Why School Is Better Than Primary School

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Primary school is state-founded and compulsory from the age of six but you can choose to attend earlier from the age of four which 40% of irish children does.1 The primary school education is compulsory for eight years and you will after that move up to secondary school. A day in Primary school is normally six hours long and between 9am to 3pm, this can differ between schools. Unlike in Sweden you need to bring your own lunch to school or buy in the school’s cafeteria. The cost of a school lunch is usually around 5 pounds and common dishes are lasagne and wraps.

Secondary school is divided in two parts, Junior Cycle and Senior cycle. The pupil starts Junior cycle at the age twelve or fourteen depending on which age the student started primary school. Secondary school is often one hour longer per day than primary school, students start at 8.30am and finish at 4pm. After finishing the junior cycle pupils take an exam called the Junior Certificate to confirm your knowledge and being able to get a final grade. You need to read at least nine subjects in Junior cycle and the compulsory subjects are Mathematics, English and Irish. The optional subjects are for example Art, Business studies, Latin and Music. …show more content…

The senior cycle is often taken by students between the age of fifteen and eighteen. This part of secondary school is not compulsory but a must if you want to reach higher education such as university or college. The senior cycle is two years long if you choose not to take the transition year. The transition year does not include any academic subjects and is more of a life preparing year. You can choose to learn skills like cooking, self-defense, driving and horse-riding. You can never fail the transition year but if you do not participate actively the school can ask you to

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