSF G an **
224.50
122.50
99.00
Ra e pe s uden
Sec e a y g an s **
66.50
N/A
N/A
Ra e pe s uden up o a max o
350 s uden s
Ca e ake g an s
54.50
N/A
N/A
Ra e pe s uden up o a max o
350 s uden s
Cos o li ing
75.00
75.00
75.00
Ra e pe s uden
Junio Cycle
Schoolbook G an
309.00
309.00
309.00
Ra e pe s uden o he
2024/2025 school yea
TY & 5 h & 6 h yea Book G an
Ra e pe s uden
DEIS
39.00
39.00
39.00
Non-DEIS
24.00
24.00
24.00
Physics and
chemis y
13.00
13.00
13.00
Ra e pe s uden
T ansi ion Yea
G an
95.00
95.00
95.00
Ra e pe s uden
Junio Ce i ica e
Schools P og amme
(JCSP) G an
60.00
60.00
60.00
Ra e pe s uden
Lea ing Ce Applied
151.00
151.00
151.00
Ra e pe s uden
Special Class G an
201.00
201.00
201.00
S uden s psychologically
assessed as ha ing a mild o
mode a e gene al lea ning
disabili y and pa icipa ing in
NCSE app o ed special classes
T a elle Capi a ion
213.50
213.50
213.50
Ra e pe T a elle s uden
en olled in schools
I ish Bi-Lingual G an
110.50
N/A
N/A
Ra e pe s uden whe e all
subjec s a e augh h ough I ish
Sou ce: Depa men o Educa ion (pe sonal communica ion).
As pa o he cos -o -li ing measu es in oduced in Budge 2023, €90 million was
p o ided as one-o addi ional unding o aid ecognised p ima y and pos -p ima y
schools wi hin he F ee Educa ion Scheme, speci ically o add ess challenges
s emming om ising ene gy cos s. This unding, which suppo ed schools in
12
Depa men o Educa ion. (2024). ‘Schoolbooks G an guidance o pos -p ima y schools 2024/25’,
h ps://asse s.go .ie/286443/3d4d1 02-42c5-4932-9ebd-6541a3a977a0.pd .
In oduc ion | 11
mee ing inc eased unning cos s, was p o ided alongside ongoing base inc eases
included in Budge s 2022, 2023 and 2024. Fu he mo e, he €81 million alloca ed
o capi a ion, inclusi e o €60 million om Budge 2024’s cos -o -li ing measu es,
aimed o es o e capi a ion o p e ious le els, bene i ing all ecognised p ima y
and pos -p ima y schools wi hin he F ee Educa ion Scheme. The g an , dis ibu ed
based on Sep embe 2022 en olmen s, amoun ed o €49 pe pupil a p ima y le el
and €75 a pos -p ima y le el, wi h enhanced a es o pupils wi h SEN.
13
A o al o
€21 million was u he secu ed as a pe manen inc ease in capi a ion unding in
Budge 2024. This will suppo a pe manen es o a ion o unding o all p ima y
and pos -p ima y schools om Sep embe 2024, b inging he basic a e o
capi a ion g an o he p e-2011 le el o €200 pe s uden in p ima y schools and
o €345 in olun a y seconda y schools.
Table 1.2 p esen s capi al expendi u e le els om 2020 o da e. Capi al in es men
in he olun a y seconda y sec o since 2020 has o alled €850 million (ou o a
o al o €1.9 billion p o ided a pos -p ima y le el). While i is acknowledged ha
mo e needs o be done in ela ion o bo h capaci y and mode nisa ion
(Depa men o Educa ion, 2024), he igu es ep esen a signi ican le el o
in es men .
In a ecogni ion o he need o main ain he momen um gained du ing COVID-19
in he adop ion o digi al echnology in educa ion and con inue o in es in building
an e ec i e digi al ecosys em in schools, he Digi al S a egy o Schools (DSS) o
2027 was announced (Depa men o Educa ion, 2022). The Minis e o Educa ion
ecen ly con i med ha he ICT g an will be paid his school yea , hough he da e
o paymen has no ye been con i med. This digi al s a egy will suppo he
ongoing ad ancemen o digi al in as uc u e h ough a ge ed unding, wo king
wi h s a ac oss Go e nmen o ensu e b oadband connec i i y o all schools,
ega dless o loca ion, wi h he aim o g owing hei capaci y in he use o digi al
echnology.
Funding o suppo he implemen a ion o he DSS en ails a o al in es men o
€210 million by way o an in as uc u e g an o schools, which has been
deli e ed in ull since 2016. Howe e , unding was no p o ided in he school yea
2022/2023. A commi men has also been made o a u he €200 million o he
pe iod co e ing 2021–2027, as well as an annual in es men o €13 million o
imp o ing school connec i i y. The Depa men plans o issue he nex anche o
ICT g an unding in he 2023/2024 school yea , wi h an ini ial €50 million anche
disbu sed o all ecognised p ima y and pos -p ima y schools in la e 2021.
Addi ionally, €50 million secu ed om I eland’s Na ional Reco e y and
Resilience Plan issued in la e 2021, unde he Nex Gene a ionEU Reco e y
13
Fu he in o ma ion in ela ion o his g an is a ailable in Ci cula 0056/2023, a ailable a go - Cos o li ing
measu e o suppo inc eased school unning cos s (www.go .ie).
12 | The olun a y seconda y sec o in I ish educa ion
and Resilience Facili y, was also alloca ed o all ecognised schools in he
F ee Educa ion Scheme o add ess he digi al di ide and suppo lea ne s a
isk o educa ional disad an age.
Annual digi al g an s as pa o he capi al in es men p og amme a e impo an
and necessa y o help suppo schools who aim o embed ad anced lea ning
managemen sys ems and i ual lea ning expe iences (VLEs) in hei schools. F ee
sys ems while welcome a e no conside ed adequa e, while unce ain y in unding,
pa ly due o he classi ica ion o he digi al g an as capi al in es men , makes i
di icul o schools o plan. Expe s ha e also iden i ied a signi ican gap in
e idence on he e ec i eness and impac o he DSS, wi h no sys em-wide
measu es o he le els o s uden s’ o eache s’ digi al knowledge, skills o
compe ence. I eland does no pa icipa e in he In e na ional Compu e and
In o ma ion Li e acy S udy (ICILS) and he e is cu en ly no na ional assessmen o
compu e and in o ma ion li e acy ha is capable o desc ibing o moni o ing
s anda ds (Cosg o e e al., 2022). This means he e a e limi a ions in he
measu emen o policy implemen a ion, impac and p ac ice ac oss schools in
I eland. The DSS commi s o de eloping o e sigh mechanisms o sys em-le el
assessmen and p og ess measu emen a he school le el h ough sel -e alua ion
p ocesses and eache sel - e lec ion. Conside a ion is also being gi en o I eland’s
pa icipa ion in ICILS, as ou lined in he DSS.
I has been a gued ha he school building p og amme is poo ly unded and his
opic was p ominen in P ojec 2040 announcemen s. Unde P ojec I eland
2040,
14
he school sec o is o ecei e app oxima ely €4.4 billion in capi al
in es men o e he pe iod 2021–2025. This in es men aims o ad ance plans
wi h ce ain y and deli e high-quali y, sus ainable building p ojec s o school
communi ies na ionwide, ocusing on accessibili y and s a e-o - he-a echnology.
Howe e , he school building p og amme paused in Ma ch 2023. Fu he , some
s akeholde s no e ha he e ha e been conside able delays in schools ecei ing
paymen s o ongoing building p ojec s. Challenges acknowledged by he
Depa men include demog aphic expansion a pos -p ima y le el, accele a ed
housing deli e y and addi ional SEN equi emen s. The Depa men s ess ha
despi e budge limi a ions, in es men decisions s i e o balance he
p og amme’s o e all needs, which may esul in subop imal p ojec imelines.
Acco ding o he Depa men , he school es a e comp ises close o 4,000 schools,
suppo ing nea ly one million lea ne s and 100,000 s a . Special class numbe s
doubled om 1,451 o 2,910 be ween 2018 and 2023. The Depa men has also
14
P ojec I eland 2040 is he Go e nmen ’s ‘long- e m o e a ching s a egy o make I eland a be e coun y o all and
o build a mo e esilien and sus ainable u u e. The s a egy ensu es he alignmen o in es men plans wi h he
s a ed Na ional S a egic Objec i es o 2040 in a conside ed, cohesi e and de ined manne ’. See
h ps://www.go .ie/en/campaigns/09022006-p ojec -i eland-2040/.
In oduc ion | 13
suppo ed he in eg a ion o o e 18,000 child en om Uk aine, achie ing one o
he highes school en olmen a es ac oss Eu ope. This yea (2024), o e 300
school building p ojec s a e cu en ly unde cons uc ion, including 34 new school
buildings, addi ional accommoda ion p ojec s on exis ing school si es and modula
p og ammes a ge ing mos u gen school place equi emen s. Fu he mo e, he
Depa men has o e 1,000 p ojec s wo h €1.2 billion in i s pipeline a a ious
s ages o de elopmen (Depa men o Educa ion, 2023d).
Rega ding spo s acili ies, app oxima ely 90% o pos -p ima y schools na ionwide
ha e in o med he Depa men ha hey possess a physical educa ion (PE) hall o
ha e access o one. Addi ionally, a ound 5% o pos -p ima y schools ha e
upcoming building p ojec s in p og ess ha will include a PE hall. PE halls a e no
cu en ly included in addi ional accommoda ion b ie s, due o p io i y being placed
on ensu ing su icien school places o all child en in he spending o limi ed
capi al unding. Mo eo e , he Depa men has alloca ed unding o building
o ice posi ions wi hin he JMB as pa o ecen ini ia i es aimed a p o iding
addi ional suppo o school building p ojec s.
TABLE 1.2 CAPITAL EXPENDITURE FOR THE VOLUNTARY SECONDARY SECTOR, 2020 TO DATE
Capi al expendi u e 2020 o da e
( ounded, in € million)
La ge-scale p ojec s
€421.7
Addi ional accommoda ion p ojec s, including modula
€207.7
Eme gency Wo ks Scheme
€45.3
Summe Wo ks Scheme
€41
Mino Wo ks G an
€42.8
O he schemes (includes si es, u ni u e and equipmen ,
capi al en al, deca bonisa ion pa h inde )
€91.2
To al
€850
Sou ce: Depa men o Educa ion (pe sonal communica ion).
1.3 OUTLINE OF THE REPORT
The epo ollows he ollowing s uc u e. Chap e 2 de ails he esea ch
me hodology employed and he e hical conside a ions add essed in unde aking
his esea ch. Chap e 3 p esen s in o ma ion on he p o ile o olun a y seconda y
and o he school ypes (bo h in his o ical da a and in ou sample) and he key
easons unde pinning school choice in I eland, om he pe spec i es o s uden s,
pa en s and school s a . Chap e 4 examines school e hos and school clima e, as
well as s uden s’ school engagemen and hei oice in decision making. Chap e 5
assesses school gende mix, including he de elopmen o single-sex schools

14 | The olun a y seconda y sec o in I ish educa ion
his o ically in I eland, he expe ience o s uden s in single-sex and coeduca ional
se ings and hei p e e ences ega ding school gende mix. Chap e 6 explo es
s uden s’ educa ional jou neys, including he ansi ion o seconda y school, Junio
Cycle expe iences, Senio Cycle p og ammes and cu iculum choices, and
expe iences in ela ion o subjec and subjec le el choices. This chap e also
conside s how s uden s see hemsel es as lea ne s, hei class oom expe iences,
eache suppo and au onomy, as well as lea ning and o he suppo s. Chap e 7
explo es echnology use a school, including he o e all use o echnology in
class ooms, he bene i s and pu poses o using able s/iPads, s uden s’ ICT and VLE
expe iences, as well as issues ela ed o echnology use and he de elopmen o
s uden s’ digi al skills a school. Chap e 8 analyses s uden s’ home lea ning
expe iences du ing COVID-19, and conside s whe he his has had a las ing impac
on he o e all lea ning, mo i a ion, wellbeing and social de elopmen o s uden s.
Chap e 9 in es iga es non-academic aspec s o schooling, including: s uden
ci izenship educa ion and social awa eness o eme ging global issues; ac i i ies
ou side school; he bene i s o school; o e all wellbeing and li e sa is ac ion;
suppo s o social and emo ional issues; and i h yea s uden s’ pos school plans
and hei ou look o he u u e. Chap e 10 conside s a numbe o b oade
challenges acing he olun a y seconda y sec o , including esou ces and unding,
depa men al suppo , as well as challenges o school leade s. The chap e
concludes wi h some key posi i es in he sec o . Chap e 11 p o ides a summa y
o he key indings and aises some implica ions o policy and p ac ice.
Me hodology | 15
CHAPTER 2
Me hodology
2.1 INTRODUCTION
This epo p esen s indings om a mixed-me hod esea ch s udy conduc ed
ac oss 21 olun a y seconda y schools, which we e selec ed based on a
heo e ically in o med sampling amewo k (see Sec ion 2.2 below). The esea ch
was commissioned by he Join Manage ial Body o Seconda y Schools (JMB), wi h
he esea ch ques ions designed o examine he ea u es and expe iences o
s uden s, eache s and school leade s ac oss he olun a y sec o . Gi en he ocus
o he s udy, he p ima y esea ch does no include schools ou side he olun a y
sec o . This app oach allows o ich insigh s in o his sec o , bu o less
conside a ion o he wide school landscape. Howe e , he s udy allows o
compa isons be ween expe iences in olun a y seconda y schools and o he
sec o s, namely Educa ion and T aining Boa ds (ETB) and comp ehensi e and
communi y (C&C) schools, using o he sou ces. In pa icula , he su ey o s uden s
unde aken in his s udy is compa ed o he na ionally ep esen a i e longi udinal
s udy G owing Up in I eland (GUI), speci ically i s sample o child en bo n in 2008
(who we e 13 yea s old in he la es wa e o a ailable da a). I is also compa ed o
he In e na ional S uden Assessmen (PISA) 2018 s udy o 15 yea olds in I eland
and ac oss he Eu opean Union (EU).
15
In aking his comp ehensi e app oach, he
s udy achie es a deep explo a ion o he olun a y sec o , while also placing hese
s uden s’ expe iences in a na ional and in e na ional con ex .
Be ween Ma ch and May 2023, he esea ch eam isi ed hese 21 schools in
pe son and spoke o mul iple s akeholde s, including s uden s, p incipals,
eache s, chai s o membe s o he boa ds o managemen , and pa en s. A su ey
was also conduc ed wi h s uden s in second yea and i h yea a hese schools.
The epo aims o p o ide a comp ehensi e o e iew o he indings wi hin he
olun a y seconda y sec o ac oss a ious dimensions, including: school e hos and
cul u e; school gende mix; he s uden expe ience; eaching and lea ning; he
las ing impac o COVID-19 on s uden s and schools; s uden wellbeing; non-
academic aspec s o school li e; and he challenges aced by s a and schools. This
chap e highligh s he me hodology used o conduc he s udy.
The s udy began by del ing in o he his o ical con ex and he de elopmen o
olun a y seconda y schools in I ish educa ion. Bo h in e na ional and na ional
esea ch was examined o iden i y key a iables and ins umen a ion o his s udy.
15
The PISA 2018 s udy includes s uden s om mo e han 80 coun ies. Fo his s udy, we ha e es ic ed analysis o i s
sample o hose om he EU/UK o allow o be e compa ison wi h ou s udy.
16 | The olun a y seconda y sec o in I ish educa ion
Addi ional desk esea ch was conduc ed o gain a deepe unde s anding o he
olun a y model and he dis inc i e e hos cha ac e ising hese schools.
The empi ical analysis is comp ised o h ee main elemen s:
1. A su ey o second and i h yea s uden s in 21 case s udy schools;
2. In-dep h quali a i e esea ch wi h s uden s and a b oad ange o
s akeholde s in he 21 selec ed olun a y seconda y schools, as well as
s akeholde s ac oss s a u o y and non-s a u o y educa ion bodies;
3. Analysis o GUI da a, PISA da a and o he exis ing da ase s.
While his esea ch employs a mixed-me hod design, quali a i e and quan i a i e
da a we e collec ed concu en ly o minimise dis up ion wi hin he schools. The
semi-s uc u ed in e iews p o ided lexibili y o explo e eme ging hemes based
on school obse a ions o s uden commen s, which we e no in o med by su ey
esul s. Simila ly, he su ey used in he s udy could no be modi ied o ga he
addi ional e idence on hemes eme ging om quali a i e da a analysis.
Su ey da a we e analysed using S a a, wi h much o he analysis ocusing on
desc ip i e s a is ics and bi a ia e ela ionships. Mul ile el logis ic eg ession
models we e employed whe e applicable. Using a mul ile el s uc u e, cap u ing
s uden s wi hin schools, we analyse he likelihood o a ange o di e en ou comes
and expe iences among s uden s. The aim is o examine how indi idual, amily and
school cha ac e is ics shape hese ou comes and esponses. Model esul s
(p esen ed in he appendix ables) a e epo ed in he o m o odds a ios, whe e
alues g ea e han one indica e a highe likelihood o ha ou come o expe ience
being epo ed, and alues less han one indica e a lowe likelihood.
Semi-s uc u ed a he han s uc u ed in e iews we e chosen o he quali a i e
esea ch, an app oach ha a o ded each pa icipan he oppo uni y o ela e
hei expe iences and unique in e p e a ions, uncon ined by a mo e s uc u ed
app oach (Cohen e al., 2007). Unde pinning he chosen esea ch me hod is he
epis emology o cons uc i ism, which unde s ands ha we all cons uc ou own
eali y based on ou expe iences and posi s ha he e is no singula eali y (C o y,
1998). In e iews we e eco ded, by consen , and ansc ibed e ba im. All
in e iews wi hin he case s udy schools, including ocus g oup sessions and in-
dep h in e iews wi h key pe sonnel, we e conduc ed by membe s o he
Economic and Social Resea ch Ins i u e (ESRI) esea ch eam. Quali a i e da a
analysis was ca ied ou using NVi o, wi h a hema ic analysis app oach iden i ying
hemes di ec ly and indi ec ly ela ed o school expe iences, eache in e ac ions
and s uden pe spec i es (B aun and Cla ke, 2021).
Me hodology | 17
2.2 SAMPLE DESIGN
In o al, 21 schools we e chosen o ep esen a ange o school se ings in e ms o
loca ion, school gende mix, Deli e ing Equali y o Oppo uni y in Schools (DEIS)
s a us, ee-cha ging s a us and school size, using da a om Depa men o
Educa ion and he JMB.
In e ms o he school sample, Table 2.1 shows i s cu en o e all shape, as well as
he o e all numbe s o olun a y seconda y schools and s uden popula ion o he
ele an ca ego ies.
TABLE 2.1 CASE STUDY SCHOOL SAMPLING
Schools
Schools %
Sample –
p opo ion
Sample –
ac ual
Na ional school
ype
Fee-cha ging
52
14.2%
3.0
4
Boa ding
24
6.6%
1.4
1
DEIS
68
18.6%
3.9
6
Educa e Toge he
18
4.9%
1.0
2
Non-DEIS
204
55.7%
11.7
8
School gende
mix
Male
108
29.5%
6.2
7
Female
129
35.2%
7.4
7
Coeduca ional
129
35.2%
7.4
7
School size
Small
118
32.2%
6.8
5
Medium
123
33.6%
7.1
12
La ge
125
34.2%
7.2
4
School loca ion
Leins e
79
21.6%
4.5
3
Muns e
113
30.9%
6.5
6
Dublin
111
30.3%
6.4
6
Uls e /Connach
63
17.2%
3.6
6
School
denomina ion
Ca holic
340
92.9%
19.5
18
Mul i-denomina ional/In e -
denomina ional
23
6.3%
1.3
2
Chu ch o I eland
17
4.6%
1.0
1
O he
5
1.4%
0.3
0
Sou ces: Re ie ed om Depa men o Educa ion and JMB da a.
No es: ‘Sample p opo ion’ is calcula ed by mul iplying he p opo ion o schools in his ca ego y among all
JMB schools by he numbe o case s udy schools (i.e., 21). ‘Non-DEIS schools’ e e s o o he schools
no in any o he ca ego y. The numbe o Educa e Toge he schools included o sampling only co e s
JMB Educa e Toge he schools as o Oc obe 2022, based on he da a p o ided by he JMB. In o al,
he e a e 385 schools in he olun a y seconda y sec o , including 19 new Educa e Toge he schools
wi h ewe han 100 s uden s. These 19 schools a e included in he denomina ion ame bu excluded
om he o he sampling ames (i.e., na ional school ype, gende mix, size and loca ion) due o hei
small size and we e sampled sepa a ely.
We o e sampled schools om he DEIS p og amme, as well as mul i-
denomina ional/Educa e Toge he schools and Chu ch o I eland schools, as we
belie e his app oach allows o a be e pic u e o he di e si y ound ac oss
24 | The olun a y seconda y sec o in I ish educa ion
ei he on hei pe sonal de ice o a school-p o ided one. In wo schools, a pape
e sion o he su ey was used due o issues wi h de ice a ailabili y he e, as well
as p e e ences o he school leade s. In one school, an online su ey was used by
s uden s p esen on he day o he esea ch eam’s isi , wi h a pape su ey
comple ed a a la e ime by s uden s who had been a ending an e en away om
he school on ha pa icula da e.
All second and i h yea s uden s we e in i ed o pa icipa e in he s udy. S uden s
we e gi en he op ion o comple ing he ull su ey o a sho e , mo e accessible
e sion. In o al, we ecei ed 2,243 esponses ac oss bo h yea g oups, wi h ou
accessible su eys collec ed by second yea s uden s and 57 by i h yea s uden s.
The o e all esponse a e is 59.4%, wi h subs an ial a ia ion obse ed ac oss
schools: esponse a es anged om 23% o 87%. Two schools had a low esponse
a e (30% o below), eigh schools had a mode a e one (be ween 31% and 50%),
and en schools had a high esponse a e (51% o abo e).
The su ey included s uden ’s demog aphic cha ac e is ics, including amily
s uc u e and pa en al educa ion, hei expe iences o school (wi h a ocus on
engagemen , e hos and gende mix) and hei aspi a ions and p epa edness o he
u u e (academic and non-academic plans and alues). Two e sions o each su ey
we e p epa ed, wi h one designed o be mo e accessible o s uden s wi h
pa icula needs, so as o ensu e accessibili y o all young people.
Responses om s uden s ac oss he 21 schools we e analysed o assess s uden
expe iences wi hin and ac oss he sec o . Table 2.3 below summa ises he wo
p ima y da a sou ces used in his s udy o compa e s uden s wi hin he olun a y
seconda y sec o o b oade popula ions. Whe e a ailable, he esponses we e
compa ed o he b oade expe iences o he housands o 13 yea olds who
pa icipa ed in he six h wa e o he GUI s udy (’08 Coho ). The ’98 Coho o he
GUI is no used o compa ison, as he en-yea lag in he iming o he ieldwo k
and he la ge con ex ual and socie al changes ha ha e since occu ed educes he
compa abili y o wo coho s ac oss many o he dimensions we a e s udying. The
PISA 2018 s udy, ocusing on 15 yea olds, was also used o d aw compa isons
be ween he expe iences o ou s uden s wi hin he olun a y seconda y sec o in
I eland and he b oade popula ion, bo h in I eland and in o he EU coun ies
(including he UK).
Addi ionally, a numbe o scale measu es we e cons uc ed o cap u e s uden s’
school expe iences ac oss a ange o dimensions. These include aspec s o he
na u e o expec a ions o s uden s, he na u e o s uden – eache in e ac ion, he
ex en o alue emphasis, social and academic engagemen a school and he
ex en o which s uden s ha e a ole in decision making. Table 2.4 p esen s de ails
on how hese measu es we e cons uc ed and he eliabili y o he scales c ea ed.

Me hodology | 25
These measu es a e used alongside indi idual a iables o cap u e di e se aspec s
o school clima e and s uden expe ience.
TABLE 2.3 SECONDARY DATA SOURCES
GUI in an coho (’08 Coho )
2018 PISA s udy
S udy
in o ma ion
GUI is a longi udinal na ionally ep esen a i e s udy in I eland. I began
by in e iewing amilies o ’08 Coho ( he in an coho ) when hei
child en we e 9 mon hs old in 2008/2009. The same amilies we e
subsequen ly in e iewed when he child en eached ages 3, 5, 7/8
(conduc ed ia pos al su ey), 9 and 13 yea s. The s udy o e s ich
insigh s in o he expe iences o child en and hei amilies.
The O ganisa ion o Economic Co-ope a ion and De elopmen (OECD) P og amme
o In e na ional S uden Assessmen (PISA) assesses s uden s’ knowledge in eading,
ma hs and science, as well as hei abili y o apply his knowledge. PISA 2018 was he
se en h ound, wi h a ocus on eading in a digi al en i onmen .
Time o
ieldwo k
Be ween July 2021 and June 2022.
2018 (exac da es o he ieldwo k can a y by coun y).
Sample
Thi een yea old s uden s a ending all school ypes in I eland. Sample
size included o ou analysis is 6,655.
Fi een yea old s uden s (a he ime o being su eyed) ac oss di e en school
sec o s in 79 pa icipa ing coun ies/economies (including 37 OECD coun ies and 42
OECD pa ne coun ies/economies). To ensu e compa abili y, only esponses
collec ed in I eland and o he EU coun ies (including he UK) we e included o
analysis. The sample size included o analysis is 5,577 o I eland and 197,709 o
o he EU coun ies (including he UK).
Key a eas
o
compa ison
GUI da a allow us o compa e he expe iences and ou comes o young
people in olun a y seconda y schools wi h hose in o he sec o s. Key
a eas o compa ison include s uden s’ home lea ning expe iences
du ing COVID-19, hei pa icipa ion in s uc u ed and uns uc u ed
ac i i ies ou side school, hei expe ience and iews o echnology use a
school, eaching and lea ning expe iences, school engagemen ,
in e ac ions wi h eache s and pee s, and hei wellbeing.
The 2018 PISA s udy enables us o compa e ou s uden s wi h a wide ange o pee s
in a ious school sec o s, bo h wi hin I eland and ac oss he EU and UK. This allows us
o gain insigh s in o na ional and in e na ional di e ences. We p ima ily compa e
aspec s such as s uden s’ awa eness o c i ical global issues (e.g., clima e change,
global heal h, gende equali y), hei in ol emen in ela ed social ac i i ies and hei
a i udes owa d di e si y. We also explo e a ia ions based on s uden
cha ac e is ics, such as gende and amily backg ound, seeking o iden i y any sha ed
o dis inc i e ends. Due o he una ailabili y o school cha ac e is ics da a, we
canno di e en ia e s uden expe iences ac oss di e en school sec o s.
TABLE 2.3 (CONTD.) SECONDARY DATA SOURCES
GUI in an coho (’08 Coho )
2018 PISA s udy
Sou ce
G owing Up in I eland Coho ’08 summa y epo , July 2033,
h ps://www.g owingup.go .ie/pubs/Key-Findings-Coho -08-a -
13.pd
h ps://www.oecd.o g/pisa/publica ions/pisa-2018- esul s.h m
McKeown e al. (2019). Lea ning o he u u e,
h ps://www.e c.ie/wp-con en /uploads/2020/07/B23321-PISA-2018-
Na ional-Repo - o -I eland-Full-Repo -Web-4.pd .
OECD. (2021). PISA 2018 echnical epo ,
h ps://www.oecd.o g/pisa/da a/pisa2018 echnical epo /PISA2018-
TecRepo -Ch-01-P og amme- o -In e na ional-S uden -Assessmen -An-
O e iew.pd .
No e: The esul s epo ed om he GUI s udy and he PISA s udy a e s a is ically adjus ed using he weigh ing ac o (s) p o ided by he s udy eams.
TABLE 2.4 SCALE MEASURES USED FOR SURVEY ANALYSIS
Va iable
name
Indi idual i ems used
Response ca ego y
Scale
eliabili y
Cu o poin used o c ea e he bina y
measu e
Posi i e
school
engagemen
( e : less
posi i e)
1. How do you eel abou school in gene al?
2. School wo k is wo h doing.
3. The subjec s I s udy in e es me.
4. I am encou aged by eache s o con inue my
educa ion o aining when I lea e school.
5. I ge all he suppo I need o lea n.
The esponse o he i s i em
(‘How do you eel abou school in
gene al?’) used a scale om ‘I ha e
i ’ (1) o ‘I like i e y much’ (5),
wi h highe alues indica ing mo e
posi i e esponse.
The esponse o he emaining
ou s a emen s used a scale om
‘s ongly disag ee’ (1) o ‘s ongly
ag ee’ (5), wi h highe alues
indica ing mo e posi i e esponses.
0.76
The school engagemen scale is calcula ed
by summing sco es om he lis ed i e
indi idual i ems, esul ing in a o al sco e
anging om 5 o 25.
A sco e o 21 o 25 ep esen s he op 19%
and indica es posi i e school engagemen .
Sco es ou side his ange e e o less
posi i e school engagemen .
Posi i e
eache
in e ac ion
( e : ewe
posi i e
in e ac ions)
1. You a e old ha you wo k is good by a
eache .
2. You ask ques ions in class.
3. A eache p aises you o answe ing a ques ion.
4. You a e asked ques ions in class by he eache .
5. You a e p aised by a eache because you
w i en wo k is well done.
S uden s we e asked how o en he
e en s lis ed happened in school
on a scale om ‘ e y o en’ (1) o
‘ne e ’ (4), wi h lowe alues
indica ing highe equency.
0.74
The posi i e eache in e ac ion scale is
calcula ed by summing sco es om he
lis ed i e i ems, esul ing in a o al sco e
anging om 5 o 20.
A sco e o 5 o 10 ep esen s he op 24%
and indica es posi i e eache in e ac ions.
Sco es ou side his ange e e o ewe
posi i e in e ac ions wi h eache s a
school.
Nega i e
eache
in e ac ion
( e : ewe
nega i e
in e ac ions)
1. You a e gi en ou o by a eache because you
wo k is un idy o no done on ime.
2. You a e gi en ou o by a eache o misbeha ing
in class.
S uden s we e asked o a e he
equency o e en s in school on a
scale om ‘ e y o en’ (1) o
‘ne e ’ (4), wi h lowe alues
indica ing highe equency.
0.72
The nega i e eache in e ac ion scale is
calcula ed by summing sco es om he
lis ed wo i ems, esul ing in a o al sco e
anging om 2 o 8.
A sco e o 2 o 5 ep esen s he op 19%
and indica es posi i e eache in e ac ions.
Sco es ou side his ange e e o ewe
nega i e in e ac ions wi h eache s a
school.
TABLE 2.4 (CONTD.) SCALE MEASURES USED FOR SURVEY ANALYSIS
Va iable
name
Indi idual i ems used
Response ca ego y
Scale
eliabili y
Cu o poin used o c ea e he bina y
measu e
Posi i e
eache
expec a ion
( e : lowe
expec a ion)
1. I can alk o my eache s i I ha e a p oblem.
2. My eache s help me o do my bes .
3. My eache s ha e high expec a ions o me.
4. My eache s a e gene ally ai o me.
S uden s we e asked he ex en o
which hey ag ee wi h hese
s a emen s on a scale om
‘s ongly disag ee’ (1) o ‘s ongly
ag ee’ (5), wi h highe alues
indica ing a mo e posi i e
esponse.
0.75
The eache expec a ion scale is calcula ed
by summing sco es om he lis ed ou
i ems, esul ing in a o al sco e anging
om 4 o 20.
A sco e o 17 o 20 ep esen s he op 22%
and indica es posi i e eache expec a ions.
Sco es ou side his ange e e o lowe
eache expec a ions.
Posi i e
social
engagemen
( e : nega i e
engagemen )
1. I lea n o ge along wi h o he people.
2. O he s uden s accep me as I am.
3. I eel espec ed.
4. I eel ha I belong.
S uden s we e asked he ex en o
which hey ag ee wi h hese
s a emen s on a scale om
's ongly disag ee’ (1) o 's ongly
ag ee' (5), wi h highe alues
indica ing mo e posi i e esponse.
0.82
The social engagemen scale is calcula ed
by summing sco es om he lis ed i e
i ems, esul ing in a o al sco e anging
om 4 o 20.
A sco e o 17 o 20 ep esen s he op 24%
and indica es posi i e social engagemen a
school. Sco es ou side his ange e e o
less posi i e social engagemen .
S ong alue
emphasis a
school ( e :
weake alue
emphasis)
1. I espec people om o he cul u es as equal
human beings.
2. I ea all people wi h espec ega dless o hei
cul u al backg ound.
3. I gi e space o people om o he cul u es o
exp ess hemsel es.
4. I espec he alues o people om di e en
cul u es.
5. I alue he opinions o people om di e en
cul u es.
S uden s we e asked o a e how
close hey el hey we e o he
lis ed desc ip ions, on a scale om
‘Ve y much like me’ (1) o ‘No a
all like me’ (5), wi h lowe alues
indica ing mo e posi i e esponse.
0.93
The alue emphasis a school scale is
calcula ed by summing sco es om he
lis ed i e i ems, esul ing in a o al sco e
anging om 5 o 25.
A sco e o 5 o 9 ep esen s he op 80%
and indica es a s ong alue emphasis a
school. Sco es ou side his ange e e o a
ela i ely weake alue emphasis a school.

TABLE 2.4 (CONTD.) SCALE MEASURES USED FOR SURVEY ANALYSIS
Va iable
name
Indi idual i ems used
Response ca ego y
Scale
eliabili y
Cu o poin used o c ea e he bina y
measu e
S uden -led
e hos ( e :
less s uden -
led)
1. I am encou aged o make up my own mind.
2. I am encou aged o exp ess my opinions.
3. I am encou aged o discuss he issues wi h people
ha ing di e en opinions.
S uden s we e asked how o en he
e en s lis ed happened in school
using a scale anging om ‘ e y
o en’ (1) o ‘ne e ’ (4), wi h lowe
alues indica ing highe equency.
0.73
The s uden -led school e hos scale is
calcula ed by summing sco es om he
lis ed h ee i ems, esul ing in a o al sco e
anging om 3 o 12.
A sco e o 3 o 4 ep esen s he op 31%
and indica es a mo e s uden -led school
e hos. Sco es ou side his ange e e o
less emphasis on a s uden -led e hos.
S onge
school e hos
( e : weake
e hos)
1. P omo ing spi i ual and human de elopmen
2. Achie ing quali y in eaching and lea ning
3. Showing espec o e e y pe son
4. C ea ing communi y
5. Being jus and esponsible
6. Encou aging di e en ypes o achie emen (music,
spo s, d ama, deba ing, young en ep eneu e c.).
S uden s we e asked how hei
school p omo ed he lis ed alues
on a scale om ‘ e y badly’ (1) o
‘ e y well’ (5), wi h highe alues
indica ing mo e posi i e esponses.
0.8733
The school e hos scale is calcula ed by
summing sco es om he lis ed 6 i ems,
esul ing in a o al sco e anging om 6 o
30.
A sco e o 25 o 30 ep esen s he op 20%
and indica es a s onge school e hos.
Sco es ou side his ange e e o a
ela i ely weake school e hos.
No e: Rega ding he cu o poin s used o c ea e bina y measu es, ou s anda d app oach was o selec cu -o s close o he 20/80% ma k and we applied his consis en ly ac oss scale measu es.
Me hodology | 31
2.6 RESEARCH ETHICS
A de ailed esea ch plan was submi ed o he ESRI Resea ch E hics Commi ee in
Oc obe 2022, o ensu e ha he s udy adhe ed o he highes e hical s anda ds.
The commi ee app o ed he app oach o su eying and in e iewing young
pa icipan s and he p o ocols o da a s o age. Gi en ha all s uden pa icipan s
a e below he age o 18, all ocus g oup in e iews we e conduc ed by wo
esea che s. Bo h he young indi iduals and hei pa en s we e explici ly in o med,
in plain and unde s andable language, abou hei pa icipa ion in su ey esea ch
and, o a sub-g oup, quali a i e ocus g oup in e iews. They we e assu ed, in a
clea and comp ehensible manne , ha all ga he ed in o ma ion would be
con iden ial and would no be disclosed in ways ha may lead o he iden i ica ion
o an indi idual pa icipan . W i en pa en al consen was ob ained o all s uden s
who pa icipa ed in he su ey and/o he ocus g oup in e iews.
Con iden iali y was simila ly assu ed o school pe sonnel. A no ime do we
iden i y any o he pa icipa ing case s udy schools and o his eason we do no
a ibu e quo es o indi idual schools (e en using pseudonyms), bu a he o
schools wi h pa icula cha ac e is ics (such as DEIS s a us o he school’s gende
mix).
The esea ch eam ollowed bes p ac ice a ound sensi i i y when in e iewing
young people. Special conside a ion was gi en o ulne able g oups such as young
people om disad an aged backg ounds o hose wi h addi ional needs. In cases
whe e a school had special classes ope a ing o second and (less likely) i h yea
s uden s, he esea che s liaised wi h he school con ac pe son on whe he o
adminis e a su ey (and in wha o ma – pape , online, modi ied e sion) o
whe he o comple e he su eys indi idually wi h s uden s in he special classes,
i necessa y wi h he suppo o hei eache o special needs assis an (SNA). The
esea ch eam also ga he ed in o ma ion ega ding any u he accommoda ions
equi ed o ensu e he inclusion o s uden s wi h di e se needs.
Gi en ha he esea ch p ima ily ocused on s uden s’ b oad expe iences a
school, he su ey and/o in e iews we e unlikely o upse pa icipan s o o lead
o disclosu e o abuse o isky beha iou . Ne e heless, comp ehensi e p o ocols
we e es ablished in ad ance o he ieldwo k in case such disclosu es we e o
occu . The in o ma ion shee and consen /assen o ms, as well as he in oduc ion
a he beginning o each ocus g oup in e iew, explici ly s a ed ha i a esea che
had conce ns o he sa e y o a young pe son o ano he ulne able indi idual,
hey migh ha e o in o m someone who could help. I was emphasised ha
pa icipa ion in he esea ch was comple ely olun a y, and ha pa icipan s could
choose no o answe any ques ions o o wi hd aw a any poin . Addi ionally,
32 | The olun a y seconda y sec o in I ish educa ion
esea che s p o ided hei con ac de ails o each pa icipan , should hey ha e
any ques ions abou he esea ch o decide o wi hd aw hei consen a a la e
da e.
Resea che s conduc ed in e iews in pai s when wo king wi h s uden pa icipan s.
All ocus g oup in e iews we e conduc ed in school, an en i onmen amilia o
he s uden s, and esea che s we e ne e alone wi h child en/young adul s.
All ocus g oup in e iews we e eco ded using a digi al oice eco de , ansc ibed
e ba im, and ansc ip s we e s o ed sepa a ely om he school con ac de ails.
The p ojec eam main ains exclusi e con ol o e he quali a i e da a. Las ly,
anonymised da a a e secu ely s o ed on a se e accessible solely o membe s o
he esea ch eam. A he end o he s udy, he audio iles will be dele ed.
2.7 SUMMARY
The s udy ook a mixed-me hod app oach, and his epo d aws on bo h
quan i a i e analysis and in-dep h quali a i e in e iews o explo e how s uden s
expe ience olun a y second-le el educa ion and hei school e hos, and how his
a ies ac oss di e en con ex s. This design allowed he esea che s o each an
unde s anding o some o he complexi ies associa ed wi h he olun a y
seconda y sec o . By using selec ques ions employed by GUI and PISA s udies, his
s udy epo is also able o o e compa isons wi h na ionally and in e na ionally
ep esen a i e h esholds, hough only on selec i ems. The epo highligh s he
implica ions o policy de elopmen and p o ides benchma k explo a o y
in o ma ion as a basis o u he (longi udinal) esea ch, pa icula ly d awing on
he su ey ins umen designed o his s udy.
School p o ile | 33
CHAPTER 3
School p o ile
3.1 INTRODUCTION
Be o e conside ing wha olun a y seconda y schools a e doing, he epo will
begin by looking a which s uden s a end hese schools. School p o iles a y in
e ms o s uden s’ social and economic backg ounds, s uden s’ special educa ional
needs (SEN) o disabili ies, he loca ion o he school, and he size o he school. In
he I ish con ex , a key ac o o he school p o ile is he school’s speci ic e hos and
gende makeup, add essed in Chap e s 4 and 5 espec i ely. Some o he a ia ion
cu s ac oss sec o s – o example, he e a e schools in each o he sec o s in u ban
and u al se ings ac oss he coun y and schools in each o he sec o s
pa icipa ing in he Deli e ing Equali y o Oppo uni y in Schools (DEIS) scheme on
he g ounds o socioeconomic disad an age in hei a ea. Va ia ion wi hin he
sec o s is signi ican : his chap e will highligh he a ia ion wi hin he olun a y
seconda y sec o and explo e whe he he e emains a clea dis inc ion be ween
he sec o s. I will begin by acing he his o ic de elopmen o he sec o in e ms
o he p opo ion o s uden s a ending, hei cha ac e is ics and hei ou comes.
Da a om he la es ound o he G owing Up in I eland (GUI) s udy will hen be
used o in es iga e whe he di e en school ypes s ill se e di e en popula ions
o s uden s. The cu en p o ile o he s uden s a ending he 21 olun a y
seconda y schools in ou sample will hen be desc ibed using quan i a i e da a
om ou su ey o s uden s and quali a i e ma e ial om ou in e iews wi h
s uden s, school s a and pa en s. Finally, he quali a i e ma e ial will be used o
analyse he ole o pa en choice and compe i ion be ween schools in shaping he
p o ile o he school.
3.2 HISTORICAL SCHOOL PROFILES
In a p e ious epo on unding and go e nance ac oss he di e en sec o s,
Da mody and Smy h (2013) ace he g adual ans o ma ion o olun a y
seconda y schools o e he cou se o he 20 h cen u y om en i ely p i a e
ins i u ions o (almos en i ely) s a e- unded ins i u ions subjec o cen alised
policy bu e aining a le el o au onomy in key go e nance a eas. As he eligious
o de s who had ounded many o he schools became less p ominen in hei
unning, he schools became mo e p o essionalised and inc easingly elian on
go e nmen unding in he o m o s a sala ies, capi a ion g an s, g an s o
in as uc u e and o he capi al and cu en spending suppo s. While unding is
s ill adminis e ed and calcula ed di e en ly ac oss he sec o s, he o e all
ajec o y is, howe e g adually and une enly, one o con e gence. Whe he his
40 | The olun a y seconda y sec o in I ish educa ion
TABLE 3.3 PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS ACROSS KEY INDIVIDUAL CHARACTERISTICS
Indi idual cha ac e is ics
% s uden s in ull sample
Gende
Female
55.5
Male
44.6
Disabili y/SEN
No disabili y/SEN
85.5
Had disabili y/SEN
14.5
Pa en al
educa ion le el20
No deg ee
54.8
Deg ee
45.2
Economic
di icul y
No economic di icul y
77.7
Had economic di icul y
22.3
Home language
English
87.3
Gaeilge/O he
12.7
E hnici y
Non-Whi e
11.5
Whi e
88.5
Ci izenship
Non-I ish
11.6
I ish
88.4
Religious
Non- eligious
18.5
Religious
81.5
Religion ype
Roman Ca holic
81.4
Non-Roman Ca holic
11.7
O he
6.9
3.3.1 School social p o ile
Among he s uden s in ou sample, 23% a ended DEIS schools, 18% a ended ee-
cha ging schools, and he emaining 59% we e classi ied as ‘o he ’. The quali a i e
ma e ial sheds ligh on di e ences be ween DEIS schools and non-DEIS schools and
he impo ance o DEIS suppo s. The di e ences mean ha he e is an inc eased
school ole in many s uden s’ li es, om p o iding ood du ing he day, o a g ea e
need o mo i a e s uden s, o he suppo s p o ided o s uden s li ing in po e y.
Up un il hey’ e 16 you’ e saying ha by law hey ha e o be in he e,
i ’s a e ha I’m inding i eally di icul … Some o i is jus mo i a ing
he kids … ge ing he pa en s in, seeing how we can help hem. We’ e
o ganised a lo o counselling, we’ e paid o i . (Home–school–
communi y liaison (HSCL) o ice , DEIS school)
20
Fo da a analysis using he su ey o olun a y seconda y schools, ‘Deg ee’ e e s o hose wi h bo h uni e si y-
educa ed pa en s, while 'No deg ee' e e s o hose wi h ei he o nei he uni e si y-educa ed pa en s, o hose who
did no know hei pa en s' educa ion le el.

School p o ile | 41
Dealing wi h kids who a e in empo a y accommoda ion, eme gency
accommoda ion, ho els, a elling ac oss he ci y. Whe e mig an
pa en s, maybe English isn’ a i s language, ha en’ been in he
educa ion sys em, don’ know he language. Don’ know wha a CBA
[class oom-based assessmen ] is, don’ know wha a Lea ing
Ce i ica e Applied is, don’ know how o apply o a SUSI [S uden
Uni e sal Suppo I eland] g an . T ying o hea ily suppo hose
s uden s, you can’ ely on hose a home o ha e hose skills and
knowledge. (P incipal, DEIS school)
When you’ e in a highe needs school, i pushes you, challenges you.
Makes you hink ou side he box, makes you wo k ha de o engage
hose people who a en’ engaging. … I’ e wo ked in non-DEIS and DEIS
and wo king in a DEIS school has made me wo k ha de as a eache .
…. Fo me i wouldn’ be a discou aging aspec o applying o a job. I
hink i ge s a bad ep some imes. Fo me, DEIS means oppo uni y.
Tha mindse o , ‘oh God, wouldn’ wan o wo k in a DEIS school’,
some people ha e ha and I don’ unde s and i . I ce ainly wouldn’
ha e ha . I hink he e’s a g ea sense o communi y.’ (HSCL o ice ,
DEIS school)
The ole o DEIS esou ces in enabling schools o meaning ully suppo s uden s
was highligh ed as c ucial:
Inside in he school now we ha e home–school liaison. We ha e school
comple ion. We ha e a beha iou o lea ning eache . … Fo some
s uden s, we know ealis ically i ’s jus ge ing hem h ough school
and ge ing on o he nex pa o hei li e. And I hink ha we’ e e y
good a ha . (Teache , DEIS school)
We’ e had he DEIS designa ion since Sep embe , he suppo s a e
no iceable. The bigges single hing we had was he in oduc ion o
home–school liaison. We now ha e he School Comple ion P og amme
in he school. … We’ e going o ge ano he pos – some hing like
a endance o ice . We’ e s a ing o be able o plan, we we en’
be o e … I ’s going o make a big di e ence o ou a endance and
comple ion a es. (P incipal, DEIS school)
The g ea hing abou ge ing he DEIS s a us now his yea we ha e a
b eak as club in he mo ning. We ha e e e y hing a he 11.00 am
b eak is ee. And you can see he s uden s ha need i he mos . And
hey’ e in he e a 8.15 am in he mo ning, hey’ e ge ing hei bowl o
ce eal o a couple o slices o oas . And i jus , i does wonde s o
hem in he class oom as well. (Teache , DEIS school)
42 | The olun a y seconda y sec o in I ish educa ion
The bina y na u e o DEIS designa ion, howe e , was seen as p oblema ic by s a
in se e al o he non-DEIS schools, who saw signi ican needs among hei s uden s
wi hou ha ing any esou ces o mee hese needs.
We ha e child en coming om he same amilies who a e a ending
DEIS schools and one o hem is ecei ing home–school liaison and he
o he is he e and is no and hey a e ha ing he exac same issues.
(P incipal, non-DEIS school)
We wo k wi h [local educa ion body], we ha e a home–school suppo
pe son one day a week o y and keep hose s uden s o whom school
is a challenge – academic, a endance, pa en s who don’ alue
educa ion, o keep hose in school. I ’s wo ked o ou bene i in one
way, school e en ion le els a e high, bu i has been a disad an age
in ano he way because we’ e no eligible o DEIS s a us – ou wo
main eede schools ha e DEIS s a us. Tha ’s an issue because hose
s uden s a e used o a lo mo e suppo . (P incipal, non-DEIS school)
To me, he e’s a nonsense ac oss he coun y abou ha ing a DEIS
ca ego y. The e a e schools in I eland ha a e non-DEIS, hey’ e ee
paying. All o he a eas o he coun y ha e he same socioeconomic
p oblems. Jus because, o example, we’ e non-DEIS, we’ e penalised
by he esou ces ha he Depa men gi e o us in o de o se e he
needs o ou communi y … Bu i should be equally unded and he
esou ces should be equal o all schools. Home–school–communi y
liaison o ice s shouldn’ be whe he you’ e DEIS o non-DEIS.
(P incipal, non-DEIS school)
While mos o he schools in he sample did no concep ualise hemsel es as
‘academic schools’ in he na ow sense, he e was an elemen o he
academic/p ac ical di ide, as desc ibed in Sec ion 3.2 in e ms o how some
esponden s desc ibed hei school. The di ide mani es ed pa icula ly in how hey
alked abou discipline and beha iou in he school and in he subjec s on o e in
he school:
… I was in communi y school o long numbe o yea s … The e’s a
wo ld o a di e ence be ween he wo schools. The i s school was
e y challenging – i was a big school hen, i ’s bigge now. I was a
own wi h huge social issues, no a lo o majo employe s. A lo o
s uden s we e bussed in. We had huge discipline issues, social issues,
emo ional issues. Whe eas he e he e a e no discipline issues. … The
gi ls he e a e academic and e en o he weake ones, he s onge
ones pull hem up, hey help hem. (P incipal, non-DEIS school)
School p o ile | 43
We do ha e a good ange o subjec s. The e’s a couple missing, all he
p ac ical subjec s. I hink i ’s qui e academically ocused, academically
sexis because we can’ do me alwo k o woodwo k. We ha e music,
a , home economics e c – I jus ins an ly hink o he emale ole is in
he ki chen. They could o e mo e di e se subjec s. (Fi h yea ocus
g oup, non-DEIS school)
3.3.2 School size
School sizes we e ca ego ised as ollows: schools wi h less han 420 s uden s we e
de ined as ‘small’, hose wi h 420 o 599 s uden s we e classi ied as ‘medium-
sized’, and hose wi h mo e han 600 s uden s we e designa ed ‘la ge’.
App oxima ely 47.3% o s uden s a ended la ge schools, 41.1% a ended medium-
sized schools, and 11.6% a ended small schools.
When school s a alked abou hei school size, hey discussed a balance be ween
he le el o communi y a ailable in a smalle school and he abili y o do mo e in
e ms o ac i i ies and subjec s in a la ge school (an issue highligh ed ea lie by
McCoy e al., 2019).
You s a o lose ha elemen o pe sonabili y. I won’ know 750 kids,
bu he yea head has a chance wi h 120. A 1,000 you’ e dealing wi h
180, ha ’s un enable. E en going om 450 o 600 i ’s ge ing ha de .
Bu we also ha e mo e s a . We’ e ne e had u o g oups he e, now
we ha e one o all yea g oups. The yea head has a s uc u ed sys em
in place o keep ack o e e yone. (P incipal, DEIS school)
We p obably would ha e less [choice o subjec s] han o he schools
because we’ e small. (Fi h yea ocus g oup, DEIS school)
Mos school pe sonnel we e happy ha hei school was a he igh size, hough
some would ha e liked o ake mo e s uden s bu lacked he physical space, had
exhaus ed hei ca chmen a ea o we e ‘losing’ s uden s o o he schools (we will
e u n o he subjec o compe i ion o en olmen la e in his chap e ).
The bigge school gi es bene i s. Whe e we lose ou he e is space – we
don’ ha e enough. The e’s building on a he momen , bu will i be
eady in Sep embe ? The e’s no enough class ooms o mo e hings
a ound, we’ e a bi conges ed. We’ e a g owing school so e en when
hose en class ooms a e done. I don’ hink i ’s going o be enough.
They’ll be illed s aigh away. (Special educa ional needs o ganise
(SENCO), non-DEIS school)
Some people will say ha op imum size inancially is 500, we’ e 350.
I ’s a byp oduc o whe e we a e, we’ e ge ing almos e e yone om
44 | The olun a y seconda y sec o in I ish educa ion
ou eede schools. 450 would be easie inancially. (P incipal, DEIS
school)
3.3.3 School loca ion
In e ms o geog aphic a ea, a majo i y o he s uden s we e a ending schools based
in ci y (35%) and independen u ban a eas (41%), a he han sa elli e u ban a eas
o u al a eas.
Commu ing was hailed as an issue by s uden s ac oss he di e en a eas, albei o
di e en easons – dense a ic in u ban schools and la ge dis ances in u al schools.
U ban a eas speci ically highligh ed he impac o he housing c isis on s a and
s uden s.
We’ e wo eache s coming om Ca an, one om Long o d, one om
A hlone. I can see he day when hey say I can’ do his anymo e. I li e
in ea o he day when hey hand in no ice – why wouldn’ you mo e
close ? I ’s mos ly o do wi h accommoda ion issues in Dublin – hey
can’ a o d o li e he e. (P incipal, DEIS school)
I’m spending a huge amoun o ime w i ing le e s o suppo o
pa en s who a e ge ing e ic ion no ices o wan o skip a queue
because o a men al heal h issue. They’ e despe a e and hey’ e
coming o he school – I can’ help bu can w i e a le e o suppo .
I ’s an issue ac oss schools, especially DEIS schools. We ha e a la ge
en al popula ion in a mo e ola ile si ua ion. I’m seeing a lo o
pa en s wan ing o keep child in he school bu no su e hey’ll s ill be
he e. I ha e all ha kids pape wo k. I ha e one child commu ing om
[1.5 hou s away]. They had o mo e, bu he pa en s s ill wo k in
Dublin so he child has o lea e wi h hem a am. They don’ wan o
lose iends, bu hey’ e no going o make any down he e ei he .
(P incipal, DEIS school)
In u al a eas, he lack o economic p ospec s in he school ca chmen a ea was
lagged as a pa icula conce n, wi h he school hus assuming an especially
impo an ole in he local communi y:
Bu so many young people om his a ea a e no longe he e because
he e’s no hing o hem. They ha e o mo e ab oad, o hey ha e o
mo e o Dublin, hey ha e o mo e o he big ci ies. Tha ’s p obably
he bigges p oblem, as a school, ha we ha e. You ge o a ce ain
poin in e ms o numbe s, bu you can’ push on because he numbe s
a en’ he e. And he numbe s a en’ he e because he young amilies
School p o ile | 45
a e no going o be he e because he e’s no hing in he a ea o hem.
(Teache , DEIS school)
People a e lea ing and no coming back: i ’s a e y big challenge. The
g een ields a away a e e y in i ing. We a e seeing a shi back la ely
– he p ima y school is seeing a pickup in numbe s. People who a e
wo king om home – i ’s cheape o li e in [ own], be e li es yle,
be e access o e e y hing. The mos encou aging pa o ge hem
back is o ha e a ib an school ha ’ll se hei kids up o do well in he
u u e. Bu i ’s ha d o encou age people back o a own like [ own
name]. I hink he school is he mos impo an pa o i .’ (Boa d o
managemen membe , DEIS school)
3.3.4 Addi ional/special educa ional needs (SEN)
Rega ding he pe cen age o s uden s iden i ied wi h SEN o disabili y, ou esul s
show wide di e si y bo h ac oss he olun a y seconda y sec o and wi hin
di e en school ypes. In DEIS schools, he a e age pe cen age o s uden s sel -
epo ing as ha ing SEN s ands a 17.7%, compa ed o 12.5% in non-DEIS schools
and 16.3% in ee-cha ging schools. Among he DEIS schools su eyed, he
pe cen age o s uden s indica ing SEN anges om 9 o 40%. No able a ia ion is
also ound wi hin he ee-cha ging school sec o , wi h one school ha ing wice as
many s uden s ca ego ised as ha ing SEN compa ed o ano he school in he same
sec o .
S a ac oss all school ypes epo ed inc eased numbe s o s uden s iden i ied
(o icially o no ) as ha ing a SEN and gi en suppo . Media epo s also poin o a
‘su ge’ in he numbe o I ish exemp ions in ecen yea s.
21
I’ e nea ly i e yea s done he e, and I was he SENCO in my p e ious
school as well. The e’s been huge changes o e ha ime in he
numbe o s uden s ans e ing in o me, he numbe coming in wi h
diagnosis, he numbe in need o lea ning suppo and he numbe o
s uden s accessing I ish exemp ions. (SENCO, non-DEIS school)
I’m nea ly a aid o say I know wha I’m a , i ’s cons an ly changing
and he le el o need inside in he school is sky ocke ing. The e’s mo e
s uden s wi h needs. The in ense needs you’ll always ha e, and hey’ll
always be diagnosed be o e hey ge o us. Bu he e’s mo e kids wi h
mo e needs ou he e. (SENCO, non-DEIS school)
21
Ca l O’B ien (2023). ‘Su ge in numbe o exemp ions o s udy o I ish a second le el’, I ish Times, 29 Decembe ,
h ps://www.i ish imes.com/i eland/educa ion/2023/12/29/su ge-in-numbe -o -exemp ions- o -s udy-o -i ish-a -
second-le el/.

46 | The olun a y seconda y sec o in I ish educa ion
O pa icula in e es , in e ms o a school’s p o ile and i s commi men o
inclusion, was he way special classes we e in oduced and inco po a ed in o he
ab ic o school li e. Gene ally, o many schools, he e is inc easing p essu e o
p o ide o all s uden s wi hin hei speci ied local geog aphical a ea.
22
Some
p incipals desc ibed being p oac i e a he han eac i e on his on , ac i ely
looking o se up a special class a he han wai ing o be asked o do so:
We’ e unusual in ha ing ou special classes – wo ASD [au is ic
spec um diso de ], one mild, one mode a e. We’ e a bi ahead in
e ms o he EPSEN Ac . (P incipal, non-DEIS school)
Ou ca chph ase is o espond o he needs o he communi y,
wha e e hey a e. When we opened he ASD uni , we had he
s uden s, we we e asked would we like a build. … I didn’ e en en e
ou heads no o do i . You jus do i because hese a e he s uden s
ha we ha e and you espond o he needs ha a e he e. (Boa d o
managemen membe , non-DEIS school)
One school had he s uden s bu no he class due o in as uc u e limi a ions:
We ha e nine s uden s who mee he c i e ia o a special school, bu
we ha e no special class, no esou ces. We mee he numbe o ge
one and a hal class ooms, bu we can’ ge suppo s. The s uden s
can’ ge in o special schools and we don’ ha e space o a special
class. (P incipal, DEIS school)
While schools we e mo ing a di e en paces in e ms o opening special classes,
mos schools in he sample ei he had such a class o a plan o open one.
3.3.5 Pa en al educa ion and economic di icul y
A he indi idual le el, we used s uden epo ed da a on pa en al educa ion and
household economic di icul y o explo e he socioeconomic p o ile o indi idual
schools. O e all, 45.2% s uden s epo ed bo h pa en s had a hi d-le el deg ee,
23.2% epo ed one pa en wi h a hi d-le el deg ee, 10.7% epo ed nei he
pa en had a deg ee, and 21% epo ed ha hey did no know. App oxima ely
22.3% o s uden s epo ed expe iencing economic ulne abili ies in hei
household, ela ed o di icul y in paying bills and access o ce ain ma e ial goods
(e.g., he igh kind o clo hes o i in, he igh kind o elec onic de ices o use,
age-app op ia e books a home, o a sui able place a home o s udy o do
homewo k). Figu e 3.4 below shows he a ia ion in pa en al educa ion and
22
Depa men o Educa ion (2023). ‘Minis e s Foley and Madigan announce wo special schools as pa o o wa d
planning o 2023/24’, h ps://www.go .ie/en/p ess- elease/ 1b17-minis e s- oley-and-madigan-announce-
wo-new-special-schools-as-pa -o - o wa d-planning- o -202324/.
School p o ile | 47
economic di icul y ac oss each o he indi idual schools in he sample. The e is
clea clus e ing a ei he end, wi h DEIS schools and ee-cha ging schools; he
a ia ion ac oss he ee-cha ging and non-DEIS schools is subs an ial, anging om
unde 30% o pa en s wi h deg ee-le el educa ion o o e 50%. The p e alence o
economic di icul ies clea ly shows a di e en pa e n, wi h much less a ia ion
ac oss school ypes, pe haps signalling he economic p essu es amilies incu in
making pa icula school choices.
FIGURE 3.4 EDUCATIONAL AND ECONOMIC PROFILE OF CASE STUDY SCHOOLS (%)
No e: HE=Highe educa ion.
Compa ed wi h 13 yea olds in he GUI s udy, signi ican di e ences eme ged
ac oss pa en al educa ion le els, wi h a disp opo iona ely highe pe cen age o
s uden s in ou sample epo ing ha ing uni e si y-educa ed pa en s (45% s 21%).
No ably, e en wi hin he ee-cha ging sec o , ou sample’s s uden s we e mo e
likely o ha e deg ee-educa ed pa en s compa ed o he 13 yea olds in he GUI
s udy (76% s 54%).
23
Addi ionally, in ee-cha ging schools in ou sample, a lowe
23
Pa en al educa ion le el in he GUI da a e e s o he educa ion le el o he p ima y gi e , which in he as majo i y
o cases was he mo he .
00%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
DEIS Non-DEIS Fee-paying
% Pa en s HE % Had economic di icul y
48 | The olun a y seconda y sec o in I ish educa ion
p opo ion epo ed expe iencing economic di icul ies (15% s 23%), a pa e n
also obse ed in non- ee-cha ging olun a y seconda y schools (24% s 39%).
24
The challenges In suppo ing socioeconomically disad an aged s uden s wi hou
access o DEIS suppo s we e discussed abo e, bu i is impo an o no e ha
ha ing a mixed coho in e ms o socioeconomic backg ound was highligh ed as a
s eng h by many s akeholde s.
[The school social mix] is b oad, ully ac oss he spec um. I ’s a huge
hing – my nephews a e in hei hi ies now and hey always say [ his
school] p epa ed hem o e e y hing hey we e going o mee ou side.
(Teache , non-DEIS school)
The mos ob ious s eng h is jus ha you lea e school and you’ e no
suddenly in a comple ely di e en social en i onmen . You school is
in some way a e lec ion o wha is ou he e in he wo ld. (Teache ,
non-DEIS school)
Wi hin he quali a i e da a, he e was a lack o awa eness o he school’s ela i e
p o ile compa ed o o he schools, pa icula ly among non-DEIS schools wi h
ega d o DEIS schools, and among ee-cha ging schools wi h ega d o non- ee-
cha ging schools.
I would be, i ’s become mo e di e se wi hin he school, you can
de ini ely see ha . The e would ha e been, I suppose, in he pas , a
sligh eli ism o coming o [name o school], bu ha would ha e come
om i being a boa ding school in he pas . Bu ha has de ini ely
gone. (Teache , non-DEIS school)
Funnily enough, I hink ou [social] mix is ac ually qui e s anda d in
e ms o o he schools. Al hough we’ e a ee-paying school in a
salub ious subu b o Dublin, a signi ican p opo ion o ou s uden s
a e om ou side o Dublin. … So we’d ha e a lo o s uden s whose
pa en s a e wo king middle class, who a e aking ou loans o send
hei kids o p i a e educa ion. … I don’ hink he e would be e y
much di e ence be ween, say ou sel es and [ he name o ano he
school in he same a ea] in e ms o he makeup o he male
popula ion. (P incipal, ee-cha ging school)
24
The gap in economic di icul y migh be pa ly a ibu ed o he sligh ly di e en measu es used o cap u e household
economic di icul y and should he e o e be in e p e ed wi h cau ion. In ou su ey da a, we use s uden s’ epo s on
he pe cei ed di icul y o paying bills and access o ce ain ma e ial goods. Fo he GUI ’08 Coho da a, we ely on
pa en - epo ed measu es o he pe cei ed di icul y in paying bills.
School p o ile | 49
3.3.6 Home language, na ionali y/e hnic backg ound
I ish schools, like I ish socie y mo e widely, ha e become signi ican ly mo e
e hnically, cul u ally and linguis ically di e se o e he las wo decades.
Na ionali ies epo ed in ou su ey co e ed 60 di e en coun ies.
English was he p edominan home language o 87% o s uden s, wi h he
emaining 13% speaking 53 di e en languages in addi ion o English. Eigh y-nine
pe cen o su eyed s uden s iden i ied as Whi e, 4.4% as Asian o Asian I ish, and
2.7% as Black o Black I ish, wi h he emaining ca ego ised as ‘o he ’.
App oxima ely 88% held I ish ci izenship, including 5% wi h dual ci izenship. Wide
a ia ions ac oss he 21 case s udy schools in s uden na ionali y and e hnici y
we e obse ed, wi h he la ges a ia ion ound in DEIS schools.
25
The pe cen age
o s uden s om a Whi e backg ound anged om as low o 60% o a high o 100%,
and he pe cen age o s uden s wi h an I ish ci izenship anged om a low o 68%
o a high o 93%.
In e ms o he e hnici y o young peoples’ iends, 62% o s uden s in ou sample
epo ed ha mos o all hei iends had he same e hnici y as hem. A u he
qua e s a ed ha some o hei iends sha ed he same e hnici y, and less han
7% indica ed hey did no ha e any iends om he same e hnici y. The i h yea
g oup, as well as he s uden s om non-u ban a eas (i.e., om own and u al
a eas), we e sligh ly mo e likely o s a e ha hey had iends om he same e hnic
backg ound. Va ia ions we e also obse ed ac oss case s udy schools, wi h he
numbe o s uden s epo ing ha ‘mos o all o hei iends’ we e om he same
e hnic g oup anging om 23% o 82%.
The inc eased di e si y o olun a y seconda y schools o e ime was ema ked on
by many s akeholde s and was only discussed in posi i e e ms.
We do loads o e en s on celeb a ing o he people’s cul u es. I
emembe jus a ew weeks ago we had a ood es i al o celeb a e
ood om lo s o di e en cul u es. So i eels he school is pu ing in
lo s o e o o make su e ha e e yone eels hey belong he e. (Fi h
yea ocus g oup, non-DEIS school)
The e’s a good mix o people. Lo s o eligions, lo s o di e en
coun ies. I adds a lo . You ge o lea n abou hings like Ramadan.
We ha e a cul u e day whe e e e yone b ings in ood and hings. My
olde sis e is 23, when she wen o school you didn’ ha e ha and i
was only en yea s ago. (Second yea ocus g oup, DEIS school)
25
No e ha his discussion excludes Educa e Toge he schools in ‘non-DEIS’, gi en hei dis inc i ely di e se s uden
backg ound and because hey a e o e -sampled.
56 | The olun a y seconda y sec o in I ish educa ion
bina y measu e o en olmen /non-en olmen is a om being he mos e ec i e
measu e o s uden and pa en iews o speci ic aspec s o a school.
3.5 SUMMARY
The da a collec ed o his s udy, alongside na ionally ep esen a i e seconda y
da a, highligh he a ia ion in school p o ile ac oss he h ee sec o s and wi hin
he olun a y seconda y sec o . The di e ences be ween he h ee sec o s in
in ake and ou come ha e na owed o e he las ew decades, hough some
emain. The di e si y wi hin he olun a y seconda y sec o emains p onounced,
wi h di e en olun a y seconda y schools se ing di e en popula ions in a
a ie y o ways. The indings show di e si y ha was i s highligh ed by Hannan
and Boyle’s (1987) analysis o he way in which ce ain eligious o de s had
dis inc i e o ien a ions in e ms o social class g oups, gende s and cu iculum.
Ea lie esea ch has also highligh ed he ole o school con ex and composi ion on
a ange o s uden expe iences and ou comes, bo h in he I ish con ex (McCoy e
al., 2014b; McCoy e al., 2012) and in e na ionally (P io and Leckie, 2023). The
ollowing chap e s will explo e he expe iences o s uden s and he pe spec i es o
o he key s akeholde s ac oss a ange o hemes, highligh ing whe e ele an he
pa icula expe iences o some o he key g oups discussed in his chap e .

School e hos and cul u e | 57
CHAPTER 4
School e hos and cul u e
4.1 INTRODUCTION
School e hos, o cha ac e is ic spi i , is one o he key a eas whe e he olun a y
seconda y sec o is dis inc , wi h almos all o I eland’s schools ha ha e an explici
eligious e hos loca ed wi hin he sec o . The e is a complex ela ionship be ween
a school’s e hos (denomina ional o in e -denomina ional), i s ole in s uden s’
ai h o ma ion and i s class oom-based eligious educa ion o e hical educa ion
cu iculum. This chap e explo es he di e en a icula ions o he ole o he
school in s uden s’ eligious de elopmen among ou s udy pa icipan s, ac oss
each o hese h ee a eas. Especially no able om he da a was he widesp ead
pe cep ion ha his ole had shi ed signi ican ly o e ime, as well as he mo e
con es ed ques ion o how i should de elop in he u u e.
The e is some e idence ega ding wha school e hos means o Ca holic and non-
Ca holic s uden s a ending he sec o . D awing on he oice o mino i y ai h and
wo ld iew s uden s in second-le el schools wi h a Ca holic e hos, S aple on (2020)
ound inequali ies exis in he acili a ion o mino i y ai h/wo ld iew s uden s o
mani es hei ai h compa ed wi h Ca holic s uden s.
28
Howe e , s uden s also
exp essed posi i i y abou hei schools’ e hos. Rega dless o s uden s’ indi idual
wo ld iews, acquiescence, compliance and some suppo o he Ca holic-cen ic
p ac ices we e e iden . While coun e -hegemony was appa en , he e was also
posi i i y owa d hei school expe ience and a wish o be educa ed oge he
a he han seg ega ed due o hei ai h o wo ld iew.
The e is also e idence o sugges ha eligious educa ion can be impo an o
wellbeing. Meehan (2019) e iews e idence om in e na ional longi udinal
s udies o demons a e a s ong posi i e co ela ion be ween eligious educa ion
and wellbeing. She concludes ha as a legi ima e sou ce o wellbeing, eligious
educa ion wi h sound con en and pedagogy, well augh by quali ied and
suppo ed eache s, can be an in eg al pa o a Junio Cycle p og amme.
School e hos ex ends a beyond he eligious dimension, howe e : I ish second-
le el schools ha e bo h an explici e hos and an implici unde s anding o wha he
28
The concep o ‘wo ld iew’, gene ally de ined as a iew on li e, he wo ld, and humani y, is egula ly used in eligious
educa ion. This is o e e o a mo e pe sonal and b oade (i.e., secula ) in e p e a ion o iews on li e han ‘ eligion’.
The need o a mo e encompassing concep han eligion s ems om a g owing pa o he Eu opean popula ion
ceasing o pa icipa e in adi ional, ins i u ionalised eligious p ac ices on a egula basis, while s ill main aining a
ela i ely high le el o p i a e indi idual belie ( an de Kooij e al., 2017). Acco ding o he Commission on Religious
Educa ion in he UK, a wo ld iew is de ined as: 'a pe son’s way o unde s anding, expe iencing and esponding o he
wo ld' (Commission on Religious Educa ion).
58 | The olun a y seconda y sec o in I ish educa ion
school is d i en by and o ac oss all sec o s. As we only looked a olun a y
seconda y schools o his s udy, we canno pin down wha is dis inc abou he
sec o in his dimension o school e hos.
Figu e 4.1 shows ac o s indica ed by school p incipals as being ‘ e y impo an ’ o
hei e hos, by school sec o and he p opo ion o s uden s wi hin hem. ‘Social
jus ice’ and ‘spo s’ we e consis en ly iewed as e y impo an o school e hos
ac oss all ou school sec o s. Howe e , no able di e ences we e obse ed
ega ding ‘ eligion’; his is iden i ied as ‘ e y impo an ’ o a disp opo iona ely
highe pe cen age o s uden s in olun a y seconda y schools, ega dless o he
school’s ee-cha ging s a us.
This chap e will explo e school e hos as pe cei ed by s uden s, pa en s and school
s a ac oss ou 21 schools, in an a emp o d aw ou he di e en ways he school
e hos in luences li e in olun a y seconda y schools. In he con ex o hei school’s
unw i en policies a ound disc ee ly suppo ing low-income s uden s wi h ood,
uni o ms and books when needed, a boa d o managemen chai a icula ed he
nebulous bu i al na u e o a school’s e hos pa icula ly well:
E hos is a e y s ange hing, e y luid, e y ha d o pu you inge on
i . Ye you know i you go agains i wha happens. We would know
he e i somebody wen agains ou e hos bu i ’s di icul o pin i
down. (Boa d o managemen membe , Non-DEIS school)
As well as an e hos, schools ha e a cul u e: a dis inc i e way o ela ing ac oss he
school communi y and wi hin he school as an ins i u ion. O cou se, he e is no
ha d and as dis inc ion be ween school cul u e and school e hos, as hey e lec
and e en d i e each o he . In his s udy we epo on hem sepa a ely bu he
cons an c oss- e e encing be ween he wo in he quali a i e ma e ial shows ha
hey a e in many ways wo sides o he same coin. School cul u e ac oss ou 21
schools will also be conside ed in his chap e . Nex , we will u n o he s uden
oice wi hin schools, an aspec o school li e linked o school e hos and school
cul u e bu inc easingly seen as impo an in i s own igh . Finally, we will ask a
basic bu undamen al ques ion abou he expe iences o s uden s in his s udy,
one we see as s ongly linked o hese h ee aspec s o school li e: do hey like
school?
School e hos and cul u e | 59
FIGURE 4.1 FACTORS RATED IMPORTANT IN SCHOOL ETHOS BY SCHOOL SECTOR
Sou ce: GUI ’08 Coho , Wa e 6.
No e: The igu es ep esen he pe cen age o s uden s wi hin each sec o a ending a school in which each o hese ac o s
was desc ibed by i s p incipal as being impo an o he school e hos.
4.2 SCHOOL ETHOS
O ou 21 schools, 18 had a Ca holic e hos, 2 we e Educa e Toge he schools wi h
a mul i-denomina ional e hos and 1 had a Chu ch o I eland e hos. While he ole
o his eligious aspec may be he i s hing ha comes o mind when discussing
school e hos, i was o en no he p ima y conce n o ou s udy pa icipan s when
discussing school e hos. I is also no ewo hy ha he pe cei ed impo ance o he
school e hos ended o be highe among s a han among s uden s.
We will use s uden esponses o a b oad, open ques ion abou school e hos,
displayed in Table 4.1 below, o guide ou analysis,
29
in dialogue wi h he iews o
o he school s akeholde s. A he end o he sec ion, we will e u n o he su ey
and look a how s uden pe cep ions o he impo ance o school e hos was shaped
by hei school expe iences and pe sonal cha ac e is ics.
29
‘Wha does you school’s “cha ac e is ic spi i ” o e hos mean o you? In o he wo ds, wha do you hink you school
eally alues? Wha so o communi y is he school?’ (963 esponses). The esponses we e coded using induc i e
codes gene a ed om he esponses. Due o he numbe and b ead h o codes gene a ed, no all a e epo ed on in
de ail in his piece.
79% 80% 73% 67%
84% 76%
36%
87%
75% 64%
41%
75%
60%
29%
66%
5%
44%
29%
56% 49%
37%
79%
29%
45% 34%
66%
48%
25%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Spo s Religion Music D ama Social jus ice En i onmen al
awa eness
I ish language
and cul u e
Fee-cha ging seconda y Non- ee-cha ging seconda y ETB Communi y/Comp ehensi e
60 | The olun a y seconda y sec o in I ish educa ion
TABLE 4.1 STUDENT RESPONSES TO AN OPEN COMMENT BOX QUESTION ON SCHOOL ETHOS
Ca ego y
Responses
School en i onmen
Communi y (229)
Beha iou (32)
Gende speci ic (21)
Rela ionships wi h s a
(19)
Sa e en i onmen (14)
Communi y ( ailing) (2)
Values
Respec (177)
Kindness (92)
Gi ing back (13)
Responsibili y (11)
Fai ness (11)
Fai ness ( ailing) (1)
Academics
Academics (176)
In elligence (10)
Fu he /highe educa ion
(8)
Academics ( ailing) (5)
Equali y, di e si y and
inclusion
Inclusion (138)
Di e si y (50)
Equali y (36)
Di e si y ( ailing) (9)
Inclusion ( ailing) (5)
Spo s
Spo s (126)
Spo s- excessi e (20)
Spo s – insu icien (7)
Spo s – gende ed (3)
Nega i e
Doesn’ know/ca e (95)
Disag ees wi h e hos (73)
Doesn’ mean much (56)
No upholding e hos (14)
S uden cen ed
Values s uden s (79)
Wellbeing (28)
Wellbeing ( ailing) (20)
Enjoymen (19)
Suppo (7)
S uden oice (6)
Gene ic
Educa ion (73)
Gene ic posi i e (30)
Educa ion ( ailing) (4)
S uden de elopmen
Pe sonal de elopmen
(73)
Social de elopmen (9)
Ca ee (4)
Social engagemen (4)
Religion
Religion – neu al (70)
Religion – nega i e (31)
Speci ic e hos (30)
Religion – posi i e (20)
Religion – insu icien (1)
O he ex acu icula
S uden in e es s (56)
Music (10)
S uden in e es s ( ailing)
(7)
Music ( ailing) (1)
W ong easons
Image conscious (45)
Con o mi y (24)
Appea ance (20)
Money (5)
E o and p essu e
Values wo k (45)
Achie emen s (41)
Compe i ion (3)
Posi i e
Quo e om c es (29)
T adi ion (6)
School spi i (5)
Social side
F iendship (26)
Bullying (14)
F iendship ( ailing) (1)
Ambi alen
Complex (25)
No all s uden s (10)
Inconsis en (4)
Cha ac e is ics
C ea i i y (5)
Empowe men (2)
Leade ship (1)
F eedom (1)
O he
O he (9)
Wide sys em (3)
N =963
Pe haps he mos s iking hing abou he open-ended su ey esponses is he
shee b ead h o ac o s ha s uden s see hei schools as aluing and p omo ing.
In o al, he esponses a e eco ded unde 73 codes ac oss 18 hemes, wi h he
equency o esponses wi hin each code anging om 1 o 229. I is clea in he
su ey esponses, and in he quali a i e ma e ial mo e widely, ha schools o e
di e en hings o di e en s uden s, o a leas ha he alue placed on di e en
School e hos and cul u e | 61
aspec s o he school a ies among s uden s. As well as he b ead h o he
esponses, he ma e ial also s ands ou in he ex en o which he di e en codes
a e in e wo en in how esponden s concep ualise hei school e hos. Fo example,
one s uden desc ibed hei school e hos as ollows:
I hink he school communi y is e y good. I includes e e yone and he
s a a e always up o a laugh wi h he s uden s which also helps.
(Su ey esponse)
In o he wo ds, he communi y is c ea ed h ough and alued because o he
inclusion o all s uden s and he ela ionships be ween s a and s uden s. Ano he
s uden ga e he ollowing answe :
Respec o e e yone is e y impo an o he school, accep ing
e e yone o who hey a e. And ea ing e e yone he e ai ly. Each
s uden gi ing hei bes o li e in he school. (Su ey esponse)
He e we see espec being he d i ing o ce o he e hos, linked o aluing s uden s
o who hey a e and also o s uden s ecip oca ing his espec and engagemen .
While we do no go h ough he aspec s o e hos highligh ed by ou pa icipan s
one by one, he e a e s ong links ac oss he aspec s. Howe e , he e is no
disce nible pa e n in he links – esponden s a e piecing oge he he wo kings
and impo ance o e hos in hei own a ied ways.
The mos equen code was Communi y, which may e lec he wo ding o he
open-ended ques ion in he su ey. The school communi y was easu ed by many
s uden s as well as by in e iew esponden s:
We’ e all one communi y. I doesn’ ma e which ace [you a e].
(Second yea ocus g oup, non-DEIS school)
I hink he school alues ha i is a igh kni communi y, and ha we
a e all pa o a communi y, a place whe e we can all belong. (Su ey
esponse)
The e’s a nice communi y cohesion, I hink he kids see ha . You know,
you’ e ha ing a cha wi h cleaning s a one minu e, he p incipal he
nex . I don’ eel he e’s any hie a chies in he school. I ’s a big
communi y bu he e’s a nice sense o communi y wi h i . The pas
pupils as well you’d see hem a ound. Nine imes ou o en hey wan
o come up and ha e a cha . (Teache , ee-cha ging school)
The school was also seen by some esponden s as a key pa in a wide communi y,
some hing which schools wo ked ha d o sus ain:

62 | The olun a y seconda y sec o in I ish educa ion
The [school communi y] is no like any o he expe ience – i plays such
a big ole and i ’s only inc easing. We ha e pa en educa ion on p e y
much e e y e ening – we’ e had language classes, Census classes, you
name i . We’ e eally looking o engage he wide school communi y.
We do lo s o wo k wi h he coun y council plan ing ees, we do he
g een mile whe e TY [T ansi ion Yea ] s uden s li e pick 1 km each
side o school. We’ e p e y a eaching in o he local communi y.
(Teache , DEIS school)
A lo o olde people in own would ha e gone o he ech o he school,
know i and a ended. We’ e s ill in he old building, so i ’s amilia o
hem. … The school does Tidy Towns as well. We do Masses in he
chu ch oo. Young En i onmen alis s oo. I eaches you abou li e. And
i ’s good as well o he school, you ha e people going a ound own
who see wha he school is doing o he own o when hey see you
beha ing well a ound he own, people who a e sending hei kids o
school a e going o hink well o his place. (Second yea ocus g oup,
non-DEIS school)
The e we e also esponden s who el ha he school was no succeeding in
c ea ing a communi y, o a leas ha hey we e no pa o a school communi y:
I ’s qui e unwelcoming o us people as s uden s. (Su ey esponse)
I hink my schools alues a e Ch is ian based and mo ally co ec in
e e y way. I don’ know wha so o communi y my school is because
I am no a pa o i . (Su ey esponse)
Tha hese schools we e communi ies was e iden o us ac oss ou da a and in ou
isi s o each school. The ela ionships among s uden s, among s a and be ween
s uden s and s a d i e much o wha schools do and why hey do i , in conce
wi h he school’s e hos. Clea ly he e is mo e wo k o be done in making all
s uden s eel pa o his communi y, especially in ligh o he knock-on e ec s his
could ha e on s uden engagemen and wellbeing.
In e ms o he mo al and pe sonal cha ac e is ics schools we e ying o ins il in
s uden s, and model in hei day- o-day p ac ice, he e is an in e es ing con as
be ween he ela i ely high numbe o s uden s who saw schools as li ing by mo al
alues, pa icula ly espec , kindness and ‘gi ing back’ and p omo ing pe sonal and
social de elopmen , and he much lowe numbe who saw schools as aluing
pa icula pe sonal cha ac e is ics like c ea i i y, eedom and leade ship. When
in e iewees s essed an emphasis on holis ic de elopmen in hei school, hey
ended o see i as comp ising bo h mo al and pe sonal de elopmen :
School e hos and cul u e | 63
I hink i ’s e y much abou he holis ic de elopmen o each pupil, no
jus he educa ional de elopmen bu he i ue, such as how o
in e ac wi h people. I ’s e y much abou olun ee ing o being
empa he ic, no jus o he pee s bu o he eaching s a and
e e ybody. I is e y much abou ying o de elop each pupil as a
whole pe son, conside ing he e hical and cul u al di e ences o each
and e e y people. (Boa d o managemen membe , ee-cha ging
school)
l’m always s uck by a quo e om S . I enaeus – he glo y o God is he
human pe son ully ali e. I also like Maslow’s idea o sel -ac ualisa ion.
I like he idea o young people op imising wha hey can achie e.
Leade ship’s job is o ake he ba ie s ou o he way and ee hem o
be who hey can be. (P incipal, DEIS school)
Key o his holis ic de elopmen is he ole o ex acu icula ac i i ies in he
schools, pa icula ly spo . Spo and o he ex acu icula ac i i ies we e seen as
a signi ican pa o a school’s iden i y, and as pa o wha made school enjoyable.
This is u he suppo ed in Chap e 9, whe e we no e ha he majo i y o s uden s
engage in ex acu icula ac i i ies, as also no ed by he Depa men o Educa ion
(2021). They played a signi ican ole in engaging s uden s, pa icula ly s uden s
who we e less engaged academically o e en s uden s who migh o he wise no
ha e engaged a all:
In DEIS schools pa icula ly he e a e people who only come in when
he e’s a hle ics o baske ball. Then you’ e go ha in you li e, you
know how i is o be commi ed o unning so how do you commi o
you sel , how do you say I’m wo h i . So you can use hem so o
hings. (Home–school–communi y liaison (HSCL) o ice , DEIS school)
We will e u n o he ole o spo s and o he ex acu icula ac i i ies in Chap e
9, bu i is impo an o no e he e he esponden s who el ha spo (o a
pa icula spo ) was o e emphasised in hei school e hos o o e alued by he
school:
The e’s, a s igma i you don’ play hockey – you’ e seen as no a hle ic
a all. They don’ ake in o accoun any o he spo s. The e’s a ce ain
ype o people – we all i in o ha mould in some way bu no
e e ybody ully. Fo spo s like baske ball, hey’ e eally good and hey
go no ecogni ion. I you don’ play hockey you’ e i ele an . The
whole school goes o hockey ma ches – he e a e buses booked,
classes a e cancelled.’ (Fi h yea ocus g oup, ee-cha ging school)
64 | The olun a y seconda y sec o in I ish educa ion
Many s uden s and s a highligh ed he place o academic ins uc ion in he
school’s e hos, o en as pa o wha he school did a he han he en i e pu pose,
and s essed many ac i e e o s made by school o achie e a balance be ween
encou aging academic and holis ic de elopmen .
In my opinion, my school alues academic success as well as ou
pe sonal ambi ions and in e es s. The school has pu in place many
di e en ex acu icula ac i i ies ha s uden s can ge in ol ed in i
hey wish while also ensu ing ha we ha e he bes oppo uni y o
excel academically. (Su ey esponse)
I hink he school eally alues spo s. Academically i ’s massi e as
well. We ha e a 600 poin e e e y yea . I suppose i ’s balanced, you do
he bes you can do, wha e e i is. (Fi h yea ocus g oup, non-DEIS
school)
I hink he e’s a good balance be ween educa ion … like, i ’s no he
end o he wo ld i you do badly in one es . Yeah, i ’s impo an o do
well bu don’ s ess oo much. The e’s a good balance be ween spo s
and music and academics. (Second yea g oup, ee-cha ging school)
Howe e , a signi ican numbe o s uden s el ha he school only o o e ly
ocused on academics, some imes linked wi h a pe cep ion ha he school ca ed
mo e abou i s epu a ion han i s s uden s:
The school alues academic achie emen and image abo e e e y hing
else. (Su ey esponse)
Values esul s. S uden s’ wellbeing and men al heal h is i ele an in
he cu en school sys em. (Su ey esponse)
I hink ou school is e y academic ocused which is a e y good hing
o ha e bu I do belie e ha he e needs o be mo e ocus on o he
oppo uni ies ha should be encou aged. (Su ey esponse)
The ex en o which schools managed o s ike a balance be ween aluing
academic de elopmen and encou aging s uden s o wo k ha d wi hou c ea ing
an excessi ely compe i i e o p essu ised en i onmen is a co e conce n o Chap e
6.
In con as o hose who hough he e was an o e ocus on academic
achie emen , many s uden s and school s a el ha hei school did genuinely
alue s uden s and he ela ionship be ween s uden s and s a , and ha hei
school was abo e all a ca ing place:
School e hos and cul u e | 65
My school eally does alue e e yone's bes in e es . They pu hei
s uden s i s , hey accep e e yone o who hey a e and do no shame
people. (Su ey esponse)
I alues us as indi iduals o who we a e and wha we ha e in e es s
in. The school alues also ha we a e happy and eel sa e he e mee ing
wi h iends and aking pa in ac i i ies ha we ha e a joy in
pa icipa ing. The communi y wi hin his school is qui e a happy place
which we don' d ead coming in o e e y day. (Su ey esponse)
The posi i e sen imen owa ds eache s was consis en ly e lec ed in he
in e iews wi h s uden s. One s uden highligh ed, ‘I hink mos o he eache s
he e a e phenomenal anyway’ (Fi h yea ocus g oup, Educa e Toge he school),
unde sco ing he high ega d s uden s held o hei educa o s. Ano he s uden
om he same ocus g oup emphasised he suppo i e na u e o eache s, no ing
ha ‘They [ eache s] a e always e y suppo i e,’ indica ing a nu u ing
en i onmen wi hin he school. Addi ionally, a s uden exp essed p o ound
admi a ion o he unde s anding and ca ing a i ude o he eache s:
… I hink hey [ eache s] a e he mos unde s anding and ca ing and
hey ha e such a good hey ha e an ex eme amoun o empa hy
owa ds eenage s speci ically. Because I wouldn' ind ha suppo
anywhe e else.’ (Fi h yea ocus g oup, Educa e Toge he school)
The quo e abo e unde sco es he deep sense o us and connec ion s uden s eel
wi h hei eache s, highligh ing he pi o al ole eache s play no only in academic
ins uc ion bu also in p o iding emo ional suppo and guidance. Such iews a e
sha ed in he wide school communi y among eache s and school boa d membe s.
We ha e a pa icula ly s ong pas o al ca e sys em – u o , yea head,
chai de, chois e, guidance counsello s, a counsello , ca e eam
mee ing. Tha demons a es ou e hos in ac ion. (Teache , non-DEIS
school)
People go abo e and beyond, ha ’s a cul u e in he leade ship in he
school. They can see, dealing wi h kids coming in in he mo ning, who
is s uggling and who needs help. And om wha I can see ha help is
p o ided wi hou anybody knowing abou i . I ’s no publicised. And
ha ’s he way i should be. (Boa d o managemen membe , DEIS
school)
As he las quo e shows, e hos was o en abou who schools we e engaging wi h,
as well as how hey we e engaging wi h hem. In pa icula , di e si y and inclusion
we e poin ed o as undamen al o he mission o he school by pa icipan s ac oss
he school communi y.
72 | The olun a y seconda y sec o in I ish educa ion
needs o communi y in se ing up he school o iginally. Tha is pa o
ou e hos. We y o no ake i o g an ed and always build on i as
bes we can.’ (Depu y p incipal, non-DEIS school)
I hink i 's eally impo an ha we – he e is a alue placed on wha
goes on in ou schools. I migh no be popula a p esen o he way
ha he media is going. Bu we owe a huge deb o g a i ude o ou
ounding g oup … And o look a he quali y o educa ion hey' e gi en
o e he yea s, I hink is jus phenomenal. A lo o ou decisions a e
based on ou alues. … I would ha e o see public policy go such a way
ha , ‘No, we don' wan olun a y seconda y schools’, and ha hey
jus become p i a e o eli is . Because I do hink hey a e a alue in he
communi y. (P incipal, non-DEIS school)
As well as he impo ance o adi ion, howe e , a numbe o answe s saw he
sligh ly non- adi ional way eligion was li ed in he school as a s eng h o i s
e hos:
Ou school echnically has a Ca holic e hos bu in p ac ise i is much
mo e accep ing han he Ca holic Chu ch. The school welcomes and
accep s people o all sexual o ien a ions and e hnici ies wi h speci ic
clubs such as a mul icul u al socie y, a gende and sexuali y alliance
and a neu odi e si y club. Ou school e lec s i s Ch is ian e hos in i s
cha i able endea ou s mo e so han e e yday eaching. (Su ey
esponse)
We a e a eligious school … a Ca holic school. Bu we ha e ansgende
child en he e. As in, i ’s he ypical I ish hing … I ’s ne e jus one igid
hing. So you can be Ca holic and you can s ill be o ally ine wi h
ha ing ansgende people. (Special educa ional needs coo dina o
(SENCO), DEIS school)
Religion was also highligh ed o i s impo an ole in p omo ing awa eness,
ole ance and espec :
I hink as I say as we become mo e and mo e mul icul u al somebody
has o deal wi h espec and ole ance … Pa o ha would be
espec ing o he people's ai h and ha ing an unde s anding o i .
Ce ainly no igno ing i o p e ending ha i ’s no pa o socie y … I
de ini ely hink he ju y is ou on ying o emo e i [ eligion]. I don’
pa icula ly hink ha ha ’s a good hing. (SENCO, DEIS school)

School e hos and cul u e | 73
In some schools, s uden s we e ocal in hei suppo o e hical and eligious
educa ion:
Recen ly we did a class on alues and dilemmas, which was eally
in e es ing. We had o gi e ou own esponse o an e hical dilemma.
We we e also in oduced o he idea o equi y e sus equali y, and I
eel he school makes su e ha we we e awa e o wha ’s happening
in he wo ld … he alues ha ha wo ld holds. And i gi es us an
oppo uni y o alk o o he people abou mo e mo al and e hical
hings. To ge o he people’s pe spec i es on si ua ions ha you
wouldn’ ha e ecei ed be o e. Which make i easie o unde s and
o he people's issues and y o come o conclusions ha would bene i
e e yone. (Fi h yea ocus g oup, Educa e Toge he school)
In some schools, s uden s highligh ed he di e si y o opics co e ed (in his case
ac oss he h ee eligion classes aken weekly):
The di e en ypes o eligions in he wo ld. And we'd lea n abou
hem … We do, mo ali y and clima e change and how i a ec s people
and s u . And hey pu on music o us and she jus makes su e ha
e e yone's, like, okay and ha e e yone's ha ing a good day. And i
no , hen i you wan o alk you can. I no , hen ha 's ine. (Second
yea ocus g oup, non-DEIS school)
In o he schools, eache s highligh ed he e ol ing ole o eligious educa ion:
The e is a alue in keeping i [ eligion] as a non-exam subjec , in a
pas o al way. Lads open up and we can ge gues speake s in o co e
opics eache s a en’ ained in – impo an opics like consen . They
ha e o lea n hings om a social pe spec i e as well. The e is a
nega i e conno a ion wi h eligion, bu ha ’s no eally wha you’ e
doing. We a e b inging in all di e en aspec s, making i mul i-
pu pose. (Teache , DEIS school)
Al hough he eligious e hos o mos o he schools included in his s udy was
Roman Ca holic, he sample also included one Chu ch o I eland school and wo
Educa e Toge he schools. As a mino i y ai h school, ou Chu ch o I eland school
was mainly a ended by s uden s who did no sha e i s ai h. Pa icipan s om his
school he e o e desc ibed inding a balance be ween nu u ing he eligious
iden i y o hose who we e a ending i speci ically o i s eligious e hos and
ensu ing he school was welcoming and inclusi e o s uden s who did no ha e ha
eligious iden i y:
74 | The olun a y seconda y sec o in I ish educa ion
I eel like he e hos o CoI [Chu ch o I eland] kind o doesn’ ma e
anymo e because he e’s so many di e en ai hs he e. I’m no saying
eligion doesn’ ma e bu nobody ca es wha eligion you a e and
wha a e you belie s, hey jus kind o espec i . (Fi h yea ocus
g oup, ee-cha ging school)
The school alues … Communi y is a big one. Inclusion, inclusion,
inclusion. Di e si y, di e si y, di e si y. We’ e open o s uden s om
all so s o backg ounds, socioeconomic backg ounds, eligious
backg ounds. I ’s a P o es an e hos unde P o es an managemen
bu i ’s a eally di e se school, in en ionally and delibe a ely di e se.
(P incipal, ee-cha ging school)
The connec ion wi h he CoI e hos is gen ly done and in a way ha
acknowledges he majo i y o s a a e no CoI, he majo i y o
s uden s a e no . I ’s acknowledged and made cen al a key e en s
bu no saying p aye s a s a o class which you migh see in some
o he olun a y seconda y schools. (Teache , ee-cha ging school)
I is no able he ex en o which majo i y and mino i y ai h schools spoke abou
eligion, inclusion and di e si y in simila ways. I eligious di e si y con inues o
g ow ac oss all I ish schools, as seems likely, he e may be u he con e gence
s ill.
Finally, he wo Educa e Toge he schools had an explici ly in e -denomina ional
e hos. Again, howe e , hey we e mo e simila o he o he schools han hey we e
dis inc , apa om he lack o a eligious componen :
The e hos o his school is … well, he ounda ion is on he alues o
kindness and espec . So ha ’s some hing ha is d ummed in o hem
om day one, ha one hing we won’ ole a e is people being unkind
o dis espec ul. Then he Educa e Toge he e hos is eally ha
anybody should be able o come he e and h i e in hei own way.
Tha 's ha d o do, bu we ha e an e hos ha you don' u n anyone
away a he doo because o hei any hing. … Whe he i be ha hey
ha e any pa icula needs o ha hey' e om a pa icula backg ound
o … so emb acing di e si y in all i s o ms is de ini ely pa o he e hos
he e. (Teache , Educa e Toge he school)
The o e all language used a ound e hos was simila ac oss schools, emphasising
he impo ance o cen ing and ca ing o s uden s, emb acing di e si y and
inclusion and building a communi y. The nex sec ion will ease his ou , using he
closed-ended ques ions abou school e hos o explo e di e ences ac oss and
wi hin schools.
School e hos and cul u e | 75
4.2.1 Quan i a i e ma e ial
E hics and alues a e cen al o s uden s’ social and pe sonal de elopmen .
S uden s we e asked abou he signi icance o hei school’s ole in nu u ing
p inciples, e hical alues and spi i ual belie s (Figu e 4.2). A ound 56% o s uden s
s ongly ag eed o ag eed ha hei school plays an impo an pa in his espec .
Addi ionally, 48.5% acknowledged ha hei own decisions in li e a e in luenced by
hei pe sonal alues, while 40.6% belie ed ha hei school gene ally sha es hei
p inciples. Howe e , less han one- hi d o s uden s el i was impo an ha hei
school sha ed hei alues (31%), wi h a majo i y emaining neu al on he ma e
(43%).
Fo example, hose wi h pa en s educa ed o deg ee le el a e sligh ly mo e likely
o ag ee ha hei decisions a e in luenced by hei p inciples and alues (52% s
46%). Addi ionally, ega ding he pe cei ed signi icance o schools in os e ing he
alues o young people, mo e posi i e esponses a e ound among he i h yea
g oup (61% s 54%), s uden s wi h deg ee-educa ed pa en s (58.6% s 55%), and
hose a ending non-DEIS schools (58% s 53%), pa icula ly ee-cha ging schools
(64% s 55%). These s uden s we e also mo e likely o epo ha hei school
alues aligned wi h hei own pe sonal alues.
On he o he hand, no signi ican di e ences we e obse ed in e ms o whe he
s uden s el i was impo an ha hei school sha es hei pe sonal alues.
FIGURE 4.2 STUDENTS’ REFLECTIONS ON THE VALUES AND BELIEFS PROMOTED BY THEIR SCHOOL
S uden s we e also asked a se ies o ques ions designed o measu e how school
e hos is p omo ed a hei school. O e all, s uden s showed e y posi i e iews
owa ds hei schools’ encou agemen o di e en ypes o achie emen s, wi h
14.4%
6.2%
6.6%
14.8%
34.2%
34.4%
24.8%
41.7%
31.0%
40.3%
43.1%
31.7%
14.1%
13.7%
18.8%
8.1%
6.4%
5.4%
6.6%
3.6%
My decisions in li e a e in luenced by my p inciples,
e hical alues and/o spi i ual belie s
My school gene ally sha es my p inciples, e hical alues
and/o spi i ual belie s
I is impo an o me ha my school sha es my p inciples,
e hical alues and/o spi i ual belie s
Schools play an impo an ole in nu u ing young people
in hei p inciples, e hical alues and/o spi i ual belie s
S ongly ag ee Ag ee Neu al Disag ee S ongly disag ee
76 | The olun a y seconda y sec o in I ish educa ion
nea ly se en ou o en s uden s a ing hei school posi i ely in his ega d.
Simila ly, s uden s we e posi i e abou hei school achie ing quali y in eaching
and lea ning (61%), c ea ing a communi y (61%), being jus and esponsible (61%),
o showing espec o e e y pe son (59%). Howe e , when i came o he
p omo ion o spi i ual and human de elopmen , only 37% o s uden s conside ed
hei schools o be doing well in his a ea.
Consis en wi h p e ious indings, mo e posi i e esponses a e epo ed by
s uden s om mo e a luen amily backg ounds (e.g., hose wi h deg ee-educa ed
pa en s, wi hou economic di icul y, a ending non-DEIS schools, wi h pa icula ly
posi i e iews among s uden s a ending ee-cha ging schools) and s uden s
wi hou special educa ional needs (SEN). Fo ins ance, 50.5% o s uden s in ee-
cha ging schools, compa ed o 34% o s uden s in non- ee-cha ging schools, and
42% o s uden s whose pa en s comple ed deg ee-le el educa ion compa ed o
33% o hose whose pa en s did no ha e a deg ee, indica ed hei school was
doing well in p omo ing spi i ual and human de elopmen . The same was ue wi h
ega d o s uden s eeling ha hei school was doing well in achie ing quali y
eaching and lea ning, wi h 72% o ee-cha ging school s uden s, compa ed o 59%
o non- ee-cha ging school s uden s, 63% o non-DEIS school s uden s, compa ed
o 54% o DEIS school s uden s, 68% o s uden s wi h deg ee-educa ed pa en s,
compa ed o 56% o s uden s whose pa en s did no ha e a deg ee, and 64% o
hose wi hou economic di icul y, compa ed o 51% o hose wi h economic
di icul y, indica ing ha hey el his o be he case.
Gende di e ences we e also obse ed, wi h gi ls being sligh ly mo e posi i e
abou hei school encou aging di e en ypes o achie emen (74% s 65%) and
being ‘jus and esponsible’ (62% s 58%).
Addi ionally, s uden s in single-sex schools displayed sligh ly mo e posi i e iews
abou hei school’s p omo ion o a ious alues (Figu e 4.3). Fo example, 61% o
s uden s in single-sex schools, compa ed o 53% o s uden s in coeduca ional
schools, indica ed hei schools was e ec i e in encou aging s uden s o show
espec o e e yone. Howe e , i is impo an o in e p e hese indings wi h
cau ion, since a highe p opo ion o s uden s a ending coeduca ional schools a e
om less a luen socioeconomic backg ounds.
School e hos and cul u e | 77
FIGURE 4.3 STUDENTS’ REFLECTIONS ON HOW WELL VARIOUS VALUES ARE PROMOTED AT SCHOOL
4.3 SCHOOL CLIMATE
The dis inc ion be ween e hos and clima e is a ine one. We asked a se ies o
ques ions in he su ey o examine s uden s’ a i udes owa d hei school
in e ac ions and e hos, including dimensions such as ge ing along wi h o he s,
eeling accep ed and espec ed, and hei sense o belonging (Figu e 4.4). O e all,
s uden s hold a posi i e iew o hei school in e ac ions, wi h 82% (s ongly)
ag eeing ha hey lea ned o ge along wi h o he people a school. Addi ionally,
mo e han hal o s uden s eel accep ed (65%), espec ed (62%), success ul (62%),
and ha hey belong (61.6%) a hei school. Compa ing his g oup wi h s uden s
ac oss all school ypes in I eland, 71% o 15 yea olds in P og amme o
In e na ional S uden Assessmen (PISA) 2022 epo ed ha hey eel hey belong
a school, lowe han he O ganisa ion o Economic Co-ope a ion and
De elopmen (OECD) a e age o 75% (OECD, 2023b).
31
I is no ewo hy ha one-
qua e o s uden s in ou s udy (s ongly) ag eed ha school is a place whe e hey
eel unhappy (28%). This is consis en wi h he indings on school engagemen in
Sec ion 4.4 below, whe e wo- hi ds o s uden s who indica ed disliking school also
indica ed ha school is a place whe e hey eel unhappy, lea ing jus unde 15% o
he sample ha can be conside ed disengaged a school.
31
Cau ion is equi ed when in e p e ing 2022 da a o I eland because one o mo e PISA sampling s anda ds we e no
obse ed (OECD, 2023 – Annexes A2 and A4). In I eland, s uden esponse a es dec eased sligh ly be ween 2018 and
2022 and ell below he minimum a ge se by PISA echnical s anda ds. Addi ional analyses we e conduc ed o
in es iga e whe he bias would esul om non- esponse. The esul s o hese analyses esul s imply ha he
epo ed mean sco es (based on esponding s uden s) may be sligh ly highe han hypo he ical mean sco es ha also
conside ed all he non- esponden s, by app oxima ely eigh o nine poin s.
6.0%
16.2%
20.3%
19.2%
16.1%
37.4%
31.1%
44.9%
38.2%
41.4%
44.4%
32.0%
50.5%
30.6%
28.7%
31.3%
31.1%
22.4%
9.0%
6.9%
8.9%
6.0%
5.9%
5.5%
P omo ing spi i ual and human de elopmen
Achie ing quali y in eaching and lea ning
Showing espec o e e y pe son
C ea ing communi y
Being jus and esponsible
Encou aging di e en ypes o achie emen (music, spo s,
d ama,deba ing, young en ep eneu e c.)
Ve y well Well Ok Badly Ve y badly

78 | The olun a y seconda y sec o in I ish educa ion
I is also in e es ing o no e ha he e a e wide di e ences in s uden expe ience
ac oss he 21 case s udy schools. Fo example, he p opo ion indica ing ha hey
eel hey belong a school anges om 43% o 81% ac oss schools. Mo eo e , he
pe cen age o s uden s (s ongly) ag eeing ha hey a e accep ed by o he
s uden s anges om 30% o 81%, while he pe cen age eeling espec ed a school
a ies om 35% o 83%.
FIGURE 4.4 EXTENT TO WHICH STUDENTS FEEL ACCEPTED AND RESPECTED AT SCHOOL (%)
B oadly consis en wi h he indings o he G owing Up in I eland (GUI) s udy,
among ou su ey coho signi ican di e ences a e obse ed in subjec i e
expe iences a school by s uden s’ amily cha ac e is ics.
32
Those om mo e
ad an aged amily backg ounds end o e lec mo e posi i ely on hei school
in e ac ions. Fo ins ance, 84% o s uden s wi hou economic di icul y, compa ed
o 76% o s uden s wi h economic di icul y, (s ongly) ag eed ha hey lea ned o
ge along wi h o he s a school. The e a e di e ences by SEN s a us, wi h s uden s
wi hou SEN e lec ing mo e posi i ely (84% wi hou SEN ag ee s 74% wi h SEN).
Gende di e ences a e also appa en , wi h a highe pe cen age o boys ag eeing
ha hey ge along well a school (85% boys s 82% gi ls). No ably, he di e ences
in ela ion o school gende composi ion a e e en mo e p onounced. S uden s in
single-sex boys’ schools a e he mos posi i e (87%), ollowed by s uden s in single-
sex gi ls’ schools (82%), and s uden s in coeduca ional schools (78%). As discussed
in Chap e 3 and again in Chap e 5, his may e lec coho e ec s a he han he
e ec o school gende mix pe se.
32
Family cha ac e is ics in his epo we e cap u ed by a ious measu es, including he educa ional le el o pa en s
and whe he he household expe ienced any economic di icul ies.
26.7%
15.4%
9.2%
12.9%
11.1%
13.1%
55.7%
46.4%
18.3%
52.4%
50.9%
48.5%
14.1%
25.7%
30.5%
25.3%
26.8%
25.8%
3.1%
9.7%
32.9%
7.4%
8.7%
9.0%
9.0%
I lea n o ge along wi h o he people
I eel I am a success ul s uden
I eel unhappy
O he s uden s accep me as I am
I eel espec ed
I eel ha I belong
S ongly ag ee Ag ee Neu al Disag ee S ongly disag ee
School e hos and cul u e | 79
To u he examine he ac o s ela ed o s uden s’ expe ience o posi i e social
engagemen , such as ge ing along wi h o he s, eeling accep ed o who hey a e,
expe iencing espec , and ha ing a sense o belonging, we conduc ed mul ile el
logis ic eg essions. The model coe icien s p esen ed in Table A1 in he appendix
a e epo ed as odds a ios. Ra ios g ea e han one indica e a highe likelihood o
expe iencing posi i e social engagemen , while a ios less han one sugges lowe
chances.
33
The in luence o s uden s’ amily cha ac e is ics, SEN condi ion and
gende is con i med in ou model esul s. In Model 1, which conside s s uden
cha ac e is ics, hose wi hou economic di icul ies a e mo e likely o epo
posi i e social engagemen a school (1.7 imes as likely). Con e sely, gi ls,
s uden s wi h SEN and hose unce ain abou hei SEN s a us a e less likely o
epo posi i e social engagemen . Addi ionally, i h yea s uden s a e sligh ly
mo e likely o epo posi i e social engagemen compa ed o second yea
s uden s. In con as o he desc ip i e indings men ioned abo e, no signi ican
di e ences ela ed o school gende mix o school ypes a e ound when school
cha ac e is ics a e conside ed in Model 2. Model 3 examines he ela ionship
be ween s uden s ha ing posi i e social engagemen and o he aspec s o school
li e. I shows ha s uden s a ending schools wi h a s onge e hos a e mo e likely
o epo posi i e social engagemen – posi i e school engagemen , posi i e
in e ac ions wi h eache s and posi i e eache expec a ions. Howe e , s uden s
who missed mo e han en days o school o e he las academic yea a e less likely
o epo he same le el o posi i e social engagemen .
S uden s expe iencing economic di icul ies and hose a ending DEIS schools a e
mo e likely o ag ee wi h ha hey eel unhappy a school (39% s 24% and 31% s
26%, espec i ely). Mo e p onounced di e ences we e ound in ela ion o
s uden s’ SEN s a us, wi h a highe p opo ion o hose wi h SEN epo ing eeling
unhappy a school (41% wi h SEN s 25% wi hou SEN). Gi ls a e mo e likely o
epo nega i e esponses compa ed o boys (31% o gi ls s 22% o boys). La ge
di e ences we e ound in ela ion o school gende mix, wi h s uden s a ending
coeduca ional schools mo e likely o epo eeling unhappy (34%), ollowed by
s uden s in single-sex gi ls’ schools (30%), and hen single-sex boys’ schools (19%).
As migh be expec ed, s uden s in schools conside ed o ha e a s onge e hos, as
well as hose who epo liking hei school, a e also mo e likely o e lec posi i ely
on hei in e ac ions a school and he ex en o which hey eel posi i e
a i ma ion.
33
All logis ic eg ession model esul s a e epo ed as odds a ios, whe e a alue g ea e han one indica es a highe
likelihood o belonging o he g oup o in e es in he ou come a iable, while a ios less han one sugges lowe
chances. This applies o all he model esul s epo ed h oughou he epo and will no be epea ed o ease o
eading, unless o he wise speci ied.
80 | The olun a y seconda y sec o in I ish educa ion
4.4 STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
4.4.1 School absence
Na ional da a show ha s uden s a ending olun a y seconda y schools
consis en ly exhibi much lowe school absen eeism a es compa ed o hose in
Educa ion and T aining Boa ds (ETB) o communi y schools. Despi e a signi ican
inc ease in s uden s’ absen eeism du ing he 2021/2022 academic yea , likely due
o he impac o COVID-19, he a e age pe cen age o s uden s in pos -p ima y
schools absen o 20 days o mo e was lowes in olun a y seconda y schools
(24%), wi h no able di e ences ound be ween DEIS and non-DEIS schools (36.8%
in DEIS schools s 24.5% in non-DEIS schools) (DCEDIY, 2024).
34
Simila pa e ns
we e obse ed in ou s udy. Ou o he 2,107 s uden s who p o ided in o ma ion,
36% epo ed missing mo e han en days o school in he p e ious yea . Consis en
wi h he indings om he GUI s udy on 13 yea olds ac oss all school sec o s,
s uden s om less ad an aged backg ounds, such as hose whe e nei he pa en
had a deg ee, hose expe iencing economic di icul ies, and a ending a DEIS
school, along wi h hose wi h SEN, we e ound o be mo e likely o miss mo e han
en days. Wide a ia ion be ween he case s udy schools was obse ed, anging
om as low as 19% o as high as 53% o he s uden s epo ing ha hey missed
mo e han en school days.
To u he examine he ac o s associa ed wi h s uden s’ school a endance among
second and i h yea s uden s, we employed mul ile el logis ic eg ession models
(see Table A2 in he appendix). The impac o amily backg ound and SEN s a us is
con i med in ou model esul s. In Model 1, conside ing s uden cha ac e is ics,
hose wi h deg ee-educa ed pa en s and hose wi hou economic di icul ies a e
signi ican ly less likely o miss mo e han 10 days o school in he p e ious 12
mon hs (0.7 and 0.68 imes as likely, espec i ely). Con e sely, s uden s wi h SEN
a e 1.7 imes mo e likely o miss mo e han 10 school days.
Addi ionally, signi ican di e ences in ela ion o s uden gende and school
gende mix a e obse ed when aking school cha ac e is ics in o accoun in Model
2. S uden s a ending gi ls’ schools, compa ed o hose a ending coeduca ional
schools, a e only 0.66 imes as likely o miss mo e han en school days. Howe e ,
gi ls, compa ed o boys and hose who iden i ied as ‘non-bina y o o he ’,
35
a e 1.5
imes mo e likely o miss mo e han en days o school, sugges ing ha gi ls in
coeduca ional schools migh ace some challenges in e ms o school a endance.
Finally, Model 3 examines he ela ionship be ween s uden s’ school absence and
hei expe iences in o he aspec s o school li e. Those wi h posi i e school
34
Depa men o Child en, Equali y, Disabili y, In eg a ion and You h (DCEDIY) (2024). SONC Pa 3: Child en’s
ou comes, h ps://www.go .ie/en/publica ion/916e -sonc-pa -3-child ens-ou comes/.
35
S uden s we e asked o e eal hei gende in he su ey. The e e ence g oup he e includes hose who iden i y
hemsel es as boys, as well as hose who iden i ied hemsel es as ‘non-bina y o o he ’.
School e hos and cul u e | 81
engagemen , highe academic sel -image and no economic di icul ies a e
signi ican ly less likely o be absen om school. On he o he hand, hose who
consis en ly s uggled o engage wi h hei s udies du ing COVID-19 a e 1.5 imes
mo e likely o be absen om school. The impac o school gende mix pe sis s,
wi h s uden s in gi ls’ schools being less likely o miss mo e han en days o school.
No ably, he e a e no signi ican gende di e ences be ween gi ls and boys once
o he aspec s o hei school expe iences a e aken in o conside a ion.
4.4.2 S uden s’ a i udes owa d school
S uden s we e asked o a e how much hey liked hei schools. In ou sample,
app oxima ely 43% indica ed hey like hei school (‘like i a bi ’ o ‘like i e y
much’). O e one- i h (22%) epo ed no liking i , and he emainde indica ed a
neu al esponse.
Signi ican a ia ion was obse ed ac oss he 21 schools, anging om a low o 20%
o a high o 74% o s uden s epo ing ha hey like school. Younge s uden s end
o be less posi i e abou hei school expe iences compa ed o hei Senio Cycle
pee s, wi h i h yea s uden s showing a sligh ly mo e posi i e ou look (47% s
40%). This aligns wi h he indings om he GUI s udy on 17/18 yea olds bo n in
1998 and 13 yea olds bo n in 2008, whe e mo e posi i e esponses we e ound
among Senio Cycle coho s (76% o 17/18 yea olds and 57% o 13 yea olds
indica ed liking school). This end was also no ed in Lea ing school in I eland, he
pos -p ima y longi udinal s udy, which illus a ed a pa icula dip in school
engagemen among second yea s uden s (McCoy e al., 2014).
Consis en wi h he indings om he GUI s udy on 13 yea olds, a i udes o school
a ied mo e by amily cha ac e is ics han by gende . S uden s om mo e a luen
amily backg ounds (i.e., hose whose bo h pa en s a e educa ed o deg ee le el,
a e wi hou economic di icul ies, a ending non-DEIS schools) epo ed much
mo e posi i e a i udes o school, compa ed wi h hei pee s. S uden s a ending
ee-cha ging schools epo ed pa icula ly high le els o school engagemen , a
leas in e ms o hei le els o a ec i e engagemen . In e es ingly, in ou sample,
a highe p opo ion o s uden s in single-sex schools epo ed liking hei school
compa ed o s uden s in coeduca ional schools (35% coeduca ional schools s 46%
single-sex school s uden s epo ed liking hei schools). In he nex sec ion we
epo on mul i a ia e analyses, which conside he ex en o which hese school
con ex di e ences e lec s uden composi ion ac o s.
Table A3 in he appendix examines he ac o s associa ed wi h liking school among
second and i h yea s uden s, based on mul ile el logis ic eg ession models.
Consis en wi h desc ip i e indings, amily cha ac e is ics a he han gende ha e
a signi ican impac on s uden s’ a i ude owa d school. In Model 1, conside ing
s uden s’ amily cha ac e is ics, hose wi h deg ee-educa ed pa en s a e 1.8 imes
88 | The olun a y seconda y sec o in I ish educa ion
o achie e hei bes . Di e ences in ela ion o socioeconomic backg ound a e
again appa en , wi h mo e a ou able esponses om s uden s who ha e no
encoun e ed economic ulne abili ies ac oss all ou ques ions. Fo example, 77%
o hose no expe iencing any economic di icul ies, compa ed o 64% o hose who
did expe ience hem, (s ongly) ag eed ha hei eache s we e ai o hem.
FIGURE 4.7 STUDENTS’ INTERACTION WITH THEIR TEACHERS AT SCHOOL (%)
Table A6 in he appendix explo es ac o s ela ed o s uden s epo ing posi i e
eache expec a ions among second and i h yea s uden s using mul ile el logis ic
eg ession models.
40
The impac o socioeconomic backg ound is again e iden in
he model esul s – s uden s wi hou economic di icul ies a e mo e likely o epo
ha ing posi i e expec a ions om hei eache s a school (1.6 imes as likely). Fi h
yea s uden s, compa ed o second yea s uden s, a e sligh ly mo e likely o epo
posi i e expec a ions om hei eache s (1.2 imes as likely). Howe e , gi ls,
s uden s wi h SEN and hose who a e unsu e abou hei SEN s a us a e only hal
as likely o epo posi i e eache expec a ions. S uden s wi h posi i e social
engagemen , posi i e eache in e ac ions, and hose a ending a school wi h a
s uden -led e hos and a s onge school e hos gene ally a e much mo e likely o
epo posi i e expec a ions om hei eache s. The gende di e ence pe sis s,
wi h gi ls only hal as likely o epo ha ing posi i e eache expec a ions
compa ed o boys. The endu ing gende impac highligh s he impo ance o
ecognising and add essing gende dispa i ies in eache expec a ions.
4.5 STUDENT VOICE
O e 80% o s uden s epo ed being encou aged o make hei own decisions and
exp ess hei opinions in school (Figu e 4.8). Addi ionally, nea ly h ee-qua e s
indica ed ha hei eache s p esen di e en sides o issues when explaining hem
40
The posi i e eache expec a ion measu e is cons uc ed based on he ou indi idual measu es men ioned abo e.
De ails o how his measu e is cons uc ed can be ound in Chap e 2 (Me hodology).
11.0%
13.8%
21.0%
15.7%
37.6%
52.0%
45.5%
58.7%
28.9%
26.2%
26.4%
17.8%
15.6%
6.3%
5.3%
5.7%
7.0%
I can alk o my eache s i I ha e a p oblem
My eache s help me o do my bes
My eache s ha e high expec a ions o me
My eache s a e gene ally ai o me
S ongly ag ee Ag ee Neu al Disag ee S ongly disag ee

School e hos and cul u e | 89
in class. Mos s uden s also el hey we e encou aged o engage in discussion wi h
hose who hold di e en opinions (71%) and indica ed ha hey eel com o able
exp essing di e en opinions in class (72%). Howe e , when i comes o b inging
up cu en poli ical e en s o discussion in class, less han six in en eel hey do so
equen ly o occasionally.
Wide a ia ions can be obse ed ac oss he case s udy schools, wi h he mos
sizeable dispa i ies ound in he ex en o which s uden s eel: hey can aise
cu en poli ical issues o discussion ( anging om 42% o 71%); hey a e
encou aged o discuss hese issues wi h people holding di e en opinions ( anging
om 50% o 81%); and ha eache s p esen di e se aspec s o an issue when
explaining in class ( anging om 61% o 90%).
Mo e a ou able esponses eme ged among s uden s wi hou SEN and among
hose om less disad an aged backg ounds (such as no expe iencing any
economic di icul ies o a ending ee-cha ging schools) o who a e en olled in
schools iden i ied om ou esul s as p omo ing a s onge e hos. Sligh ly mo e
posi i e esponses ega ding eache s p esen ing di e en aspec s o he issue
we e epo ed among s uden s a ending DEIS schools (78% in DEIS schools s 74%
in non-DEIS schools). A school’s gende composi ion seems o exe in luence as
well. No ably, s uden s in single-sex boys’ schools a e sligh ly mo e likely o b ing
up cu en poli ical e en s o discussion compa ed o s uden s in single-sex gi ls’
schools o coeduca ional schools.
To u he unpack ac o s ela ed o s uden oice and he ex en o a s uden -led
e hos a school, we employed mul ile el logis ic eg ession models (see Table A7
in he appendix).
41
He e s uden s wi h SEN and hose unsu e abou hei SEN s a us
a e much less likely o epo a s uden -led e hos a school (0.6 imes and 0.7 imes
as likely). S uden s a ending DEIS schools and ee-cha ging schools a e much mo e
likely o epo a s uden -led e hos a school (1.8 imes and 1.6 imes as likely).
Compa ed o s uden s in coeduca ional schools, gi ls in single-sex gi ls’ schools a e
1.5 imes as likely, and boys in single-sex boys’ schools 1.6 imes as likely, o epo
ha ing a mo e s uden -led e hos a school. Those wi h a s onge sense o
belonging a school, epo ing posi i e eache in e ac ions and posi i e eache
expec a ions, and hose a ending a school wi h a s onge e hos, a e much mo e
likely o epo ha ing a mo e s uden -led e hos. Howe e , hose wi h nega i e
eache in e ac ions (e.g., being gi en ou o misbeha iou o un idy wo k) a e less
41
The s uden -led school e hos measu e is cons uc ed based on h ee o he indi idual measu es: ‘I am encou aged o
make up my own mind’; ‘I am encou aged o exp ess my opinions’; and ‘I am encou aged o discuss he issues wi h
people ha ing di e en opinions’. De ails o how his measu e is cons uc ed can be ound in Chap e 2
(Me hodology).
90 | The olun a y seconda y sec o in I ish educa ion
likely o epo i . The impac o school gende mix and school ype pe sis s when
we ake accoun o hese subjec i e aspec s o school li e.
FIGURE 4.8 EXTENT TO WHICH STUDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO SHARE DIFFERENT OPINIONS AT SCHOOL
(%)
S uden s a e less posi i e abou hei oice and in ol emen in school decision-
making p ocesses (Figu e 4.9). While o e hal ag ee ha eache s lis en o hei
ideas o opinions, only a ound one-qua e belie e ha hey ha e a say in wha
happens a school o ha hei iews would be aken in o accoun i hey wan ed
o make a change o hei school. Rela i ely mo e posi i e esponses we e
obse ed among boys in i h yea , s uden s in single-sex boys’ schools, as well as
schools conside ed o ha e a s onge e hos. No ably, s uden s a ending DEIS
schools exp essed g ea e posi i i y abou hei abili y o ha e a say a school (31%
o s uden s in DEIS schools s 23% in non-DEIS schools) and being lis ened o i hey
wished o ins iga e a change a school (30% in DEIS schools s 23% in non-DEIS
schools).
The indings abo e esona e wi h Ske i e al.'s (2021) esea ch on s uden oice,
as assessed h ough class oom-le el and managemen -le el consul a ion.
Speci ically, he s udy iden i ies signi ican a ia ion in he use o class oom-le el
consul a ion ac oss di e se school sec o s and con ex s. Class oom consul a ion is
mo e p e alen in ETB schools compa ed o olun a y seconda y schools o
40.4%
40.6%
18.3%
27.5%
25.6%
28.2%
47.0%
43.9%
39.1%
44.4%
45.7%
46.3%
10.7%
12.7%
30.1%
21.0%
22.2%
18.6%
1.8%
2.8%
12.4%
7.0%
6.5%
6.9%
I am encou aged o make up my own mind
I am encou aged o exp ess my opinions
I can b ing up cu en poli ical e en s o discussion in class
I can exp ess opinions in class e en when my opinions a e
di e en om mos o he o he s uden s
I am encou aged o discuss he issues wi h people ha ing
di e en opinions
Teache s p esen se e al sides o he issues when explaining
hem in class
O en Some imes Ra ely Ne e
School e hos and cul u e | 91
communi y schools. Addi ionally, DEIS ETB schools exhibi highe le els o
class oom consul a ion han non-DEIS ETB schools.
42
FIGURE 4.9 THE EXTENT TO WHICH STUDENT HAVE A VOICE AT SCHOOL (IN FULL SAMPLE, %)
In he in e iews, s a ac oss schools we e gene ally posi i e abou oppo uni ies
o s uden oice, and many emphasised ha he school has de o ed conside able
e o s o in ol e s uden s in a ange o decision making ac oss he school.
[We] mee [name o commi ee] wice a yea , s a and end. Ve y
espec ul o any hing hey ha e o say, lis en and discuss i , decide
whe he i ’s a unne o no . S uden council will mee he boa d e e y
yea a end o May. … The boa d hea wha s uden council a e doing,
s uden s eel a i med … s uden s a e no cowed by going o [a] boa d
o managemen membe mee ing, he boa d is p obably mo e ne ous
o hem! We lis en and we ake on boa d hei eques s. [We] can’
always accede o hem all bu any hing ha makes li e mo e bea able
o hem, we y and accommoda e. (P incipal, non-DEIS school)
…The e’s a s uden council, and hey b ing hei sugges ions o he
boa d, and we lis en o hem and we see wha we can do. Fo example,
hey b ough up in oducing ouse s. … We lis en o ha , and we
42
Acco ding o Ske i e al. (2021), class oom-le el consul a ions appea ed o be less equen in olun a y seconda y
schools and communi y schools, so hey do no examine di e ences be ween DEIS schools and non-DEIS schools in
his sec o .
11.5% 5.2% 5.3%
44.0%
19.7% 19.4%
27.6%
30.3% 33.2%
12.8%
28.6% 25.2%
4.0% 16.1% 16.9%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
I eel like eache s lis en o me when I sha e
an idea o opinion
I eel ha I ha e a say in wha happens a
my school
I eel ha i I wan ed o make a change o
some hing in my school I would be lis ened
o
S ongly ag ee Ag ee Neu al Disag ee S ongly disag ee
92 | The olun a y seconda y sec o in I ish educa ion
lis en o he pa en s, and hey’ e sen ou a ques ionnai e o all he
s akeholde s wi h i . (Boa d o managemen membe , DEIS school)
This iew was echoed by he p incipal om he same school, who spoke o he
impo ance o s uden leade ship oppo uni ies:
… We’ e lo s o oppo uni ies o s uden leade ship wi hin he school.
We do lis en o hem. We’ e a s uden lea ning eam, which is made
up o s uden s om e e y class g oup. And we picked hem, numbe
[x] on he oll in each class. So you’ e ge ing a o al mix … Fo many
o hose child en, hey we e deligh ed. (P incipal, DEIS school)
[We ha e a] e y ac i e s uden body … [ hey a e] ully suppo ed by
s a . P e ec u e sys em, eally ac i e s uden council. [Fo example,]
TY s uden s un he lib a y. [The school] upskill six o eigh s uden s a
he s a o e e y yea . [S uden s a e] ully in con ol o manning he
lib a y, ca aloguing books, chasing up e u ns. (Teache , non-DEIS
school)
Howe e , s uden s e lec ed on hei ole in school decision making somewha
di e en ly. Fo some he e was an app ecia ion o he ac i e ole o he s uden
council, as well as hei oices and needs being accommoda ed ai ly by school
managemen :
The s uden council mee e e y mon h … They b ing up he p oblem.
[I] hink school would lis en. Up un il a ew yea s ago, gi ls couldn’
wea pan s. [They] b ough i up o school and [i was] changed.
(Second yea ocus g oup, non-DEIS school)
The s uden council is e y ac i e … hey eally ha e a oice. [We] could
go h ough hem o change and i ’d be aken in o conside a ion.
[They will] b ing complain s o depu y o b ing o he p incipal …
They’ e e y ac i e anyway. (Second yea ocus g oup, non-DEIS
school)
Howe e , many s uden s exp essed conce ns abou he limi ed ole o he s uden
council and pe cei ed i s exis ence as me ely a o mali y.
[We] would like o change he uni o ms –bu we ne e ha e a say …
The school asks o ou opinions bu hey doesn’ lis en. The s uden
council does no hing. (Second yea ocus g oup, ee-cha ging school)
The e’s a s uden council bu hey ha e no powe . The e is no
communica ion wi h managemen . (Fi h yea ocus g oup, DEIS
school)
School e hos and cul u e | 93
I you b ing up a p oblem in he s uden council hey’ll be like, ‘oh yeah,
we’ll look in o i ’, bu hey ne e eally do … I don’ hink he su eys
a e e e eally aken in o accoun . We’ e done a million su eys on
men al heal h, COVID, e e y hing like ha … hen jus ne e hea d o
again. No hing changed. … We’ e elling hem wha ’s w ong bu ha ’s
i . (Fi h yea ocus g oup, ee-cha ging school)
S uden s el ha hei eache s ‘would no lis en’ and ha hey ‘jus do wha we
a e old’ (Second yea ocus g oup, non-DEIS school). Simila iews we e exp essed
among s uden s in senio g oups, emphasising hei conce n abou ha ing open
communica ion wi h hei eache s a school. Many issues we e aised, bu he e
we e pe cei ed delays in add essing hem.
I ’s di icul o communica e o a eache abou he way hey’ e
eaching because he e’s a isk o o ending hem. … I hink eache s
should ake in wha s uden s a e saying, I hink i ’s jus going in one
ea and ou he o he . … I ’s poin less ha ing a s uden council when
hey don’ lis en o i . (Second yea and i h yea ocus g oup, DEIS
school)
Fo many s uden s, enhancing hei oice and in ol emen in school decision
making equi es mo e imely and anspa en communica ion. This includes
p o iding s uden s wi h upda es on p og ess and he a ionale behind decisions,
a he han simply ins uc ing hem on wha o ollow a school.
… I unde s and hose hings a e ha d o implemen , you can’ ix
any hing bu a leas ell us wha ’s going on. I ’s ha d o ge a ound o
e e y hing bu mo e communica ion would be g ea . (Fi h yea ocus
g oup, ee-cha ging school)
They should gi e us he easons why hey’ e saying ‘No’ a he han
jus kind o [ elling wha ] we should [do] … We a e kind o senio
people in he school as well, and we don' wan o jus [ ollow] hings
o he sake o i . We should be in ol ed a lo mo e. (Fi h yea ocus
g oup, non-DEIS school)
O e all, bo h quan i a i e and quali a i e e idence in ou s udy highligh s uden s’
desi e o a mo e ac i e and meaning ul in ol emen in school decision making.
The delayed and some imes ‘ne e happened’ esponses, limi ed impac o he
s uden council, lack o communica ion be ween he school and s uden s, as well
as he con as be ween hei expec a ions o subs an ial inpu on c i ical ma e s
like assignmen s and es s and he eali y o su eys add essing less ele an opics,
all lead o a sense o unme expec a ions and pe haps us a ion among s uden s.

94 | The olun a y seconda y sec o in I ish educa ion
4.6 SUMMARY
Chap e 4 p o ides a comp ehensi e explo a ion o school e hos and cul u e om
he pe spec i es o s uden s, pa en s and school s a ac oss 21 case s udy schools.
Quali a i e analysis un eils he di e se dimensions o school e hos alued by
s uden s, highligh ing hemes o communi y-building, ex acu icula engagemen ,
he balance be ween academic and pe sonal de elopmen , and a s ong
commi men o inclusion and di e si y. Despi e a ying iews on eligious e hos, a
common language emphasising s uden -cen ici y, di e si y, inclusion and
communi y-building eme ges ac oss schools. Fai h o ma ion was s ill seen as pa
o he school’s ole by many s akeholde s, bu wi h, in gene al, sensi i i y o
s uden s’ and hei amilies’ own belie s and desi es. This nuanced iew o ai h
o ma ion was widely seen as compa ible wi h schools’ e hos, wi h pa icipan s
eeling able o d aw upon he eligious and non- eligious aspec s o hei school’s
e hos o in o m hei beha iou and a i udes as hey wished.
Quan i a i e analysis highligh s he i al ole schools play in shaping s uden s’
alues, wi h no able dis inc ions a ising om amily backg ounds. In e ms o
school e hos p omo ion, s uden s gene ally pe cei ed hei schools posi i ely,
acknowledging encou agemen o a ious achie emen s, quali y in eaching and
lea ning, communi y-building, ai ness and espec o all indi iduals. Howe e ,
hey exp essed less posi i i y ega ding hei school’s p omo ion o spi i ual and
human de elopmen . P ominen di e ences in ela ion o gende and amily
backg ounds we e e iden among s uden s.
The examina ion o school clima e e eals p edominan ly posi i e in e ac ions,
wi h mos s uden s eeling accep ed, espec ed and success ul, hough dispa i ies
eme ged in ela ion o amily cha ac e is ics, SEN s a us, gende and school
expe iences. School absence is closely ela ed o gende , SEN s a us and
socioeconomic backg ounds, wi h gi ls, s uden s wi h SEN and hose om less
a luen amilies ha ing highe a es o absen eeism. O e all, s uden s had posi i e
a i udes owa d school, wi h dis inc i e di e ences associa ed wi h amily
backg ounds and SEN s a us. Mos s uden s alued hei schoolwo k and ound he
subjec s hey s udy in e es ed hem. Many also ag eed ha hey wo ked ha d a
school, we e encou aged by eache s o con inue hei educa ion a e lea ing
school, and ecei ed all he suppo s needed o lea n. Gende di e ences we e
e iden , wi h gi ls exp essing g ea e ocus as well as a g ea e emphasis on school
pe o mance, while boys showed mo e posi i i y ega ding he school’s ole in
cul i a ing hei in e es in lea ning.
Posi i e eache in e ac ions u he enhanced he school expe iences, shaped by
socioeconomic ad an ages, academic sel -image, eache expec a ions and he
School e hos and cul u e | 95
p esence o a s uden -led e hos.
43
These in e ac ions also e eal he in luence o
school clima e and s uden dynamics o e indi idual o school cha ac e is ics. The
chap e concludes wi h insigh s in o s uden s’ posi i e pe cep ions o hei oices
in school bu sugges s oppo uni ies o inc eased in ol emen in school decision-
making p ocesses.
43
The s uden -led school e hos measu e is cons uc ed based on h ee o he indi idual measu es: ‘I am encou aged o
make up my own mind’; ‘I am encou aged o exp ess my opinions’; and ‘I am encou aged o discuss he issues wi h
people ha ing di e en opinions’. De ails o how his measu e is cons uc ed can be ound in Chap e 2
(Me hodology).
School gende mix | 97
CHAPTER 5
School gende mix
5.1 INTRODUCTION
The p e alence o single-sex schools is pe haps he mos dis inc i e ea u e o he
I ish second-le el landscape in compa ison o o he Eu opean coun ies. Rega ding
he p opo ion o s uden s a ending single-sex schools in coun ies a ound he
globe, I eland’s second-le el schools a e second only o Mal a in Eu ope. Almos
all o I eland’s single-sex schools a e wi hin he olun a y seconda y sec o , wi h
he eligious o de s who o iginally ounded he schools d i ing he decision o en ol
only one sex (Hannan e al., 1996). As he eligious o de s ha e wi hd awn om
he di ec managemen and day- o-day unning o olun a y seconda y schools,
and unde wide en olmen o social p essu e, many schools ha e ansi ioned o
coeduca ional, ei he by opening en olmen o bo h sexes o by amalgama ing wi h
ano he school. No new single-sex school has opened since 1998, and pos -p ima y
en olmen da a show a s eady decline in he p opo ion o s uden s in single-sex
schools since 1972. One na a i e sugges s ha uni e sal o nea uni e sal
coeduca ional schooling is a his o ical ine i abili y (Maloney, 2024); ha i is a
ques ion no o i bu o when. Ye many single-sex schools in ou s udy we e
con iden o he bene i s o single-sex educa ion and o he con inuing s eng h o
hei en olmen s.
This chap e will begin by looking a he numbe s a ending single-sex and
coeduca ional schools o e he las se en decades and he coho s cu en ly
a ending single-sex and coeduca ional schools in he la es G owing Up in I eland
(GUI) da a. I will hen in es iga e s uden pe cep ions o single-sex and
coeduca ional schooling, as eco ded by ou su ey and ocus g oups. The iews o
pa en s, school s a and key s akeholde s in he educa ion sys em will be explo ed.
This s udy did no collec ou come da a and hus does no aim o highligh one
school ype as being be e o wo se han ano he in e ms o academic esul s.
Wha i does aim o do is p esen a eco d o he opinions and expe iences o he
key g oups in ol ed in olun a y seconda y schools a ound school gende mix o
in o m policy and school-le el decision making a an impo an poin in he
de elopmen o he I ish school sys em.
5.2 SECONDARY DATA ANALYSIS
Figu es 5.1 and 5.2 show he numbe and pe cen age o s uden s in coeduca ional
and single-sex second-le el schools o e he las se en decades. I is impo an o
no e ha he 1962–1963 eco d only includes olun a y seconda y schools; he
oca ional – Educa ion and T aining Boa ds (ETB) – schools we e no ye eco ded
104 | The olun a y seconda y sec o in I ish educa ion
and i slipped by acciden … (Second yea ocus g oup, single-sex boys’
school)
I ’s nice ha you don’ ha e o make big e o coming in e e y day –
i ’s jus gi ls and no one ca es. (Fi h yea ocus g oup, single-sex gi ls’
school)
Ac i i ies we e also seen as a s eng h o single-sex school, pa icula ly in ega d o
he oppo uni y o pa icipa e in gi ls’ spo s:
In a mixed i ’d, kind o , jus mo e e ol e a ound boys han gi ls. And
i ’s like he gi ls a e jus he add-ons. And hey’d be o e ed mo e
oppo uni ies han he gi ls would. (Second yea ocus g oup, single-
sex gi ls’ school)
In wo coeduca ional schools, his was pe cei ed o be p oblema ic o he
s uden s a ending:
Wi h he gi ls, oo ball is happening bu no much is done, no much
emphasis is placed on i . The e’s much mo e o boys. The di e ence is
ha o he lads hey go someone om ou o he school o do i , hey
didn’ do o he gi ls which I don’ hink is ai ei he . Wi h o he
schools you’ll hea hey’ e aining wice a week, we ne e ain o he
gi ls, jus go o he ma ches and hope o he bes . (Fi h yea ocus
g oup, coeduca ional school)
Some school s a also el ha s uden s we e mo e com o able o be e able o
lea n and de elop in single-sex schools.
Ce ainly, he s eng hs [o a boys’ school] a e ha you can engage in
a ious ac i i ies wi hou he ea o he s uden s eeling emba assed
abou hings. Fo example, we ha e a e y s ong music adi ion in
he college, because boys eel com o able in b inging hei
ins umen s along and playing. (P incipal, single-sex boys’ school)
I do ind hough ha we’ e blessed in a way because ladies in an all-
ladies’ school a e well-o ganised. They’ e eady o lea n. They’ll
always come wi h a pen, hey’ll always come wi h hei books. The e’s
e y li le issues wi h beha iou o showing o . (SENCO, single-sex
gi ls’ school)
Again, howe e , ew s a membe s in coeduca ional school el ha a single-sex
school would be p e e able, al hough some el i migh be be e o gi ls
academically o ini ially mo e com o able o all s uden s, male o emale. The

School gende mix | 105
con e se was no ue: he e we e s a ac oss he single-sex schools which el
ha coeduca ional would be p e e able:
[We ha e] gone o a s age whe e I hink mixed is mo e na u al. I can
see he ad an ages o all gi ls – gi ls will exp ess hemsel es mo e,
especially in he junio yea s boys can domina e classes. They can
hugely domina e classes ac ually. Some imes as he ho mones s a
kicking in, hey can be a li le bi in imida ed. F om a socie al poin o
iew, we li e in a mixed wo ld, a mixed school is no a bad hing. I ’s
jus a ma e o ge ing used o ha change. (Teache , single-sex gi ls’
school)
I hink a mixed school is he way o wa d. Gi ls p ospe and de elop
well in e ms o academics in single sex bu mixed is he way o go.
(Depu y p incipal, single-sex gi ls’ school)
My own p e e ence would be o co-ed schooling, and I hink i gi es a
be e -balanced posi ion o young people eme ging om hose
schools in o wha a e co-ed colleges, co-ed wo kplaces. While I mysel
wen o [school name] when i was a boa ding single-gende school,
and I go a g ea educa ion he e, I hink I know enough o he wo ld
o say ha pe haps co-ed schooling is a be e be . (Boa d o
managemen membe , single-sex boys’ school)
The easons ci ed o his p e e ence co e ed much he same g ound as he open
ques ion in he s uden su ey: g ea e subjec choice, p epa a ion o he u u e
and he impo ance o coeduca ional socialisa ion. The e is clea ly some appe i e
o coeduca ion among s a in he single-sex schools in ou sample, e en i he
na u e o quali a i e ma e ial means we canno quan i y i .
This chap e will end by conside ing possible easons sugges ed by he da a as o
why single-sex schools emain so. One heo y migh be ha he school communi y
as a whole migh p e e o emain single sex. Howe e , he e idence does no
suppo his. The majo i y o s uden s in e e y school p e e ed o be co-
educa ional, al hough his was no always he case o s a , pa en s and o he
s akeholde s.
This would be en i ely consis en wi h he quali a i e ma e ial, which showed
suppo o single-sex om a leas some s a and/o pa en s ac oss each o he
single-sex schools in he sample.
The second eason is ha he highe up he chain o command and expe ience he
in e iewee was, he mo e in es ed hey ended o be in he exis ing school gende
makeup (as wi h he commi men o e hos discussed in Chap e 4). One eache
106 | The olun a y seconda y sec o in I ish educa ion
poin ed o he ole o ha school’s us in de ining he school’s e hos, and he
likelihood ha us ees emained commi ed o he single-sex model:
I don’ hink i ’d be a bad hing, ha ’s my own pe sonal opinion. Bu I
would imagine ha he e hos ha ’s in his school, he us , I’m no
su e i ha will be some hing ha would be pa o hei iew.
(Teache , single-sex gi ls’ school)
The hi d eason is ha , e en among hose who exp ess a p e e ence o
coeduca ion, he issue is no p essing enough o wa an di e ing ime, ene gy
and esou ces owa ds i when schools a e so busy wi h o he , pe haps mo e
p essing, hings:
The e a e p os and cons o mixed and single sex – I would p e e mixed bu
I don’ hink single sex is a big issue. I ’s no going o bene i socie y as
much as people hink – i ’s no going o elimina e iolence agains women,
jus look a o he coun ies. The e’s no e idence, i ’s jus opinions. So
he e’s no ush o e adica e eally. (Guidance counsello , single-sex gi ls’
school)
A e he e o he ba les in educa ion ha we should be mo e conce ned
abou ? Is i such a big deal i we ha e single-sex schools? You h a e
di e en nowadays compa ed o when single-sex schools was ha you
wouldn’ see a boy om one end o he yea o he nex … Pa en al choice
is pa o ou cul u e … Is i a ba le wo h igh ing o emo e i ? I don’
hink i is. (S akeholde in e iew)
A inal possible eason is ha p ac ical cons ain s p e en change, e en i he e is
a p e e ence o i . This migh include inancial cos s o unce ain ies abou s uden
numbe s, space cons ain s and so on.
5.5 SUMMARY
O e all, he esul s show a misma ch be ween he a i udes o s uden s and
p incipals. They also highligh a ension be ween he pu po ed impo ance o
s uden oice in schools’ e hos and he ac ha an appa en ly s ong p e e ence
among s uden s o hei school o be coeduca ional has no led o any change in
he gende makeup o schools. While he esul s showed some s uden s a e
deligh ed wi h hei schools and eache s, and el hei school gende mix was
op imum o lea ning and p epa a ion o he u u e ac oss bo h single-sex and
coeduca ion schools, he scale o he p e e ence exp essed by s uden s o
coeduca ion was no able. Fewe han 20% o su ey esponden s in single-sex
schools ac i ely p e e ed hei cu en school gende mix, compa ed o almos
90% in coeduca ional schools. Teache s and school leade s in many o hese
schools emphasised he s uden -cen ed na u e o hei e hos and hei
School gende mix | 107
commi men o he s uden oice, as discussed in Chap e 4. I migh be imely o
pu hose p inciples in o p ac ice, in conjunc ion wi h he oices o he wide
school communi y. This is illus a ed by he s ong con as be ween he su ey
esul s wi hin one school, which showed s ong s uden suppo o ha school
becoming coeduca ional and his obse a ion o he p incipal o he same school:
Any pa en who has made a delibe a e decision o send hei daugh e
he e will know ha hey’ e well looked a e and hey’ e well ca ed o .
I hink i ’s w ong, his lobby ha ies o say, ‘i ’s unna u al and i ’s
inhumane and i ’s all hese hings’. No i ’s no . I a pa en and a child
make his decision, i has o be espec ed. I don’ hink anybody can
ail oad some hing h ough. The e’s no appe i e o i he e, I’m no
hea ing s uden s saying o me ha hey wan o be in a mixed school,
I’m no hea ing pa en s saying i o me. (P incipal, single-sex gi ls’
school)
In he su ey esponses om ha school, 72% o s uden s s a ed ha hey would
p e e o be coeduca ional, 17% we e neu al and jus 11% s a ed a p e e ence o
single sex.
Teaching and lea ning | 109
CHAPTER 6
Teaching and lea ning
6.1 INTRODUCTION
This chap e add esses ou ou h esea ch ques ion: wha is happening in he
class oom in olun a y seconda y schools? We conside : how s uden s expe ience
he ansi ion o seconda y school; he subjec s a ailable o s uden s; how
s uden s iew key subjec s; hei expe iences o he Junio Cycle, T ansi ion Yea
and Lea ing Ce i ica e p og ammes; how s uden s eel abou hemsel es as
lea ne s; he p e alence o di e en eaching and lea ning app oaches; and
addi ional suppo s a ailable o s uden s.
6.2 TRANSITION TO SECONDARY SCHOOL
Mos second yea s uden s in olun a y seconda y schools e lec ed posi i ely on
he ansi ion (Figu e 6.1). This is in keeping wi h he indings o he G owing Up in
I eland (GUI) s udy on 13 yea olds, whe e mos s uden s epo ed posi i e
expe iences in ansi ioning o hei seconda y school (GUI key indings epo ,
2023). Al hough a ound 44% o second yea s uden s epo ed missing hei iends
om p ima y school, almos all s uden s (s ongly) ag eed ha hey had made new
iends (96% in ou sample s 97% in he GUI s udy) and had se led well in o hei
new school en i onmen (86% in ou sample s 96% in he GUI s udy). A sligh ly
smalle p opo ion (s ongly) ag eed ha hey we e coping well wi h schoolwo k
(71% in ou sample s 92% in he GUI s udy).
The sligh ly highe amoun o posi i e indings among he GUI sample migh e lec
di e ences in he yea g oup s udied. Ou s udy ocuses on second yea s uden s,
while in he GUI s udy, one- hi d we e in i s yea , wi h he emainde in second
yea . Ea lie esea ch has shown a dip in s uden engagemen and mo i a ion in
second yea (McCoy e al., 2014a). Nea ly wo- hi ds o s uden s in olun a y
seconda y schools ac i ely pa icipa e in school-o ganised a e school o lunch ime
ac i i ies, a a e ha is highe han among s uden s a ending Educa ion and
T aining Boa ds (ETB) o communi y and comp ehensi e (C&C) schools in he GUI
s udy, jus o e hal o whom ac i ely pa icipa e in such ac i i ies.
Rega ding se ling in o seconda y school, some gende di e ences we e obse ed,
wi h a sligh ly highe p opo ion o boys ag eeing ha hey ‘se led in well’
compa ed o gi ls (91% s 83%). In line wi h he GUI indings on 13 yea olds, mo e
posi i e esponses we e ound among s uden s om amilies wi h highe
household income, hose wi hou economic di icul ies and hose wi h deg ee-

110 | The olun a y seconda y sec o in I ish educa ion
educa ed pa en s, all o whom ended o e lec mo e posi i i y ega ding hei
ansi ion expe iences.
Among s uden s su eyed, hose wi hou special educa ional needs (SEN) ended
o be mo e posi i e abou hei ansi ion expe iences (88% o hose wi hou SEN
s 78% o s uden s wi h SEN). Ea lie GUI esea ch, wi h he ’98 Coho , showed
ha young people wi h SEN we e mo e likely o expe ience a nega i e ansi ion
o seconda y school. In ha s udy, he di e ences we e much wide – s uden s
wi h gene al lea ning disabili ies and in ellec ual disabili ies we e h ee imes mo e
likely o expe ience a poo ansi ion compa ed o young people wi hou SEN
(McCoy e al., 2019). Findings om his s udy show ha he gaps in ansi ion
expe ience a e na owe , sugges ing ansi ion suppo s o s uden s wi h SEN in
olun a y seconda y schools may be mo e e ec i e in suppo ing hei ansi ion.
The esul s may also e lec di e ences in SEN p e alence le els be ween he wo
GUI coho s. O e all, he esul s he e and in ea lie esea ch highligh he
impo ance o ansi ion suppo s o s uden s wi h SEN in school planning.
FIGURE 6.1 STUDENT REFLECTIONS ON THE TRANSITION TO SECONDARY SCHOOL
6.3 SUBJECT CHOICE
Rega ding subjec choice, ou indings gene ally align wi h he posi i e esponses
om he b oade popula ion included in he GUI s udy. Nea ly 88% o he 13 yea
olds ac oss di e en school sec o s in he GUI s udy epo ed ha hey had choice
o e he subjec s hey s udied. Simila ly, 85.7% o ou second yea s uden s in he
olun a y seconda y sec o we e sa is ied wi h he le el o subjec choice hey had.
Posi i e esponses we e also e iden among ou i h yea s uden s, wi h 79%
being sa is ied wi h hei Lea ing Ce i ica e subjec choices and 84% s a ing ha
hey had he oppo uni y o change hei choices, i needed. In pa icula , s uden s
34%
14%
15%
62%
34%
52%
30%
56%
34%
33%
11%
28%
19%
3%
12%
18%
8%
14%
9%
7%
I eel I am se ling in well in o seconda y school
I miss my old iends om p ima y school
I am ge ing on well wi h he schoolwo k
I ha e made new iends
I am in ol ed in o ganised ac i i ies a e school o a
lunch ime
S ongly ag ee Ag ee Neu al Disag ee S ongly disag ee
Teaching and lea ning | 111
om highe socioeconomic backg ounds we e mo e likely o exp ess sa is ac ion
wi h hei Lea ing Ce i ica e subjec choices compa ed o hei pee s. Fo
example, 82% o hose wi hou economic di icul ies we e happy wi h hei Lea ing
Ce i ica e subjec choices compa ed o 68% o hose wi h economic di icul ies;
he co esponding igu es we e 80% o non-DEIS school s uden s compa ed o 72%
o DEIS school s uden s, and 85% o ee-cha ging school s uden s compa ed o 77%
non- ee cha ging-school s uden s. Simila pa e ns we e obse ed among second
yea s uden s.
Ea lie esea ch has highligh ed he ole o school size in shaping subjec
a ailabili y, as well as subjec le el a ailabili y (McCoy e al., 2019). A numbe o
p incipals in he case s udy schools highligh ed how changing school size is
impac ing subjec o e ings:
The bigge you go, he mo e [subjec s] you can o e , he mo e ha
en ices people in. We ha e in oduced ag icul u al science,
accoun ing, applied ma hs. Wi h bigge numbe s, he mo e o hose
oppo uni ies you can p o ide. (Depu y p incipal, non-DEIS school)
Se e al schools had local a angemen s o o e subjec s in conjunc ion wi h
neighbou ing schools, sugges ing one app oach o schools ha wan o o e a
wide ange o subjec s wi hou inc easing hei en olmen .
The lack o spo s acili ies, pa icula ly a spo s hall, was no ed in a numbe o
schools, in pa icula in ela ion o how i p e en ed hem om p o iding physical
educa ion as a Senio Cycle subjec , o obliged hem o es ic ed he numbe o
(non-exam) physical educa ion hou s hey could o e s uden s. A lack o
app op ia e class oom acili ies was also seen as cu ailing schools’ plans o o e
mo e p ac ical subjec s: ‘p ac ical subjec s a e no logis ically easible’ (guidance
counsello , ee-cha ging school). S uden s in one school a gued he school is
‘academically sexis because we can’ do me alwo k o woodwo k’ (Fi h yea ocus
g oup, single-sex gi ls school). S uden s in a ew schools also alluded o a gende ing
o subjec o e ings: ‘woodwo k, echnology, you can’ do cu en ly because
hey’ e “boys subjec s” bu I would like o do hem’ ( i h yea ocus g oup, single-
sex gi ls school). In ano he school, a eache obse ed, ‘The lads lo e cooking bu
he school has no home economics, due o unding and ha ing buildings ha don’
lend hemsel es o change’ (Teache , single-sex boys school).
Mos schools spoke o s uden s who ecei ed an exemp ion om s udying I ish.
Howe e , di icul ies in secu ing an I ish exemp ion we e obse ed ac oss a
numbe o schools:
112 | The olun a y seconda y sec o in I ish educa ion
She doesn’ quali y o an I ish exemp ion because o he lipping
ci cula . The e’s so many child en wi h au ism who eally don’ cope
well wi h I ish. I ’s a communica ion issue. And he ci cula has now
added ha hey do ha e o y a leas wo yea s. (SEN coo dina o
(SENCO), DEIS school)
Schools also a ied widely in e ms o al e na i e a angemen s o s uden s wi h
such exemp ions. In some schools, s uden s a end lea ning suppo du ing his
ime, while in o he s, s uden s a end he mains eam class and simply ca y on
wi h o he wo k. In a small numbe o schools, al e na i e subjec s a e o e ed:
‘I ish exemp s uden s a e o e ed geog aphy in a small class o make up he poin s
– i is g ea o hem, an ex a help’ ( eache , non-DEIS school).
Due o he COVID-19 pandemic, he majo i y o i h yea s uden s did no si he
Junio Cycle examina ions (81%),
45
and 88% epo ed eeling ha his has
signi ican ly impac ed hei p epa a ion o Senio Cycle. Gi ls and s uden s om
ee-cha ging schools ound he si ua ion pa icula ly challenging.
45
The Assessmen and Repo ing on S uden s’ Lea ning – Junio Cycle 2022 (Depa men o Educa ion, 2020) speci ies
ha due o he COVID-19 pandemic, he Junio Cycle exams we e cancelled in 2021. Thi d yea Junio Cycle s uden s
ecei ed a w i en epo om hei school de ailing hei lea ning achie emen s ac oss a wide ange o subjec s and
cou ses du ing he Junio Cycle. The assessmen o hei lea ning was conduc ed by hei eache s. Schools had
au onomy o de e mine he assessmen p ocess and epo o ma a e consul ing wi h hi d yea eache s. A S a e
Ce i ica e o Comple ion om he Depa men o Educa ion was also p o ided, con i ming ha he s uden had
comple ed he Junio Cycle p og amme o s udy. The ce i ica e included a lis o subjec s, sho cou ses, and p io i y
lea ning uni s s udied. See h ps://www.go .ie/en/ci cula /c797a-a angemen s- o - he-implemen a ion-o - he-
amewo k- o -junio -cycle-wi h-pa icula - e e ence- o-school-yea -202021/.
Teaching and lea ning | 113
TABLE 6.1 FIFTH YEAR STUDENTS SUBJECT CHOICE FOR CERTIFICATION
No e: Gi en cons ain s on su ey leng h, i was no possible o lis all Senio Cycle subjec s. Subjec s aken by a la ge
sha e o s uden s we e selec ed o inclusion.
O e se en in en s uden s in ou s udy epo ed being encou aged o ake highe -
le el English, ollowed by highe -le el ma hs (53%), highe -le el biology (46%) and
highe -le el I ish (43%). Some s uden s el p essu ed o ake hese subjec s,
pa icula ly highe -le el ma hs (11%) and highe -le el I ish (10%). Gi en he bonus
poin s a ached o highe -le el ma hs, i is no clea whe he his ‘p essu e’ s ems
om s uden s seeking such ex a poin s o om hei pa en s o eache s. In
addi ion, a ound one in en s uden s ook hese subjec s wi hou being encou aged
o do so.
Taking i and
encou aged o
ake i
Taking i and
el p essu ed
o ake i
Taking i bu no
encou aged o
ake i
Wan ed o
ake i bu
no allowed
o ake i
Ma hema ics (highe le el)
53%
11%
8%
1%
English (highe le el)
71%
7%
12%
0%
I ish (highe le el)
43%
10%
8%
0%
Biology
46%
3%
11%
1%
Geog aphy
20%
2%
6%
1%
F ench
29%
8%
7%
1%
Business
23%
1%
8%
1%
Home economics
14%
1%
4%
3%
His o y
16%
1%
5%
2%
Cons uc ion s udies
9%
1%
3%
7%
Chemis y
14%
2%
6%
1%
Spanish
12%
3%
3%
7%
A
13%
2%
4%
1%
Ge man
11%
3%
2%
3%
Physics
15%
1%
6%
1%
Ag icul u al science
8%
1%
3%
2%
Music
12%
1%
1%
2%
Enginee ing
3%
0%
1%
11%
Design and communica ion
9%
0%
2%
6%
Physical educa ion
23%
4%
7%
3%
120 | The olun a y seconda y sec o in I ish educa ion
ha kind o s u o Senio Cycle. (Guidance counsello , non-DEIS
school)
6.6 SENIOR CYLE PROGRAMMES AND CURRICULUM
6.6.1 T ansi ion Yea
O e 90% o i h yea s uden s had pa icipa ed in he T ansi ion Yea (TY)
p og amme, wi h abou hal o hem choosing o ake i (50%), while o he o he s
he p og amme was compulso y (40%). O e all, s uden s exp essed sa is ac ion
wi h hei decision: 77% o hose who ook TY epo ed being ( e y) happy wi h
hei expe ience, and 61% o hose who did no ake TY we e happy wi h hei
decision. Fo hose who ook TY, s uden s wi h deg ee-educa ed pa en s, hose
wi hou economic di icul ies, and hose a ending ee-cha ging schools showed a
mo e posi i e ou look on hei TY expe ience (81% s 73%, 80% s 68%, 83% s
75%, espec i ely). Sizeable di e ences we e also no ed in ela ion o school
gende mix, wi h s uden s in single-sex gi ls’ schools being mo e posi i e abou
hei TY expe iences compa ed o s uden s in coeduca ional schools o boys’
schools (81% in gi ls’ school s 76% in boys’ schools, s 69% in coeduca ional
schools).
Ac oss he case s udy schools, s uden s and hei pa en s exp essed posi i e iews
on he p og ammes on o e :
I hink i ’s an oppo uni y o he guys jus o b eak om co e s udies
and de elop and g ow. So i ’s a b ea he and a kind o a b eak be o e
ge ing in o he o he Senio Cycle. I hink wha ou school o e s is
e y imp essi e. (Pa en , ee-cha ging)
School leade s, eache s and membe s o school boa ds also highligh ed he
impo ance o he TY p og amme, pa icula ly in o e ing eal wo ld and wo kplace
expe ience:
I ac ually see he alue in he cou se because i is p e y much abou
expe ien ial lea ning and he boys need o be ge ing ou he e and
expe iencing di e en kinds o people, wo kplaces, en i onmen s and
challenges. I ’s a good oppo uni y o hem o ealise wha hei
s eng hs a e, unde s and hei limi a ions, and o app ecia e hei
uniqueness. (Boa d o managemen membe , ee cha ging school)
[TY] has been e y bene icial o s uden s in e ms o he academia,
helping hem decide he ca ee choice, expanding hei ange o
in e es s, as well as hei expe iences a school. (P incipal, non-DEIS
school)

Teaching and lea ning | 121
When you we e eaching a senio class when [TY] was a choice, e en
i you ne e augh hose s uden s be o e, you would know who did
T ansi ion (Yea ) and who didn’ jus by ma u i y, jus by awa eness,
jus by hei decisions abou hings. (Guidance counsello , DEIS school)
6.6.2 Lea ing Ce i ica e p og ammes
Ou o he 21 case s udy schools included in he s udy, 8 p o ide he Lea ing
Ce i ica e Applied p og amme (LCA),
47
4 o which a e DEIS schools, while he
emaining 13 do no o e he LCA. Fo i h yea s uden s, 96% ook he es ablished
Lea ing Ce i ica e p og amme, and he emainde ook he LCA. Among hose
aking ei he cou se, he majo i y ook he decision as o which p og amme hey
would ake (whe e he e was a choice), a he han hei eache s o pa en s
making he decision. Nea ly hal o hem we e ( e y) sa is ied wi h he p og amme,
while a ound 17% we e ( e y) dissa is ied, and he emaining 34% we e neu al.
Mos conside ed si ing he Lea ing Ce i ica e/LCA exams o be impo an o e y
impo an (93%) and o e 95% we e planning o si he exam. Gi en he small
numbe o esponden s who we e aking he LCA p og amme ( ewe han 50), we
don’ ocus on LCA expe iences in he su ey esul s. Howe e , he quali a i e
in e iews highligh some impo an aspec s o he p og amme ac oss he schools
o e ing i . In pa icula , pa en s and s uden s spoke wi h sa is ac ion abou he
p og amme – how i p o ided small, achie able modules, all unde pinned by a
p ac ical, hands-on app oach:
I was he bes decision we e e made … he bigges hing is ha
e e y hing is b oken down so well … e e y hing is small, achie able
modules, he e is no ocus on a big exam a he end o he yea o o
you Lea ing Ce … I lo e when eache s each h ough p ac ical
me hods and LCA is gea ed owa ds e e y hing being p ac ical,
including he subjec ma e . (Pa en , DEIS school)
[The LCA] has been a phenomenal success … [S]ome o ou b igh es
i h yea s a e doing i o emo ional easons. And i ce ainly is
mee ing he needs o e y much a ma ginalised, smalle g oup in ou
school. So I hink i ’s a win–win o e e yone. Bu again, o hose kids
who do i , ce ainly a e o m o he Applied Lea ing Ce is u gen ly
equi ed in e ms o he pe sona and he image o i ou he e as well.
I ’s no ha mains eam. (P incipal, non-DEIS school)
Howe e , some s uden s highligh ed he es ic ions in e ms o p og essing o
highe educa ion, as well as he poo s a us o he p og amme wi hin schools and
47
The LCA, in oduced in 1995, is a wo-yea p e oca ional p og amme designed o p epa e pa icipan s o adul and
wo king li e. The LCA is aken by abou 5% o he coho . While ce i ica ion in he LCA does no quali y o di ec
en y o hi d-le el cou ses, s uden s who success ully comple e he p og amme a e able o p oceed o many PLC
cou ses.
122 | The olun a y seconda y sec o in I ish educa ion
socie y mo e widely. Ea lie esea ch has shown he implica ions o s uden
decision-making, and o s uden ou comes, wi h LCA p og amme lea e s much
less likely o ealise hei goals and expe iencing highe unemploymen le els,
le els which ha e isen disp opo iona ely o e ime (McCoy e al., 2014a):
LCA is so looked down upon i s o all, wi hin he s uden s, wi hin he
school. E e ybody knows LCA is looked down upon. And e en eache s
look down upon i , s uden s look down upon i . LCA also – hey’ e like,
u he educa ion, ha ’s an op ion. Bu hey need o go and do a PLC
[Pos -Lea ing Ce i ica e] on op o ha . And hey need o go and do
mo e college. (Fi h yea ocus g oup, DEIS school)
I me wi h s uden s who s uggled in JC [Junio Cycle] a he end o TY
[T ansi ion Yea ] o see would hey be in e es ed in doing LCA because
academically hey we en’ ha s ong. And i was, ‘no way, I’m no
ha s upid’. Now h ee-qua e s o he way h ough i h yea hose
s uden s a e eally s uggling academically, maybe I should ha e
alked o hem a bi mo e abou i . I ’s ha in be ween, ha hey see
LCA as o he d opou s and he Lea ing Ce as he only ou e.
(Teache , non-DEIS school)
While wo schools had plans o in oduce he p og amme nex yea , a numbe o
schools no ed a all in numbe s aking LCA:
I hink maybe he way LCA is pe cei ed, pa en s don’ pe cei e i as a
p ope Lea ing Ce . Maybe i ’s some hing o do wi h wha we a e
o e ing he e – o me hey a e in class oo much, si ing down eading
s u a he han being ac i i y ocused and p ac ical. I would lo e o
see hem ou cons uc ing a poly- unnel, plan ing s u . (Guidance
counsello , non-DEIS school)
One school o e ed he p og amme e e y second yea due o he small numbe s
choosing o do i . While his ga e e e y s uden he op ion o do i , i also mean
some s uden s didn’ ge o a ail o TY i hey wan ed o pa icipa e in LCA while
o he s had o do TY e en whe e hey did no wan o.
Finally, school and non-school s akeholde s highligh ed he need o an in eg a ed
Senio Cycle p og amme, inco po a ing aspec s o he LCA p og amme in o one
mains eam p og amme. The e a e plans o g ea e lexibili y a ound LCA s uden
access o Lea ing Ce ma hs, mode n o eign languages and ( o hcoming) social,
pe sonal and heal h educa ion (SPHE), and ou indings highligh ha hese
imp o emen s will g ea ly inc ease buy-in om s uden s who would bene i om
he p og amme. These changes will also mean a need o assessmen o s a
esou cing equi emen s.
Teaching and lea ning | 123
The LCA model is no helping, i hasn’ been e iewed in 20 plus yea s.
S uden s a e eg essing a e Junio Cycle, especially s uden s doing
Le el 1 o 2. I would lo e o see a much mo e in eg a ed app oach –
LCA English o ma hs bu LC geog aphy … [In LCA] hey’ e comple ely
spli and I hink ha ’s comple ely he w ong message. And ha ’s e y
challenging o hose s uden s. I pu s o s uden s who could bene i
om ha p og amme … I can compound he disad an age o ha
child – especially o a SEN s uden , o a s uden om he a ge DEIS
backg ound. (P incipal, DEIS school)
6.6.3 Assessmen a Senio Cycle
Ea lie esea ch has highligh ed ha he e minal, la gely w i en examina ion-
based na u e o Lea ing Ce i ica e assessmen , coupled wi h i s high-s akes
cha ac e , p o oundly in luences he na u e o lea ning and skills de elopmen
o e ed o young people (McCoy e al., 2019). Howe e , he e has been an ongoing
shi owa ds mul iple assessmen modes, and i can be no ed he as majo i y o
subjec s a Lea ing Ce i ica e le el now ha e ei he a p ac ical o p ojec -based
second assessmen componen , and ha jus six subjec s will ely solely on a inal
exam in 2024. School leade s and eache s we e keen o highligh he posi i e
impac o his di e si ica ion in assessmen app oaches a Senio Cycle:
I’m lucky in my subjec ha he p ojec is wo h 40% o DCG o
Lea ing Ce and hen o cons uc ion, 50% o he g ade is o p ojec s
as well. And I hink ha shows a be e – i ’s a be e assessmen ool
eally, o make an assessmen o lea ning. (Teache , DEIS school)
Many o he case s udy schools p o ided Le el 2 p og ammes a Junio Cycle, and
a small numbe o e ed Le el 1 also, while a ew schools p o ided a hyb id
app oach:
Now, we kind o do a hyb id he e. Mos ly Le el 2 in li e skills o being
pa o his communi y. Le el 1, nume acy, li e acy. Le el 1, sho
cou ses in Food, Glo ious Food and A ound he Wo ld in Eigh y Days.
Bu I do lo e i . I ’s a abulous p og amme. (Special class eache , non-
DEIS school)
A key Issue o hese schools ela ed o he lack o p og ession oppo uni ies o
s uden s aking Le el 1 and Le el 2 p og ammes:
[In e ms o ] Le el 1 and 2, I would be g ea o ha e a Le el 4 lea ning
p og amme o he s uden s who a e mo ing on o Senio Cycle, hey
a e no always able o LCA. The e is a coho o s uden s who a e no
able o a Le el 5 and i would be lo ely o see a Le el 4 o equi alen
124 | The olun a y seconda y sec o in I ish educa ion
p og amme o hose s uden s. … [Re o ms a Junio Cycle] ha e
inc eased he gap be ween Junio and Senio Cycle and hey jus
canno cope wi h ha jump. Fo he eally weak s uden , i hasn’
helped immensely. (SENCO, non-DEIS school)
The bigges p oblem is ha he e is no ollow up in he Lea ing Ce .
And he kids a e d agged h ough a Lea ing Ce ha hey canno do.
And hei men al heal h is eally s uggling. And I ind i absolu ely
a ocious o pu a hing in o place in Junio Cycle i you ha en’ pu in
place he ollow up in he Senio Cycle. I is a sin o hese child en. And
i is he aul o he Depa men o Educa ion o no p o iding a
p og amme ha is a ollow up p og amme o Senio Cycle o Le el 2.
(SENCO, DEIS school)
Bu he Depa men has eally le us down he e because we’ e all
hese s uden s coming up h ough, ollowing a Le el 2, ge o Senio
Cycle and we don’ ha e any hing ha ’s app op ia e o hem. … I is
a huge gap. And logis ically i ’s a huge challenge o us. A e we doing
he igh hing by he s uden s? A e we eaching hem he igh hings?
Ou main ocus wi h hese is ocusing on li e skills and social skills and
wo king in some kind o wo k placemen ha ’s app op ia e o hem.
(SENCO, non-DEIS school)
I should be no ed he e ha Le el 1 and Le el 2 Senio Cycle p og ession
modules a e cu en ly unde de elopmen and a e o be implemen ed soon.
Ou indings show he impo ance o implemen ing hese modules quickly and
e ec i ely o ensu e s uden s a e able o access a sui able cu iculum a
Senio Cycle.
6.7 ACADEMIC SELF-IMAGE
Academic sel -image is a much-s udied concep in educa ional esea ch, gi en i s
powe ul ole in s uden engagemen and achie emen (Ma sh e al., 2019; Ca oll
e al., 2022). Academic sel -image was assessed based on s uden s’ sel - epo s
ega ding hei exam pe o mance compa ed o hei pee s. As shown in Figu e
6.3, jus o e hal desc ibed hei exam pe o mance as ‘abo e a e age’ o ‘jus
abo e a e age’ (51%). The pa e n holds ac oss di e en yea g oups. Signi ican
di e ences, howe e , eme ged based on s uden s’ SEN s a us and socioeconomic
backg ound. S uden s wi hou SEN and hose om highe socioeconomic
backg ounds, such as ha ing deg ee-educa ed pa en s (62% s 43%), expe iencing
no economic di icul ies (54% s 41%) and a ending ee-cha ging schools (63% s
48%), showed much highe le els o posi i i y ega ding hei exam pe o mance
compa ed o hei pee s. Boys a e sligh ly mo e posi i e abou hei exam
Teaching and lea ning | 125
pe o mance han gi ls (54% o boys desc ibed hei exam pe o mance as ‘abo e
a e age’, compa ed o 49% o gi ls).
FIGURE 6.3 ACADEMIC SELF-IMAGE OF STUDENTS
Table A8 in he appendix in es iga es ac o s associa ed wi h s uden s’ academic
sel -image among second and i h yea s uden s using logis ic eg ession models.
Consis en wi h desc ip i e indings, gende , SEN and amily backg ound ha e a
signi ican impac on s uden s’ academic sel -image. In Model 1 conside ing
s uden cha ac e is ics, gi ls, s uden s wi h SEN and hose unce ain abou hei
SEN s a us a e much less likely o ha e an abo e-a e age academic sel -image (0.5
imes, 0.3 imes, and 0.4 imes as likely, espec i ely). Those wi h uni e si y-
educa ed pa en s and no economic di icul ies, by con as , a e signi ican ly mo e
likely o epo a highe academic sel -image (2.1 imes and 1.8 imes as likely). In
Model 2, accoun ing o school cha ac e is ics, s uden s in ee-cha ging schools a e
subs an ially mo e likely o epo a highe academic sel -image compa ed o hei
pee s in non- ee-cha ging schools (1.8 as likely). School gende mix does no
appea o play a ole he e.
Finally, examining he ela ionship be ween s uden s’ academic sel -image and
o he aspec s o school li e in Model 3, hose wi h posi i e school engagemen ,
posi i e eache in e ac ions and posi i e eache expec a ions a e mo e likely o
epo a highe academic sel -image. Con e sely, hose who expe ienced nega i e
eache in e ac ions (e.g., being gi en ou o o misbeha ing in class o un idy
wo k) and hose who missed mo e han en school days a e much less likely o eel
ha hey pe o m be e han a e age. In e es ingly, i h yea s uden s a e sligh ly
less likely o epo a high academic sel -image compa ed o second yea s uden s
(0.91 imes as likely).
21%
21%
21%
32%
27%
30%
35%
39%
37%
9%
9%
9%
4%
3%
3%
Second yea
Fi h yea
On a e age - Volun a y seconda y
Abo e a e age Jus abo e a e age A e age Jus below a e age Below a e age

126 | The olun a y seconda y sec o in I ish educa ion
Wide a ia ion can also be obse ed ac oss he case s udy schools, anging om a
low o 38% o a high o 71% o s uden s desc ibing hemsel es as ‘abo e a e age’
o ‘jus abo e a e age’. This sugges s ha i is no jus hei classma es hey a e
compa ing hemsel es o, bu o s uden s in o he schools as well, as well as hei
own school agains o he schools.
The ocus g oups wi h s uden s highligh ed a ia ion in he ex en o academic
p essu e ac oss he schools. Some s uden s spoke o being expec ed o do hei
bes , and wo k o hei le el, while o he s we e acu ely awa e o he ecogni ion
o academic excellence and a pe cei ed un ai ness a ound ha :
Las yea we had a ce emony and hey b ough back las yea ’s
Lea ing Ce s and i was as i i was a compe i ion. Whoe e go o e
550 [poin s], you name was men ioned … I was like i was one big
ace ins ead o jus you s udied and you go wha you wan ed … The
es didn’ ma e , jus he ones who go good poin s, who gi e he
school a good epu a ion. Say I ge 450 in my Lea ing, you won’ hea
my name bu le ’s say you ge 600 you’ll be back he e, pic u es on
Ins ag am and an awa d. (Fi h yea ocus g oup, non-DEIS school)
Howe e , achie emen in he wides sense was seen as being ecognised ac oss
se e al schools:
S uden success, be ha academically o spo ing … e e y
achie emen is acknowledged. … I doesn’ e en ma e i i is in
school, i you achie e ou side school, i is s ill ecognised. (Fi h yea
ocus g oup, DEIS school)
6.8 TEACHING AND LEARNING
While s uden s exp essed posi i e iews abou eache s being e ec i e in
explaining hings o hem, o e all hey epo ed a s ong ocus on mo e adi ional
eaching me hodologies (Figu e 6.4). A signi ican majo i y o s uden s epo ed
copying no es om he boa d (94%) and eache s doing mos o he alking (94%).
Jus unde ou in en epo ed ecei ing eedback om eache s. Al hough mos
s uden s el ha hei eache s ‘explain hings eally well’ (78%), s uden s el ha
hey had limi ed oppo uni ies o ac i e lea ning. Jus unde hal o s uden s
epo ed ha hey egula ly exp ess hei opinions (49%), while ewe engage in
class ac i i ies like deba es, p esen a ions o ole-play (19%), pa icipa e in p ojec -
based lea ning (21%), o demons a e hei lea ning in di e en ways (34%).
In e ne usage in class by eache s was p e alen , wi h an a e age a e o 91%,
anging om 84% o 99% ac oss case s udy schools. The use o compu e s o
Teaching and lea ning | 127
able s by s uden s was much lowe (15% and 35%, espec i ely). No ably, wide
a ia ions a e obse ed ac oss he 21 case s udy schools in e ms o he use o
pe sonal de ices, wi h 7 schools ha ing a no ably highe a e o using pe sonal
de ices in class and he emainde wi h a ela i ely low use o pe sonal de ices in
class.
48
O e all, i h yea s uden s a e mo e posi i e abou hei lea ning expe iences a
school han second yea s uden s. Fo example, 83% o he i h yea s uden s
ound hei eache s ‘explain hings eally well’, compa ed o 74% o second yea
s uden s. Di e ences by gende o amily cha ac e is ics a e no no ewo hy.
Fee-cha ging school s uden s (46%), as well as s uden s om single-sex gi ls’
schools (44%), we e mo e likely o pa icipa e in g oupwo k wi h o he s uden s
compa ed o s uden s om non- ee-cha ging schools (35%), boys’ schools (32%)
and co-educa ional schools (32%).
These indings ha e implica ions o eache p o essional de elopmen , which we
discuss in Chap e 11.
FIGURE 6.4 STUDENT REPORTS ON FREQUENCY OF DIFFERENT TEACHING AND LEARNING APPROACHES
Du ing he ocus g oups, s uden s spoke o wha helped hem o lea n a school. A
numbe o common hemes eme ged, wi h many cen ing a ound he na u e o
48
Schools whe e o e 40% o s uden s used able s, iPads o compu e s a leas h ee o ou imes a week a e
classi ied as schools wi h a high le el o pe sonal de ice use.
70%
59%
14%
22%
10%
9%
5%
5%
9%
27%
7%
74%
24%
36%
35%
56%
30%
27%
14%
17%
25%
8%
8%
18%
5%
5%
40%
19%
44%
48%
44%
45%
37%
17%
36%
7%
12%
3%
16%
16%
37%
33%
29%
48%
49%
Copy no es om he boa d
Teache does mos o he alking
Ge a chance o exp ess my opinions in class
The eache explains hings well
The eache gi es me eedback on how I’m doing
I wo k in a g oup wi h o he s uden s
We do ac i i ies in class (e.g. deba es, p esen a ions)
Pa icipa e in p ojec -based lea ning
Show wha I ha e lea ned in di e en ways
We use able s/iPads in class
We use compu e s in class
The eache uses he in e ne in class
Daily Qui e egula ly Now and again Ne e /ha dly e e
128 | The olun a y seconda y sec o in I ish educa ion
in e ac ion wi h eache s and he use o mo e collabo a i e app oaches in he
class oom:
When he eache is alking o you and no a you … when hey a e
alking wi h you, hen I am ac ually lea ning, like i ’s a con e sa ion.
(Fi h yea ocus g oup, non-DEIS school)
In my music class, we all si a one able, a ound he eache ’s desk. So
i is mo e o a con e sa ion han a lesson. (Fi h yea ocus g oup, DEIS
school)
A [good eache is a] pe son who explains s u well, like akes ime
explaining. (Second yea ocus g oup, DEIS school)
I know mysel I lea n be e when a eache asks you a ques ion on he
spo , because i goes in o you head and you would be so su p ised [a
you lea ning]. (Second yea ocus g oup, DEIS school)
I eel like eache s need o engage s uden s mo e, because he mo e I
engage wi h he class, o he mo e somebody’s alking o me abou i ,
I’m going o pay a en ion. I I’m jus si ing he e a he back o he
class oom, no being spoken o, o no engaging in he con e sa ions,
o i he e’s ques ions being asked, I’m no going o be able o lea n,
because ha is how you lea n. You lea n by speaking, you don’ lea n
by lis ening. Because hal o i is going in one ea and ou he o he .
(Fi h yea ocus g oup, DEIS school)
Mo e in e ac i e s yles we e equen ly highligh ed – ac oss di e en se ings
s uden s we e ocal on he alue o mo e in e ac i e eaching app oaches:
Teache s need o do mo e g oup wo k o ge us paying a en ion,
e e yone’s always dozing o . P ac ical hings oo so you’ e no jus
w i ing no es. Really bo ing, w i ing no es om slides. I wish we had
mo e un so we could ge mo e in e ac i e. (Second yea ocus g oup,
non-DEIS school)
S uden s also el ha ‘ o mulaic’ app oaches we e less e ec i e, and hey alued
lea ning ma e ial ha would be use ul in hei li es/ca ee s:
I don’ like he o mulaic app oach o eaching … I eel a lo o
o mulaic app oaches o eaching don’ eally wo k. I’d a he ge igh
in o i . I he eache ies o ollow a o mula i doesn’ eally wo k o
hem, i ’s much be e when hey do i hei own way. (Fi h yea ocus
g oup, DEIS school)
Teaching and lea ning | 129
S uden s spoke a leng h abou wha hey hink makes o a good eache . Again,
he na u e o engagemen and in e ac ion wi h s uden s was key in s uden
e lec ions:
Good eache s a e nice . A good eache would engage wi h he class,
kind o ac as i hey’ e one o hem bu s ill has au ho i y. I ’s a big
hing o be able o mo i a e people. They make su e you’ e allowed o
ask ques ions. We ha e a lo o good eache s. (Fi h yea ocus g oup,
non-DEIS school)
As discussed in Chap e 3, espec ea u ed p ominen ly in s uden s’ commen s;
s uden s alue eache s who lis en o wha hey ha e o say:
And his eache , she si s down a he able, a you le el, and she alks,
and she discusses, and she’ll ake you in o ma ion. And she’ll ne e
say ha you ha e a bad opinion. I you come up wi h some hing and
you’ e, like, ‘Oh, I don’ eally know i his is he igh hing bu , like, I
was kind o eeling like his mean his,’ she will ake i on he chin.
(Fi h yea ocus g oup, ee cha ging school)
A good class is eache and s uden going back and o h … [I] eel like
we ha e such a close bond wi h eache s ha I eel com o able ha ing
he cha s. Some eache s, no all eache s. The e’s jus a eally nice
class a mosphe e. You can jus kind o alk abou any hing wi h hem.
A class eels mo e like a ocus g oup, like wha we’ e doing igh now.
You can discuss, you unde s and i mo e because you can jus eely,
you’ e no sca ed o say some hing. I ’s a con e sa ion ins ead o
being spoken o. I ’s when he eache has he same espec o you.
(Fi h yea ocus g oup, ee cha ging school)
Teache s who we e seen as ha ing a passion o hei subjec we e also iewed as
mo e e ec i e eache s:
I hink i a eache has a passion o he subjec ha hey’ e eaching
and you can pick up on ha passion, i is so much easie o ge
eng ossed in ha subjec as well. And when a eache has ha
passion, i kind o shows ha hey wan you o know he in o ma ion,
hey wan o in oduce he subjec o you and hey wan o each i o
you. (Fi h yea ocus g oup, non-DEIS school)
E ec i e class oom managemen also ea u ed in s uden s’ discussions o good
eaching:
232 | The olun a y seconda y sec o in I ish educa ion
use o digi al echnologies o suppo eaching, lea ning and assessmen o all
lea ne s; he in eg a ion o digi al skills ac oss he p og amme including
oppo uni ies o s uden eache s o explo e new and eme ging echnologies. The
ex en o which hese de elopmen s will p o ide he necessa y p o essional
de elopmen oppo uni ies o new eache s emains o be seen. The esul s o a
sys em-wide epo on he implemen a ion o he Céím s anda ds ( o be a ailable
in he summe o 2024) will be impo an in his ega d. I is in e es ing o no e
ha he epo will include a pa icula ocus on inclusi e educa ion and global
ci izenship educa ion, wo a eas highligh ed in his s udy.
11.3.4 Wide ci ic, cul u al and clima e educa ion
O e all, s uden s ac oss olun a y seconda y schools did no seem o be engaged
in ac i i ies ha p omo e global compe ence, bu la gely conside hemsel es as
being espec ul owa ds people om o he cul u es. O e all, he e idence
suppo s he a gumen o a g ea e ocus on ci ic and cul u al educa ion. We also
obse e a clea dispa i y be ween s uden s’ awa eness o key global issues and
hei ac ual engagemen . This knowledge–ac ion gap, especially in e ms o
s uden s’ ci ic engagemen , is no unique o I eland and is closely ied o s uden s’
socioeconomic backg ounds, wi h low le els o engagemen being mo e
p onounced among s uden s om disad an aged backg ounds (Jennings, 2019;
McFa land and S a manns, 2009; Le inson, 2004).
Closing his knowledge–ac ion gap equi es a ge ed, ele an and ca e ully
designed educa ional p og ammes. Fo ins ance, a s udy by Mooney e al. (2022)
on college s uden s in he US ound ha a cou se ocused on clima e change,
compa ed o a adi ional in oduc o y me eo ology cou se, encou aged
signi ican beha iou changes. Ac ion- ela ed componen s can be u he
enhanced when combined wi h app op ia e and democ a ic lea ning, as sugges ed
by Deisen iede e al.’s 2020 s udy on you h in seconda y schools in Aus ia and
Ge many. S uden s’ meaning ul and ac i e pa icipa ion also equi es p og ammes
o: be expe ien ial; be g ounded in global knowledge in concep s o ci izenship;
help s uden s unde s and he challenges and how hey migh con ibu e o
solu ions; and each hem speci ic echniques o add ess hese challenges
(Lo enzini, 2013; Le inson, 2004). P og ammes ha p o ide ac ual knowledge,
along wi h ac i i ies such as discussion and deba e o c i ical issues, as well as
quali y ex acu icula and s uden go e nmen ac i i ies, also p o e e ec i e in
encou aging s uden s’ ac i e ci ic pa icipa ion (Youniss, 2011).
11.3.5 Inclusion in schools
S uden s, s a and wide s akeholde s spoke epea edly o he impo ance o
inclusion in schools. Fo many s uden s, hey spoke o hei school’s e hos as
embodying inclusion and inclusi e alues. Resea che s ha e been inc easingly

Discussion and conclusion | 233
deba ing wha inclusion should look like, pa icula ly in e ms o suppo ing
s uden s wi h addi ional educa ional needs. Commen a o s ha e sugges ed ha
he p oli e a ion o special classes c ea es a ension wi h policy objec i es a ound
inclusion (Kenny e al., 2020; McCoy e al., 2016). S uden s hemsel es alued
being wi hd awn in small g oups o ex a suppo , a he han mo e ixed and
la ge g oupings. In e ms o de ining inclusion, Kou sou is (2019) a gues ha in
o de o achie e inclusion in educa ion, a op–down app oach in luenced by
na ional and in e na ional policy and a igh s discou se migh no be su icien ; his
is because inclusion p ocesses also ope a e a he le el o e e yday social
in e ac ion whe e policy has less in luence. Such p ocesses hough a e less
explo ed o e en igno ed by he inclusion li e a u e, as hey a e o en seen as
ques ioning o h ea ening inclusion (Slee, 2018).
The lack o awa eness o disabili y may s em om a lack o unde s anding
ega ding wha cons i u es a disabili y (Eccles e al., 2018; Abe na hy and Taylo ,
2009), and is usually accompanied by conce ns ha disclosu e will nega i ely
impac hei li es, e en i hey a e awa e. Ou model esul s consis en ly show ha
s uden s who a e unsu e abou hei SEN s a us sha e simila nega i e esponses
wi h hei pee s who ha e iden i ied hemsel es as ha ing SEN in a ious aspec s,
such as school engagemen and academic sel -image. Those who a e unce ain
abou hei SEN s a us may include s uden s who a e ecei ing suppo bu a e
unawa e o hei SEN s a us o s uden s who need suppo bu ha e no been
iden i ied as such, wi h he la e g oup being mo e conce ning. Gi en he
limi a ions o cu en da a, we canno di e en ia e be ween hese wo g oups.
Fu u e esea ch is needed o unpack his g oup u he .
11.3.6 Ensu ing access o en iching ac i i ies and posi i e educa ion
p og ammes
This s udy has highligh ed how school in as uc u al de ici s and eache supply
p oblems a e impac ing on he capaci y o schools o o e a di e si y o cu icula
and ex acu icula ac i i ies. Ha o d and Fleming (2023) no e ha while he issue
o a s eady supply o eache s has been a ea u e o he e ol ing complexion o he
I ish educa ional landscape o decades, he p oblem has become mo e
p onounced in ecen yea s. Despi e his accen ua ion, he e has been a eluc ance
a a policy le el o engage wi h meaning ul dialogue and ac ion, which isks
i e ocably damaging he p o ession and ul ima ely he educa ion sys em. In
addi ion, gende ing in he na u e o access o ex acu icula spo s, in pa icula ,
and in e ms o wha spo s a e alued ac oss he school communi y, means ha
eenage gi ls and boys can ha e di e en spo s oppo uni ies and ecogni ion o
hei achie emen s. In line wi h ea lie wo k, he e appea s o be a no malisa ion
o physical di e ences be ween boys and gi ls as he basis o unequal ecogni ion
and esou cing o gi ls’ spo in ce ain, pa icula ly coeduca ional, schools
(McSha y, 2017). These issues equi e a win policy esponse: esou ces o
234 | The olun a y seconda y sec o in I ish educa ion
suppo ex acu icula p o ision ac oss schools and guidelines o suppo gende
equali y in p o ision and ecogni ion wi hin coeduca ional schools.
Acco ding o he Depa men o Educa ion and Skills (2019), wellbeing is comp ised
o many in e ela ed aspec s, including being ac i e, esponsible, connec ed,
esilien , app ecia ed, espec ed and awa e. The Wellbeing Policy S a emen and
F amewo k o P ac ice (Depa men o Educa ion and Skills, 2019) ecognises ha
wellbeing does no necessa ily mean he absence o s ess, o nega i e emo ions
in li e, and ha people’s expe ience o wellbeing may a y, wi h e e yone
expe iencing ulne abili y a some s ages in hei jou ney h ough li e.
The e has also been a g owing ocus on he ole o a ec i e ac o s in school
leade ship, and in he change-managemen p ocess in pa icula . A ocus on a eas
such as p ocessing emo ional sel - egula ion, capaci y o build us , ela ionship-
building, communica ing e ec i ely and managing con lic , can suppo a ec i e
capaci y-building o school leade s (Redmond, 2016).
High le els o anxie y and s ess among s uden s we e epea edly epo ed in his
esea ch. S akeholde s and expe s con inue o emphasise he impac o COVID-19
on young people’s men al heal h,
66
highligh ing d ama ic inc eases in e e als o
Child and Adolescen Men al Heal h Se ices (CAMHS), as well as ques ions o e
he capaci y o agencies like he Na ional Educa ional Psychological Se ice (NEPS),
CAMHS and he Na ional Council o Special Educa ion (NCSE) o espond o need.
Simila le els o psychological dis ess a e e iden in o he coun ies (Allen e al.,
2023; Nolan and Smy h, 2021). High le els o unme demand o child and
adolescen heal h se ices in I eland ha e been clea ly documen ed (B ick e al.,
2020), wi h wai ing lis s likely o ha e g own conside ably o e ecen yea s.
Addi ional suppo s we e p o ided in Budge 2023 o alle ia e he cos o li ing o
s uden s, as well as €5 million o men al heal h suppo s o he 2022/2023
academic yea . Howe e , i is likely ha much g ea e unding will be equi ed o
p o ide adequa e p e en i e and ea ly in e en ions as well as ea men in
schools and o he se ings.
To be e suppo s uden wellbeing a school, educa ionalis s ha e poin ed o
g owing in e es in school-based ‘posi i e educa ion’ p og ammes, which ocus on
helping young people o lou ish in li e using bes p ac ices in educa ion.
Socioemo ional lea ning cu icula ha aim o explici ly each coping skills and
esilience, and aise awa eness o he impo ance o s uden s’ s eng hs, sel -
de e mina ion, posi i e ela ionships and emo ions, a e becoming mo e
mains eam wi hin schools (Ricka d e al., 2023). The wellbeing p og amme a
66
Twohig, A., E. Ba e , F. McNicholas, K. Moo e and M. O’Sulli an (2023). ‘Young people and he men al heal h c isis’,
Le e s, I ish Times, 6 Janua y, h ps://www.i ish imes.com/opinion/le e s/2023/01/06/young-people-and-men al-
heal h-c isis/.
Discussion and conclusion | 235
Junio Cycle le el also has an impo an ole o play and we saw e idence o he
bene i s ac oss he case s udy schools. Va ious school-based p og ammes,
guidelines and ini ia i es ha e been es ablished o suppo s uden s’ wellbeing a
bo h p ima y and pos -p ima y le el.
67
Examples include he F iends p og ammes
de eloped by NEPS o help s uden s manage anxie y and de elop men al
esilience, he Se ing Up a Social Skills T aining G oup p og amme, which
acili a es schools in enhancing s uden s’ social and beha iou al skills, and he
Heal h Se ice Execu i e (HSE) ini ia i e Mind Ou Minds, p omo ing men al heal h
among young people in hei schools and local communi ies.
Wha his s udy has showed mo e han any hing is he impo ance o social
connec edness wi hin and beyond he school communi y in os e ing s uden
wellbeing and de elopmen . S uden s a ending schools wi h a s onge e hos, and
hose wi h posi i e school engagemen , epo highe le els o li e sa is ac ion.
High le els o pa icipa ion in spo s and cul u al ac i i ies and ac i e pa icipa ion
in school-o ganised a e school and lunch ime ac i i ies a e cen al o s uden
belonging and engagemen . Wha happens in he class oom is jus as impo an ,
wi h g ea e sel -con idence epo ed among s uden s expe iencing mo e
in e ac i e eaching app oaches, and posi i e T ansi ion Yea (TY) and LCA
expe iences ca ying a hos o bene i s in e ms o sel -awa eness and pe sonal
de elopmen . Bu cons ain s a e clea ly appa en , anging om ou da ed acili ies
ha ‘don’ lend hemsel es o change’ in (c oss-)cu icula and ex acu icula
e ms, and he lack o key acili ies (like spo s halls, home economics ooms) and
esou ces o suppo schools in o e ing a di e si y o ac i i ies. The social
s uc u ing o pa icipa ion in you h clubs, a s and cul u al ac i i ies also aises
ques ions o e he adequacy o esou cing o communi y acili ies in socially
disad an aged communi ies.
While he expe ience du ing COVID-19 and since has highligh ed he u gen need
o p o essional, he apeu ic suppo s o child en and young adul s, he esul s
om his s udy also highligh he impo ance o esou cing all school communi ies
o p o ide a di e si y o en iching ac i i ies wi hin and ou side he class oom o
suppo young people as hey de elop.
11.4 CONCLUSION
One hing ha s uck us as esea che s du ing his p ojec was he le el o change
unde way wi hin I ish olun a y seconda y schools, especially in ela ion o he
seismic impac o he COVID-19 pandemic bu also e iden in longe - e m
de elopmen s in I ish educa ion. Conside ing e en he las 20 yea s, o he space
o a single gene a ion, he e ha e been massi e shi s in how s uden s wi h SEN
67
Depa men o Educa ion. ‘Ca alogue o wellbeing esou ces o pos -p ima y schools’, webpage,
h ps://www.go .ie/en/publica ion/a9118-ca alogue-o -wellbeing- esou ces- o -schools/.
236 | The olun a y seconda y sec o in I ish educa ion
a e included and suppo ed in mains eam schools as he Educa ion o Pe sons
wi h Special Educa ional Needs (EPSEN) Ac is implemen ed and inclusion becomes
a genuine p io i y. The e ha e been huge and posi i e de elopmen s in suppo s
o s uden s om socioeconomically disad an aged backg ounds o e he same
pe iod, mos no ably wi h he in oduc ion o he DEIS p og amme. On he day- o-
day le el, class ooms ha e been ans o med by echnology use and e ol ing
cu icula, among o he hings. Wi hin he olun a y seconda y sec o speci ically,
he numbe o s uden s in single-sex schools has con inued o all and he
p opo ion o I ish schools wi h a eligious e hos has d opped as new schools ha e
been almos exclusi ely coeduca ional and in e - o mul i-denomina ional.
Ye among all his change, much has emained he same. On a nega i e no e,
signi ican pa s o he LCA cu iculum ha e no changed a all o e his pe iod,
simply g owing mo e ou da ed each yea . While Lea ing Ce i ica e cu icula ha e
e ol ed and assessmen has di e si ied in many subjec s, he ocus on his high-
s akes s a e exam has only in ensi ied o e ime. Mo e posi i ely, he e hos o
espec and se ice ha guides schools ac oss he olun a y seconda y sec o has
s eng hened o e ime, e en as he place o eligious o de s wi hin schools has
aded. We belie e ha he indings o his epo show ha in many ways schools
a e doing wha hey ha e always done, bu mo e so, in e ms o eaching and
lea ning, ca e and wellbeing suppo and ex acu icula p o ision.
The e is no eason o hink he scale o change o e he nex 20 yea s will be any
less signi ican han ha o he 20 yea s pas . I is i al ha he same ambi ion ha
unde pinned he DEIS p og amme and EPSEN Ac guides con inued e o s o build
a genuinely inclusi e school sys em o all s uden s, and ha he po en ial o
echnology o suppo lea ning is ha nessed. This epo has highligh ed he
suppo wi hin schools o single-sex and denomina ional schooling, bu also he
ex en o which many s uden s, pa en s and s a disag ee wi h hei school’s
gende mix o speci ic e hos, sugges ing he need o genuine con e sa ion a ound
hese a eas in schools ac oss I eland.
Wi hin his e ol ing sys em, howe e , his epo shows some s eng hs o
olun a y seconda y schools which should be p ese ed. In pa icula , in a ime o
inc easing ocus on in e na ional s anda dised assessmen measu es – like he
O ganisa ion o Economic Co-ope a ion and De elopmen ’s (OECD) PISA s udy o
he T ends in In e na ional Ma hema ics and Science S udy (TIMSS) sco es – as he
measu e o an educa ion sys em, he commi men o olun a y seconda y schools
o he holis ic de elopmen o s uden s as pa o a school communi y is mo e
impo an han e e . Schools a e no jus places whe e young people lea n es able
subjec ma e , hey a e a dense web o educa ional expe iences and social
ela ions whe e child en a e shaped in o adul s. We hope his epo has gi en a
Discussion and conclusion | 237
sense o how olun a y seconda y schools a e going abou his wo k a he
momen , and how hey migh con inue doing so in he u u e.

Re e ences | 239
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S idde , G., G. Lines and S. Keywo h. (2013). ‘In es iga ing he gende egime in physical
educa ion and dance’, Equi y and inclusion in physical educa ion and spo , G.
S idde and S. Hayes (eds.), pp. 66–86, London: Rou ledge.
Teaching Council (2020). Céim: S anda ds o ini ial eache educa ion,
h ps://www. eachingcouncil.ie/asse s/uploads/2023/08/ceim-s anda ds- o -
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Wea e, K. and M. Nind (2011). ‘Men al heal h p omo ion and p oblem p e en ion in
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(Suppl 1), pp. i29–69, h ps://doi.o g/10.1093/heap o/da 075.
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h ps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.go /37081139/.
Youniss J. (2011). ‘Ci ic educa ion: Wha schools can do o encou age ci ic iden i y and
ac ion’, Applied De elopmen al Science, Vol. 15, No. 2, pp. 98–103,
h ps://doi.o g/10.1080/10888691.2011.560814.
Appendix – Addi ional ables | 251
APPENDIX – ADDITIONAL TABLES
TABLE A1 MULTILEVEL LOGISTIC REGRESSION MODEL OF HAVING POSITIVE SOCIAL
ENGAGEMENT
Va iables
Model 1
Model 2
Model 3
Cons an
0.23 ***
0.19 ***
0.10 ***
Gi ls (Re : boys and o he 68)
0.63 ***
0.60 *
0.45 **
Uni e si y-educa ed pa en s (Re : lowe educa ion69)
1.01
1.01
0.99
No economic di icul y (Re : ha e di icul y70)
1.69 ***
1.69 ***
1.34 *
SEN/disabili y (Re : no SEN)
No su e
0.63 **
0.62 **
0.75
Had SEN
0.61 **
0.62 **
0.66 #
Fi h yea (Re : second yea )
1.11 **
1.11 **
1.04
School ype (Re : non-DEIS schools)
DEIS schools
1.24
0.94
Fee-cha ging
schools
1.11
0.94
School gende mix (Re : co-ed
schools)
Gi ls school
1.31
1.25
Boys school
1.26
1.02
Missed o e 10 days (Re : missed 10 days less71)
0.71 *
Always missed iends du ing COVID-19 (Re :
some imes/ne e missed iends72)
1.66 ***
Posi i e school engagemen (Re : less posi i e)
1.96 ***
Posi i e eache in e ac ion (Re : ewe posi i e
in e ac ions)
1.35 *
Posi i e eache expec a ion (Re : lowe expec a ion)
2.43 ***
S ong alue emphasis a school (Re : weake alue
emphasis)
1.45 #
S onge school e hos (Re : weake e hos)
2.73 ***
N
1,844
1,844
1,673
Pseudo R2
0.03
0.03
0.19
No es: ***p<0.001; ** p<0.01; *p<0.05; #p<0.1.
Va iables wi h missing alues in he e e ence g oup a e no ed and explained in a oo no e. We ha e checked he
coe icien s o missing dummy a iables (i.e., he missing dummy a iables o pa en al educa ion, economic
di icul y, school absence and hei COVID-19 expe ience) in his model, and none o hese a iables was ound o
be s a is ically signi ican a a 5% le el. The e o e, missing alues a e included in he e e ence g oup, as hey do no
di e signi ican ly om he es o he e e ence g oup. Fo ease o eading, explana ions in oo no es a e only
p o ided o a iables appea ing o he i s ime in he model.
68
The e e ence g oup he e includes hose who iden i ied hemsel es as boys, as well as hose who iden i ied
hemsel es as ‘non-bina y o o he ’.
69
The e e ence g oup he e includes hose who epo ed o ha e only pa en wi h a hi d-le el deg ee, had nei he
wi h a hi d-le el deg ee o ‘I don’ know’.
70
The e e ence g oup he e includes hose who epo ed ha i was ‘ ai ly easy’, ‘easy’ o ‘ e y easy’ o pay all he bills,
hose who ‘we e no su e/would a he no say’, as well as hose who did no espond o his ques ion (i.e., missing
alues).
71
The e e ence g oup he e includes hose who epo ed missing en o ewe days o school, as well as hose who did
no espond o his ques ion (i.e., missing alues).
72
The e e ence g oup he e includes hose who ‘some ime/ne e ’ missed hei iends du ing he COVID-19 pandemic,
and hose who did no espond o his ques ion (i.e., missing alues).
252 | The olun a y seconda y sec o in I ish educa ion
TABLE A2 MULTILEVEL LOGISTIC REGRESSION MODEL OF MISSING OVER 10 DAYS AT SCHOOL
Model 1
Model 2
Model 3
Cons an
0.61 ***
0.59 *
0.62 #
Gi ls (Re : boys and o he )
1.16
1.53 *
1.36
Uni e si y-educa ed pa en s (Re :
lowe educa ion)
0.71 ***
0.76 *
0.85
No economic di icul y (Re : ha e
di icul y)
0.68 ***
0.70 ***
0.75 **
SEN/disabili y (Re : no SEN)
No su e
1.22
1.22
0.95
Had SEN
1.67 ***
1.69 ***
1.26
Fi h yea (Re : second yea )
1.01
1.03
0.99
School ype (Re : non-DEIS schools)
DEIS schools
1.03
1.05
Fee-cha ging
schools
0.81
0.76 #
School gende mix (Re : co-ed
schools)
Gi ls school
0.66 **
0.70 *
Boys school
0.95
1.02
Posi i e school engagemen (Re : less
posi i e)
0.53 ***
Abo e a e age academic sel -image
(Re : a e age o below73)
0.59 ***
Always s uggled o engage wi h
s udy du ing COVID-19 (Re :
Some imes/ne e s uggled o
engage74)
1.52 ***
Nega i e eache in e ac ion (Re :
ewe nega i e in e ac ions)
1.29 #
Posi i e school engagemen (Re : less
posi i e)
0.80
S ong alue emphasis a school (Re :
weake alue emphasis)
1.37 *
N
1,856
1,856
1,765
Pseudo R2
0.02
0.05
0.07
No es: ***p<0.001; ** p<0.01; *p<0.05; #p<0.1.
Va iables wi h missing alues in he e e ence g oup a e no ed and explained in a oo no e. We ha e checked he
coe icien s o missing dummy a iables (i.e., he missing dummy a iables o pa en al educa ion, economic
di icul y, academic sel -image and whe he he s uden s uggled o engage du ing he COVID-19 pandemic) in his
model, and none o hese a iables was ound o be s a is ically signi ican a a 5% le el. The e o e, missing alues
a e included in he e e ence g oup, as hey do no di e signi ican ly om he es o he e e ence g oup. Fo ease
o eading, explana ions in oo no es a e only p o ided o a iables appea ing o he i s ime in he model.
73
The e e ence g oup he e includes hose who epo ed o ha e an ‘a e age’, ‘jus below a e age’ o ‘below a e age’
exam pe o mance, and hose who did no espond o his ques ion (i.e., missing alues).
74
The e e ence g oup he e includes hose who ‘some imes/ne e s uggled o engage wi h hei s udy du ing COVID’,
and hose who did no espond o his ques ion (i.e., missing alues).
Appendix – Addi ional ables | 253
TABLE A3 MULTILEVEL LOGISTIC REGRESSION MODEL OF LIKING SCHOOL
Model 1
Model 2
Model 3
Cons an
0.43 ***
0.34 **
0.10 ***
Gi ls (Re : boys and o he )
0.99
0.97
1.27
Uni e si y-educa ed pa en s
(Re : lowe educa ion)
1.82 ***
1.56 ***
1.48 ***
No economic di icul y (Re :
ha e di icul y)
1.40 ***
1.35 ***
1.01
SEN/disabili y (Re : no SEN)
No su e
0.63 ***
0.62 ***
0.87
Had SEN
0.65 *
0.64 *
1.04
Fi h yea (Re : second yea )
1.08
1.07
1.08
School ype (Re : non-DEIS
schools)
DEIS schools
1.23
1.24
Fee-cha ging
schools
2.26 ***
2.31 ***
School gende mix (Re : co-ed
schools)
Gi ls school
1.27
1.17
Boys school
1.30
1.14
Belong a school (Re : don’
belong75)
2.72 ***
Abo e a e age academic sel -
image (Re : a e age o below)
1.69 ***
Missed o e 10 days (Re :
missed 10 days less)
0.48 ***
Posi i e eache expec a ion
(Re : lowe expec a ion)
3.25 ***
Posi i e social engagemen
(Re : nega i e engagemen )
1.48 *
Pa icipa es in a s ac i i ies
(Re : no pa icipa ion76)
1.48 **
N
1,856
1,856
1,837
Pseudo R2
0.038
0.055
0.193
No es: ***p<0.001; ** p<0.01; *p<0.05; #p<0.1.
Va iables wi h missing alues in he e e ence g oup a e no ed and explained in a oo no e. We ha e checked he
coe icien s o missing dummy a iables (i.e., he missing dummy a iables o pa en al educa ion, economic
di icul y, sense o belonging a school, academic sel -image, school absence and a ac i i y pa icipa ion) in his
model, and none o hese a iables was ound o be s a is ically signi ican a a 5% le el. The e o e, missing alues
a e included in he e e ence g oup, as hey do no di e signi ican ly om he es o he e e ence g oup.
Fo ease o eading, explana ions in he oo no es a e only p o ided o a iables appea ing o he i s ime in he
model.
75
The e e ence g oup he e includes hose who (s ongly) disag eed, el neu al, o did no espond o he ques ion
ega ding hei sense o belonging a school (i.e., missing alues).
76
The e e ence g oup he e includes hose who ‘did no pa icipa e in a , d ama, dance o music clubs/p ac ice’, and
hose who did no espond o his ques ion (i.e., missing alues).

254 | The olun a y seconda y sec o in I ish educa ion
TABLE A4 MULTILEVEL LOGISTIC REGRESSION MODEL OF (STRONGLY) AGREEING THAT
SCHOOLWORK IS WORTH DOING
Model 1
Model 2
Model 3
Cons an
1.26
0.84
0.49 *
Gi ls (Re : boys and o he )
1.23
1.27
1.30
Uni e si y-educa ed pa en s
(Re : lowe educa ion)
1.47 *
1.28 #
1.05
No economic di icul y (Re :
ha e di icul y)
1.53 ***
1.47 ***
1.33 **
SEN/disabili y (Re : no SEN)
No su e
0.53 ***
0.52 ***
0.62 ***
Had SEN
0.54 ***
0.56 ***
0.73 *
Fi h yea (Re : second yea )
1.11 *
1.09 *
1.07
School ype (Re : non-DEIS
schools)
DEIS
schools
1.15
1.09
Fee-
cha ging
schools
1.77 ***
1.51 **
School gende mix (Re : co-
ed schools)
Gi ls
school
1.64 ***
1.48 #
Boys
school
1.88 ***
1.57 **
Like school (Re : dislike77)
2.60 ***
Belong a school (Re : don’
belong)
1.65 ***
Abo e a e age academic sel -
image (Re : a e age o
below)
1.16
Missed o e 10 days (Re :
missed 10 days less)
0.96
Posi i e eache in e ac ion
(Re : ewe posi i e
in e ac ions)
1.68 ***
Nega i e eache in e ac ion
(Re : ewe nega i e
in e ac ions)
0.56 ***
S uden -led e hos (Re : less
s uden -led)
1.59 **
N
1,856
1,856
1,733
Pseudo R2
0.04
0.06
0.15
No es: ***p<0.001; ** p<0.01; *p<0.05; #p<0.1.
Va iables wi h missing alues in he e e ence g oup a e no ed and explained in a oo no e. We ha e checked he
coe icien s o missing dummy a iables (i.e., he missing dummy a iables o pa en al educa ion, economic
di icul y, sense o belonging a school, academic sel -image and school absence) in his model, and none o hese
a iables was ound o be s a is ically signi ican a a 5% le el. The e o e, missing alues a e included in he
e e ence g oup, as hey do no di e signi ican ly om he es o he e e ence g oup. Fo ease o eading,
explana ions in oo no es a e only p o ided o a iables appea ing o he i s ime in he model.
77
The e e ence g oup he e includes hose who epo ed eeling ‘al igh ’ abou hei school, hose who did no like
hei school, o hose who ha ed hei school, as well as hose who did no espond o his ques ion (missing alues).
Appendix – Addi ional ables | 255
TABLE A5 MULTILEVEL LOGISTIC REGRESSION MODEL OF HAVING POSITIVE TEACHER
INTERACTION AT SCHOOL
Va iables
Model 1
Model 2
Model 3
Cons an
0.27 ***
0.20 ***
0.05 ***
Gi ls (Re : boys and o he )
0.80
0.95
1.34
Uni e si y-educa ed pa en s (Re :
lowe educa ion)
1.20
1.22
1.03
No economic di icul y (Re : ha e
di icul y)
1.58 ***
1.60 ***
1.26
SEN/disabili y (Re : no SEN)
No su e
0.56 ***
0.56 ***
0.76 *
Had SEN
0.83
0.85
1.50
Fi h yea (Re : second yea )
1.02
1.03
1.02
School ype (Re : non-DEIS
schools)
DEIS schools
1.32 #
1.19
Fee-
cha ging
schools
1.11
0.85
School gende mix (Re : co-ed
schools)
Gi ls school
1.00
0.88
Boys school
1.29
1.21
Abo e a e age academic sel -
image (Re : a e age o below)
3.07 ***
missed o e 10 days (Re : missed
10 days less)
0.75 #
Nega i e eache in e ac ion (Re :
ewe nega i e in e ac ions)
1.65 *
Posi i e eache expec a ion (Re :
lowe expec a ion)
4.05 ***
S uden -led e hos (Re : less
s uden -led)
1.87 ***
S onge school e hos (Re : weake
e hos)
1.68 **
N
1,778
1,778
1,673
Pseudo R2
0.02
0.02
0.19
No es: ***p<0.001; ** p<0.01; *p<0.05; #p<0.1.
Va iables wi h missing alues in he e e ence g oup a e no ed and explained in a oo no e. We ha e checked he
coe icien s o missing dummy a iables (i.e., he missing dummy a iables o pa en al educa ion, economic
di icul y, academic sel -image and school absence) in his model, and none o hese a iables was ound o be
s a is ically signi ican a a 5% le el. The e o e, missing alues a e included in he e e ence g oup, as hey do no
di e signi ican ly om he es o he e e ence g oup. Fo ease o eading, explana ions in oo no es a e only
p o ided o a iables appea ing o he i s ime in he model.
256 | The olun a y seconda y sec o in I ish educa ion
TABLE A6 MULTILEVEL LOGISTIC REGRESSION MODEL OF HAVING POSITIVE TEACHER
EXPECTATIONS
Va iables
Model 1
Model 2
Model 3
Cons an
0.21 ***
0.16 ***
0.10 ***
Gi ls (Re : boys and o he )
0.59 ***
0.73
0.50 **
Uni e si y-educa ed pa en s (Re : lowe educa ion)
0.90
0.89
0.57 ***
No economic di icul y (Re : ha e di icul y)
1.60 ***
1.60 ***
1.25
SEN/disabili y (Re : no SEN)
No su e
0.53 ***
0.53 ***
0.81
Had SEN
0.55 **
0.56 **
0.69
Fi h yea (Re : second yea )
1.16 *
1.17 *
1.09
School ype (Re : non-DEIS schools)
DEIS schools
1.23
0.83
Fee-cha ging
schools
1.15
0.78
School gende mix (Re : co-ed
schools)
Gi ls school
0.96
0.78 #
Boys school
1.31
0.66 #
Posi i e school engagemen (Re : less posi i e)
4.02 ***
Abo e a e age academic sel -image (Re : a e age o
below)
1.34
Missed o e 10 days (Re : missed 10 days less)
1.11
Posi i e eache in e ac ion (Re : ewe posi i e
in e ac ions)
3.11 ***
Nega i e eache in e ac ion (Re : ewe nega i e
in e ac ions)
0.38 ***
Posi i e social engagemen (Re : less posi i e)
2.46 ***
S uden -led e hos (Re : less s uden -led)
1.75 **
S onge school e hos (Re : weake e hos)
2.82 ***
N
1,847
1,847
1,648
Pseudo R2
0.04
0.04
0.32
No es: ***p<0.001; ** p<0.01; *p<0.05; #p<0.1.
Va iables wi h missing alues in he e e ence g oup a e no ed and explained in a oo no e. We ha e checked he
coe icien s o missing dummy a iables (i.e., he missing dummy a iables o pa en al educa ion, economic
di icul y, academic sel -image and school absence) in his model, and none o hese a iables was ound o be
s a is ically signi ican a a 5% le el. The e o e, missing alues a e included in he e e ence g oup, as hey do no
di e signi ican ly om he es o he e e ence g oup. Fo ease o eading, explana ions in oo no es a e only
p o ided o a iables appea ing o he i s ime in he model.
Appendix – Addi ional ables | 257
TABLE A7 MULTILEVEL LOGISTIC REGRESSION MODEL OF HAVING STUDENT-LED ETHOS AT
SCHOOL
Va iables
Model 1
Model 2
Model 3
Cons an
0.41 ***
0.24 ***
0.10 ***
Gi ls (Re : boys and o he )
1.03
1.04
1.17
Uni e si y-educa ed pa en s (Re : lowe educa ion)
1.13
1.08
1.01
No economic di icul y (Re : ha e di icul y)
1.16
1.16
0.86
SEN/disabili y (Re : no SEN)
No su e
0.73 *
0.72 *
1.07
Had SEN
0.64 *
0.66 *
0.92
Fi h yea (Re : second yea )
1.02
1.02
0.98
School ype (Re : non-DEIS schools)
DEIS schools
1.79 ***
1.74 ***
ee cha ging
schools
1.57 ***
1.48 ***
School gende mix (Re : co-ed
schools)
Gi ls school
1.53 #
1.56
Boys school
1.65 ***
1.41 ***
Belong a school (Re : don’ belong)
2.27 ***
Abo e a e age academic sel -image (Re : a e age o
below)
1.00
Posi i e school engagemen (Re : less posi i e)
1.32 #
Posi i e eache in e ac ion (Re : ewe posi i e
in e ac ions)
1.78 ***
Nega i e eache in e ac ion (Re : ewe nega i e
in e ac ions)
0.72 #
Posi i e eache expec a ion (Re : lowe expec a ion)
1.73 **
S onge school e hos (Re : weake e hos)
2.64 ***
N
1,764
1,764
1,654
Pseudo R2
0.01
0.02
0.15
No es: ***p<0.001; ** p<0.01; *p<0.05; #p<0.1.
Va iables wi h missing alues in he e e ence g oup a e no ed and explained in a oo no e. We ha e checked he
coe icien s o missing dummy a iables (i.e., he missing dummy a iables o pa en al educa ion, economic
di icul y, sense o belonging a school and academic sel -image) in his model, and none o hese a iables was
ound o be s a is ically signi ican a a 5% le el. The e o e, missing alues a e included in he e e ence g oup, as
hey do no di e signi ican ly om he es o he e e ence g oup. Fo ease o eading, explana ions in oo no es
a e only p o ided o a iables appea ing o he i s ime in he model.
264 | The olun a y seconda y sec o in I ish educa ion
TABLE A13.2 MULTILEVEL LOGISTIC REGRESSION MODEL OF SCHOOL BENEFITTING STUDENTS IN
GETTING INVOLVED IN SPORTS ‘A LOT’ (GIRLS ONLY)
Gi ls
Model 1
Model 2
Model 3
Cons an
0.63 *
0.73
0.93
Uni e si y-educa ed pa en s (Re :
lowe educa ion)
1.74 ***
1.39 *
1.18
No economic di icul y (Re : ha e
di icul y)
1.25
1.20
0.97
SEN/sisabili y (Re : no SEN)
No su e
0.63 **
0.62 **
0.80
Had SEN
0.61 *
0.54 **
0.70
Fi h yea (Re : second yea )
0.79 ***
0.77 ***
0.70 ***
School ype (Re : non-DEIS Schools)
DEIS schools
2.85 ***
2.77 ***
Fee-cha ging
schools
2.49 ***
2.45 ***
School gende mix (Re : co-ed
Schools)
Gi ls school
1.64 **
1.60 *
School size (Re : la ge school)
Medium size
0.66 **
0.66 **
Small size
0.16 ***
0.14 ***
Posi i e school engagemen (Re :
less posi i e)
1.57 *
Missed o e 10 days (Re : missed 10
days less)
0.63 **
Posi i e eache in e ac ion (Re :
ewe posi i e in e ac ions)
1.29
S uden -led e hos (Re : less s uden -
led)
1.30
Posi i e social engagemen (Re :
nega i e engagemen )
2.21 ***
S onge school e hos (Re : weake
e hos)
1.32
N
1,063
1,063
965
Pseudo R2
0.05
0.09
0.14
No es: ***p<0.001; ** p<0.01; *p<0.05; #p<0.1.
Only gi ls a e included in his model.
Va iables wi h missing alues in he e e ence g oup a e no ed and explained in a oo no e. We ha e checked he
coe icien s o missing dummy a iables (i.e., he missing dummy a iables o pa en al educa ion, economic di icul y
and school absence) in his model, and none o hese a iables was ound o be s a is ically signi ican a a 5% le el.
The e o e, missing alues a e included in he e e ence g oup, as hey do no di e signi ican ly om he es o he
e e ence g oup. Fo ease o eading, explana ions in oo no es a e only p o ided o a iables appea ing o he i s
ime in he model.

Appendix – Addi ional ables | 265
TABLE A14 MULTILEVEL LOGISTIC REGRESSION MODEL OF BEING SATISFIED WITH THEIR LIFE
(LIFE SATISFACTION LEVEL AT 8 OR ABOVE)
Model 1
Model 2
Model 3
Cons an
1.11
0.92
0.26 ***
Gi ls (Re : Boys and o he )
0.56 ***
0.56 ***
0.58 **
Uni e si y-educa ed pa en s (Re :
lowe educa ion)
1.20
1.22
1.11
No economic di icul y (Re : ha e
di icul y)
1.51 ***
1.52 ***
1.31 #
SEN/disabili y (Re : no SEN)
No su e
0.61 ***
0.61 ***
0.79 *
Had SEN
0.52 ***
0.53 ***
0.62 *
Fi h yea (Re : second yea )
0.84 ***
0.84 ***
0.86 **
School ype (Re : Non-DEIS schools)
DEIS schools
1.18
1.13
Fee-cha ging
Schools
0.97
0.88
School gende Mix (Re : co-ed
schools)
Gi ls school
1.2
1.2
Boys school
1.23
1.05
Belong a school (Re : Don’ belong)
2.18 ***
Fel unhappy a school (Re : No
eeling unhappy a school)81
0.64 *
Good wellbeing suppo a school
(Re : poo wellbeing suppo )
1.64 ***
Posi i e eache in e ac ion (Re :
ewe posi i e in e ac ions)
1.35 **
S onge school e hos (Re : weake
e hos)
1.62 ***
Always had pa en help wi h
homewo k du ing COVID-19 (Re :
some imes/ne e had pa en s’
help)82
1.42 *
COVID-19 s ill impac ing on
wellbeing (Re : wellbeing is less
impac ed)83
0.52 ***
Pa icipa es in spo s ac i i ies (Re :
no pa icipa ion)84
1.44 *
Pa icipa es in a s ac i i ies (Re :
no pa icipa ion)
1.26 *
81
The e e ence g oup he e e e s o hose who ‘ag ee,’ ‘ eel neu al,’ ‘disag ee,’ o ‘s ongly disag ee’ wi h he
s a emen ha hey ound school o be a place whe e hey el unhappy, as well as hose who did no espond o his
ques ion (i.e., missing alues).
82
The e e ence g oup he e e e s o hose who ‘some imes/ne e ’ had pa en s’ help du ing he COVID-19 pandemic,
and hose who did no espond o his ques ion (i.e., missing alues).
83
The e e ence g oup he e e e s o hose who epo ed COVID had ‘a li le’ o ‘no’ impac on hei wellbeing now,
and hose who did no espond o his ques ion (i.e., missing alues).
84
The e e ence g oup he e e e s o hose who did no pa icipa e in spo s o o he physical ac i i ies, and hose who
did no espond o his ques ion (i.e., missing alues).
266 | The olun a y seconda y sec o in I ish educa ion
TABLE A14 (CONTD.) MULTILEVEL LOGISTIC REGRESSION MODEL OF BEING SATISFIED WITH
THEIR LIFE (LIFE SATISFACTION LEVEL AT 8 OR ABOVE)
Model 1
Model 2
Model 3
N
1,856
1,856
1,715
Pseudo R2
0.04
0.04
0.14
No es: ***p<0.001; ** p<0.01; *p<0.05; #p<0.1.
Va iables wi h missing alues in he e e ence g oup a e no ed and explained in a oo no e. We ha e checked he
coe icien s o missing dummy a iables (i.e., he missing dummy a iables o pa en al educa ion, economic
di icul y, sense o belonging a school, wellbeing suppo a school, whe he hey had pa en help du ing he COVID-
19 pandemic and long-las ing impac o COVID-19 on hei wellbeing) in his model, and none o hese a iables was
ound o be s a is ically signi ican a a 5% le el. The e o e, missing alues a e included in he e e ence g oup, as
hey do no di e signi ican ly om he es o he e e ence g oup. Fo ease o eading, explana ions in oo no es
a e only p o ided o a iables appea ing o he i s ime in he model.
Appendix – Addi ional ables | 267
TABLE A15.1 MULTILEVEL LOGISTIC REGRESSION MODEL OF BEING WORRIED ABOUT FUTURE
(FIFTH YEAR ONLY)
Model 1
Model 2
Model 3
Cons an
0.34 ***
0.27 ***
0.19 ***
Gi ls (Re : Boys and o he )
1.95 ***
3.18 ***
2.91 **
Uni e si y-educa ed pa en s (Re :
lowe educa ion)
0.75 #
0.79
0.82
No economic di icul y (Re : Ha e
di icul y)
1.09
1.10
1.16
SEN/disabili y (Re : no SEN)
No su e
1.34
1.36
1.35
Had SEN
1.74 *
1.81 **
1.93 **
School ype (Re : non-DEIS schools)
DEIS schools
1.14
1.27
Fee-cha ging
Schools
0.95
1.07
School gende mix (Re : co-ed
schools)
Gi ls school
0.70
0.70
Boys school
1.35
1.35
Posi i e school engagemen (Re :
less posi i e)
0.53 ***
Abo e a e age academic sel -image
(Re : A e age o below)
0.75
Missed o e 10 days (Re : missed 10
days less)
1.02
COVID-19 s ill impac ing on o e all
lea ning (Re : o e all lea ning is less
impac ed)
1.72 **
Planned o go o HE a e lea ing
school (Re : no HE plans)85
1.94 **
N
792
792
753
Pseudo R2
0.03
0.03
0.06
No es: ***p<0.001; ** p<0.01; *p<0.05; #p<0.1.
Only i h yea s uden s we e included in he model as his in o ma ion was only collec ed om i h yea s uden s.
HE=Highe educa ion.
Va iables wi h missing alues in he e e ence g oup a e no ed and explained in a oo no e. We ha e checked he
coe icien s o missing dummy a iables (i.e., he missing dummy a iables o pa en al educa ion, economic
di icul y, academic sel -image, school absence, COVID-19 long-las ing impac on o e all lea ning, and hei highe
educa ion plans) in his model, and none o hese a iables was ound o be s a is ically signi ican a a 5% le el.
The e o e, missing alues a e included in he e e ence g oup, as hey do no di e signi ican ly om he es o he
e e ence g oup. Fo ease o eading, explana ions in oo no es a e only p o ided o a iables appea ing o he
i s ime in he model.
85
The e e ence g oup he e includes hose who did no plan o go o highe educa ion, and hose who did no espond
o his ques ion (i.e., missing alues).
268 | The olun a y seconda y sec o in I ish educa ion
TABLE A15.2 MULTILEVEL LOGISTIC REGRESSION MODEL OF BEING EXCITED ABOUT FUTURE
(FIFTH YEAR ONLY)
Model 1
Model 2
Model 3
Cons an
0.63 **
0.92 *
0.48 *
Gi ls (Re : boys and o he )
0.75 #
0.84
0.80
Uni e si y-educa ed pa en s (Re :
lowe educa ion)
1.35 *
1.45 *
1.34 #
No economic di icul y (Re : ha e
di icul y)
1.33 #
1.34 #
1.11
SEN/Disabili y (Re : No SEN)
No su e
0.55 **
0.56 **
0.67 #
Had SEN
0.53 **
0.56 *
0.63 #
School ype (Re : non-DEIS schools)
DEIS schools
1.02
0.91
Fee-cha ging
Schools
0.72
0.66 #
School gende mix (Re : co-ed
schools)
Gi ls school
1.01
0.97
Boys school
1.21
1.07
Posi i e school engagemen (Re :
less posi i e)
2.27 ***
Belong a school (Re : don’ belong)
1.4 #
Abo e a e age academic sel -image
(Re : a e age o below)
1.49 *
Always had pa en help wi h
homewo k du ing COVID-19 (Re :
some imes/ne e had pa en s' help)
1.61 *
Planned o go o HE a e lea ing
school (Re : no HE plans)
0.70 #
N
792
792
756
Pseudo R2
0.03
0.03
0.07
No es: ***p<0.001; ** p<0.01; *p<0.05; #p<0.1.
Only i h yea s uden s we e included in he model as his in o ma ion was only collec ed om i h yea s uden s.
HE=Highe educa ion.
Va iables wi h missing alues in he e e ence g oup a e no ed and explained in a oo no e. We ha e checked he
coe icien s o missing dummy a iables (i.e., he missing dummy a iables o pa en al educa ion, economic
di icul y, sense o belonging a school, academic sel -image, hei access o pa en s’ help du ing COVID-19, and hei
highe educa ion plans) in his model, and none o hese a iables was ound o be s a is ically signi ican a a 5%
le el. The e o e, missing alues a e included in he e e ence g oup, as hey do no di e signi ican ly om he es
o he e e ence g oup. Fo ease o eading, explana ions in oo no es a e only p o ided o a iables appea ing o
he i s ime in he model.
Appendix – Addi ional ables | 269
TABLE A16 STUDENT PROFILE IN SURVEY IN VOLUNTARY SECONDARY SCHOOLS AND GUI 08’COHORT DATA (WAVE 6)
Volun a y seconda y schools in ou sample
GUI 08 ’Coho
Fee-cha ging
Non- ee-cha ging
To al
Fee-cha ging
seconda y
Non- ee-cha ging
seconda y
ETB
Comp ehensi e/
communi y
To al
Gende
Female
56%
55%
55%
40%
48%
46%
50%
48%
Male
45%
45%
45%
60%
52%
54%
50%
52%
Disabili y/SEN
No SEN
84%
86%
86%
71%
74%
71%
68%
72%
Had SEN
16%
14%
14%
29%
26%
29%
32%
28%
Pa en al
educa ion*
No deg ee
24%
62%
55%
46%
77%
86%
81%
79%
Deg ee
76%
38%
45%
54%
23%
14%
19%
21%
Economic
di icul y*
No
economic
di icul y
85%
76%
78%
77%
61%
55%
56%
60%
Had
economic
di icul y
15%
24%
22%
23%
39%
45%
44%
40%
Sou ce: Su ey in olun a y seconda y schools, as epo ed he e; GUI 08’ Coho , Wa e 6.
No e: Pa en al educa ion and economic di icul y measu es di e sligh ly be ween he olun a y seconda y schools su ey and he GUI. In he o me , ‘deg ee’ e e s o hose wi h bo h uni e si y-educa ed
pa en s, and ‘no deg ee’ e e s o hose wi h ei he o nei he uni e si y-educa ed pa en s, o hose who did no know hei pa en s’ educa ion le el. The economic di icul y measu e is based on
s uden s’ epo s. ‘No economic di icul y’ e e s o hose who epo ed ha i was ‘ ai ly easy’, ‘easy’, o ‘ e y easy’ o pay all he bills, as well as hose who had he speci ied lis o ma e ial goods, and
hose who ‘did no ha e and did no wan ’ hem. 'Had economic di icul y’ e e s o hose who had di icul y paying bills and hose who ‘did no ha e bu wan [ed]’ he speci ied lis o ma e ial i ems. In
he GUI, pa en al educa ion e e s o he p ima y ca egi e 's educa ion le el. ‘Deg ee’ e e s o hose who had a uni e si y deg ee o abo e, and ‘No deg ee’ e e s o any hing less. The economic
di icul y measu e in GUI da a is based on p ima y ca egi e s’ epo s. ‘No economic di icul y’ e e s o hose who epo ed no di icul y in making ends mee , and ‘Had economic di icul y’ e e s o
hose who had g ea o some di icul y in making ends mee .

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