TY Blog Post: Education – Private and Mainstream Schooling

In Article 28 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child everyone is entitled to a good quality education. Many families choose to send their children to private schools, thinking they'll get a better education since they are paying so much. There were 27,192 pupils attending 50 private schools in August 2023.  Private schools received 128m in state funding last year according to the Irish Mirror.

To attend the Institute of Education, it is over €10,00 per year. Students are told they will get the best education and success if they are in private schools. They say they will get the highest points in their Leaving Certificate. I don’t agree with this, why should we have to pay for good quality education?

Everyone is entitled to an education that is good quality. Paying for second level education gives people who can’t afford private school a disadvantage. Education should be equal and given to everyone. Some students have said that they don’t get enough time with their teachers, and need more one on one to learn better. I personally learn better when a teacher sits down beside me and explains. Yet, I don’t have €10,000 to spend on a school and many people are in the same situation.

The main difference between public and private schools is the student to teacher ratio. Teachers get more one on one time with their students as there are smaller classes. This can easily be solved. In my opinion all schools should be the same, no private or public, just school. At the end of the day we are all here to learn the same course. My suggestion would be to make private schools the same level as public schools. The same style of teaching but with no fees. This would give everyone an equal chance of getting the best possible education. This would help children who need an extra hand from teachers, get the help they need.

The right to education is one of the most important rights in the Convention on the Rights of the Child. We should all have equal access to education, without any financial barriers getting in the way. Education equality is a key issue that we must all work together on to solve.