Quality of Your School?

animalcrazy

I think my school is pretty good
It came in 5th in the top 20 schools of Munster so I guess not too bad. The atmosphere is also pretty good and teachers very helpful.

Fad

Jay P wrote: »

It's here. It's not a definitive list though.

Number 9? Jaysus.......I'm impressed, not that that list means anything

irish-anabel

Jay P wrote: »

It's here. It's not a definitive list though.

Why are they all Leinster? I'd love to go to one of those top 10 schools for a day to see what they're like.

Fad

irish-anabel wrote: »

Why are they all Leinster? I'd love to go to one of those top 10 schools for a day to see what they're like.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Clare isnt in Leinster.........

Maybe they're simply more successful at fulfilling what ever criteria this particular survey was looking for.

implausible

irish-anabel wrote: »

Why are they all Leinster? I'd love to go to one of those top 10 schools for a day to see what they're like.

Clare and Limerick are in Leinster?

irish-anabel

deemark wrote: »

Clare and Limerick are in Leinster?

ha they are now!
didn't see them

Aoifums

I don't think I'm in in in a particualy good school.
Academic results aren't too bad. We've had a few 10/11 A's in the Junior and we've good History results. 12 A1's the year before last.

We've nothing in terms of extra curricular activities. I tried to join the football team in second year and coach wouldn't even entertain me. You seem to need to be in first or fourth year to join things...

Nothing is done about bullying. We have a 'anti-bullying week', which is two classes where we talk about how its wrong to bully people. But nothing actually gets done about it. My friend was getting her locker smashed and her books getting ripped to shreds and the school did nothing.

I don't really know how good the learning support it. A girl in my class has learning difficulties and my TY english teacher didn't seem to have been told. My old principal was great to her though. She managed to get a laptop of the Department, which I've been told is almost impossible to do.

Oh and the heating is never bloody turned on

aisers

I wouldn't take these league tables too seriously if i were you - I know for a fact that in one of the most recent ones the company doing it forgot to include the people from our school who went to UL - (which is like almost a third!!). They sent a letter of apology and stuff but our school was way down the list because of it.

I count myself to be very lucky with my school. It is a community school but has a better reputation then the private school in the neighboring town. In fact in the last few years lots of people have transferred from the private schools around because of the good reputation our school has.

Like every school it has good and bad teachers but the management know that, so none of the poorer teachers are given honors leaving cert classes. Last year the teacher who had leaving cert chemistry was a disaster so the school organized extra chemistry classes for the students and she wasn't given a fifth year class this year.

The school also has the best learning support center in the area. Up until the junior cert each year has a class of about 13 students with learning difficulties after that there is the option of LCA. They get loads of one on one time and a laptop each.

Slow Show

I think my school is a good school. It's really good for extra-curricular activities and it's modern and it's never cold or anything. It's clean too and we have canteen facilities and all of that.
As for academics, it all depends on how hard you're willing to work I think. We get streamed in 2nd Year into classes depending on your ability, but you have to work to get into these classes. I did, and now I have the best teachers for me [like for me, ones that move fairly quickly, expect a very high standard and if not you get moved down, but for someone who is struggling they'd get a teacher suited for their abilities, so it all works].
I actually went to another school for a while before I moved...it was high up in the league tables because basically it was such a hole that there was nothing better to do than study...I couldn't handle it really...I wasn't doing well but then I moved and now I'm flying it and I like school. Anyway, the tables only counted who went on to 3rd level and I wouldn't pay much attention to them. After all, anyone can get to 3rd level if they want really, regardless of the school.
Oh yeah, and my school is just a community school and it probably doesn't have the greatest reputation ever because of the usual wasters who don't bother with anything until a month before the Leaving and it hits them...

But yeah, I'm happy out

pfk-0p

i have to hand it to my school they're doing their best in spite of the cutbacks which means increased class sizes meaning it's harder to teach but our teachers are getting on great with it. Maths teacher,Accounting,Business,History, French and Engish teachers are all good, being getting strings of A1s in higher level english essays:D
Irish teacher is an utter fool.incompotent is not the word.although every irish teacher i've ever had has been terrible.they focus more on memorising things of which you have no understanding of to get marks rather than actually learning the language.

Orlaladuck

I'm reviving this thread out of boredom!
I go to a fee-paying school and like Elaine93 up there said about her school spending money on hockey mine does the same on rugby.
In 2nd year, the school started asking for donations and got enough money for 2 new science labs and to build an astro-turf and hockey pitch. Guess which two got built first? The pitches of course! For all the sports people, great but it's an education center, not a sports one. And while everyone went on about how great it was, we struggled with two out of four working labs. Finally last year the labs got built.
As far as teachers go, same as every other school - some are good, some are pricks who you do wonder why they wanted to be teachers in the first place. But as far as working go, it depends on the year. On our first day of 6th years, we arrived in only to be told 'oh yes, 22% of last year got over 500 points'. Like hell we're going to do that well, but they'll obviously be a few who get it - hopefully me included! But our year is lazy and not so ambitious as the other year. I think schools are as good or bad as the students are really. It can only take one or two bad students to ruin a class as well as a teacher.

D.R cowboy

From that irish times list every school or most are private or from south dublin does this not tell you anything?

Orlaladuck

D.R cowboy wrote: »

From that irish times list every school or most are private or from south dublin does this not tell you anything?

What are you getting at.

spurious

D.R cowboy wrote: »

From that irish times list every school or most are private or from south dublin does this not tell you anything?

That they choose not to take kids they don't think will get high marks?

D.R cowboy

No that the posh schools are so much better that private schools the facts are there, i go to private school and people expect to become rich and go on and do better, where in public schools the students don't want to even be there and are just waiting to get home
You can't beat a bit of class at the end of the day and that's what the private schools provide

Orlaladuck

D.R cowboy wrote: »

No that the posh schools are so much better that private schools the facts are there, i go to private school and people expect to become rich and go on and do better, where in public schools the students don't want to even be there and are just waiting to get home
You can't beat a bit of class at the end of the day and that's what the private schools provide

That's a load of nonsense. Loads of people have the same intentions in my school and go on to do nothing astounding, they decide to just live of daddy's trust fund because they're simply lazy.
I know plenty of people in public schools who do just as well as people from private schools, if not better. As well only a certain amount of students don't want to be there. You can hardly tell me that you get up every morning, thank your parents for paying for a private school and then are simply overjoyed to get there.
Also going to a private school doesn't make you classy in ANY way whatsoever. Just means you happen to be better of financially.

D.R cowboy

Well i do thank my parents for sending me to IE, because they know it will set me apart from the rest

Of course it makes you classy as money tends to do that, right where have you been for the last 18 years??

Money talks like it or lump it

Orlaladuck

So do you believe because Paris Hilton is Loaded it makes her classy? It's actions that make you classy, not money! But anyway, this isn't part of the topic.

It's good that you actually appreciate your parents for taking an interest into your education and in the long run it probably will set you above, but don't let it get to your head. A school can only help and encourage so far, at the end of the day it's you sitting the exams really.

Evan93

D.R cowboy wrote: »

where in public schools the students don't want to even be there and are just waiting to get home

How can you make that judgement? You go to a Private school, yeah so, that doesnt give you the right to make ridiculous accusations like that. Since you dont go to a private school you cannot judge a public school.Just beacuse we(public school students) do not pay for our education does not mean we don't get educated

Money talks like it or lump it

So if I am better qualified than you I will not get a certain job?
Wow, never heard of that before.Just because I spent 6 years in a private school I'm automatically better than the student in the public school. Ridiculous.

Plenty of people who attend public schools become more successful than people in private schools.

Sometimes people wonder why people have an ugly perception of some people who attend private schools. Attitudes like yours is why.

Lawliet

Orlaladuck wrote: »

So do you believe because Paris Hilton is Loaded it makes her classy? It's actions that make you classy, not money! But anyway, this isn't part of the topic.

Haha exactly, being rich and being classy don't always go hand in hand, as D.R cowboy is illustrating perfectly. If all private schools do is give students an elitist complex, then I'm quite proud of my salt of the earth public school. And what will set me apart from the rest will not be how much my parents paid for my school, but my own intelligence and hard work.

randylonghorn

D.R cowboy wrote: »

From that irish times list every school or most are private or from south dublin does this not tell you anything?

That those students who have had every advantage all their lives, and continue to have every advantage in secondary school, including expensive grinds outside of school, actually manage to do reasonably well in the Leaving Cert, and go on to do university courses without any worries about where the money is coming from?

Well, go them!!

D.R cowboy wrote: »

Well i do thank my parents for sending me to IE, because they know it will set me apart from the rest

Not always in the best way, lad. I'll bet you most of the bankers who have plunged this country into a morass of economic depression went to private schools in their day too.

D.R cowboy wrote: »

Of course it makes you classy as money tends to do that, right where have you been for the last 18 years??

Rich = classy?

Not that I've noticed. I've met classy people who have plenty of money, sure. I've also met classy people with feck all money, and well-off people without an ounce of class.

Most recent example of the latter was heading home after a night out over Christmas, and turning in to my own door to find a young lad of about 18-19 simultaneously puking and pissing on himself against my front wall.

And I do mean "on himself", he was a right mess.

I recognised him, though thankfully he was too drunk to recognise me. His father is extremely well off, and one of the biggest snobs and braggarts in the city. The son is well set to follow in his footsteps, yet he can't even aim it away from himself to piss. Classy? ... yeah, right!

D.R cowboy wrote: »

Money talks like it or lump it

Oh, I agree, it talks, and often loudly. It doesn't always say anything worth respect, though.

SligoBrewer

D.R cowboy wrote: »

Well i do thank my parents for sending me to IE, because they know it will set me apart from the rest

Of course it makes you classy as money tends to do that, right where have you been for the last 18 years??

Money talks like it or lump it

D.R cowboy wrote: »

No that the posh schools are so much better that private schools the facts are there, i go to private school and people expect to become rich and go on and do better, where in public schools the students don't want to even be there and are just waiting to get home
You can't beat a bit of class at the end of the day and that's what the private schools provide

Thanked for making me laugh.

Richard Noggin

D.R cowboy wrote: »

No that the posh schools are so much better that private schools the facts are there, i go to private school and people expect to become rich and go on and do better, where in public schools the students don't want to even be there and are just waiting to get home
You can't beat a bit of class at the end of the day and that's what the private schools provide

How do you know this? I go to a public school and there are many hardworking people who want to get on in life.

theowen

Richard Noggin wrote: »

How do you know this? I go to a public school and there are many hardworking people who want to get on in life.

There is a good chunk of wasters though...in my old school there was anyway! I disagree with everything else the cowboy fella said though:P

SligoBrewer

theowen wrote: »

There is a good chunk of wasters though...in my old school there was anyway! I disagree with everything else the cowboy fella said though:P

Oh No! The general public... EWWWW.

ayumi

Orlaladuck wrote: »

So do you believe because Paris Hilton is Loaded it makes her classy? It's actions that make you classy, not money! But anyway, this isn't part of the topic.

It's good that you actually appreciate your parents for taking an interest into your education and in the long run it probably will set you above, but don't let it get to your head. A school can only help and encourage so far, at the end of the day it's you sitting the exams really.

this is true,even if you say teachers are better in a private scool maybe the student doesnt do well in exams and in a public scool the student has a teacher that teaches well but they do well so its all got to do with the student not the money!

also i go to a public scool and teachers teach good and there is different types of pple,there is the hardworking and the careless,they even having the same teacher who teaches well do differently in exams maybe this is different in private scools

Orlaladuck

Oh definitely! There's a few teachers in my school that are AWFUL.
Actually classic example : My best friend was told halfway through 6th year by her business teacher (my old math teacher) 'you're not doing a thing, you're going to fail it miserably, you're a worthless student, not worth the money your parents pay' etc. She went on and got an A2. Which is excellent for her, but it's such a shame that such a waste of a space teacher gets the credit for that A2 when he had No hand in it at all. It was down to her, not the teacher.

unknown13

D.R cowboy wrote: »

From that irish times list every school or most are private or from south dublin does this not tell you anything?

3 out of about 7 did not make the list and looking from where you are from the most notable did not make it on the list. There was also a load of public schools that made it onto the list aswell from south county Dublin.

Crow92

This has always been an interesting converation, I personally go to a public school in a
Working Class area, The school itself is a deis school so was better funded during the "Boom Years".

It has a huge array or facilites, a gym, 4 computer labs, 3 science labs, drama studio, 2 music rooms,metalwork room, woodwork room......ect....ect.... so the school i believe is as well equiped as a private school.

The teachers in majority are Amazing, sacrificing their own time unpaid to put in extra work with students.

Sounds pretty good yes?? Well the downfall are the students themselves. The whole mindset of the school is deplorable. Lack of ambition and as usual it's the few Bad students in each year that make this mindset.
There is only 1 person doing All Honours subjects in my year, though there are a few doing 6 honours.

So the thing is even though we have amaxzng teachers and an amazing school that is all negated by the mindset of the students. yes i know it's all down to each individual student to do well and the ones who want to are, but it's harder to do well if you are in a class of people who don't bother and slow you down.

On the flip side of things if i had children i probably would send them to private school but then they could end up mixing with pompous spoilt children with no manners or regard for others but they have better academic mindset (even if it is forced upon them).

What i'm really saying is there are pro's and con's to both private and public and you can never know what they'll be until your child is in that school. It's just a chance you'll have to take.

dan_d

Okay. I'm not in secondary school any more but I really have to say something here.

The Irish Times list means very little. They tell you something like 100% of the 6th year from a school went to University. Now look at the number of people in that year - say 80. So 80 people from School X went to college. Now look at school Y - 50% of their 6th year went to college. There were 160 people in the year. That's....80 people? The same number of people. But they've more kids in the year. And at first glance, 100 % looks so much better than 50%.....statistics can prove anything. And they most certainly do not reflect the whole picture.

The Irish Times fundamentally want to publish school results, so they can dissect them and make people's decisions for them. But (thank god) they're not allowed. Therefore in the absence of the info they REALLY want, they are attempting to influence the education system and parents by publishing these "tables", which mean very little and prove even less. Actually, I vaguely remember this year's tables proving the exact opposite to what the paper would like - that public schools are just as good as, if not better in some cases, than private schools.They take no account whatsoever of the extra hours put in by teachers in extracurricular activities, the resource teaching, the sheer effort outside and beyond exam results, to be seen in many schools.

Private schools are fine. But what you also have to realise is that if your child is not performing or is struggling badly, the principals have been known to politely tell parents their child would do better in the school down the road. They make very few provisions for kids who might need extra help. Therefore of course their statistics are good. From personal experience, parents who send their kids to private schools have a number of reasons, among which are: they can afford it while few others can, meaning it gives them an "elite" feeling, they think their child will have the best education there, they went there themselves, it's where all their neighbour's and friend's kids are going, and their children will be socialising with the "right" people.
All good reasons, I'm sure, but not what I'd go for myself.

You get good teachers and bad teachers everywhere. Absolutely everywhere.But you also get out of school what you put into it - same as anything in life. I went to a public school which was and still is, very good. Got a great education, had a few bad teachers, mainly good and a couple of excellent ones. Didn't set foot inside the door of the Institute (which is a grind school, not a private school), made great friends and went on to enjoy my college years thoroughly. I'm 4 years out of college, a qualified engineer, with fluent French and diploma level music in 2 instruments. Personally I'd say I got a damn good, very well rounded education, without paying 10,000eur a year or more for it.

Sorry for crashing the thread, but I really feel there's a lot of misconceptions about schools - that you can somehow "measure" how "good" they are. That's an extremely complicated exercise, and almost impossible to carry out in such a way that it wholly and fairly represents a school. The best way to find out about a school is ask in the local community, because you'll always get more from 10 or 20 opinions from neighbours and friends, than lists of numbers in a paper. People who are in private schools (I know many) all think their school is wonderful, and would never go anywhere else. It's just something that's - taught to them. Unfortunately, it's just something everyone else has to put up with it...let them at it.

Btw, private schools don't provide class. They provide what is known as "polish" to some people, and "snobbery" to others. Money does not ever buy class, health or happiness and honestly, you don't know what class is if that's what you think.

Best of luck to all LC students and bear in mind that regardless how "good" your school is, at the end of the day it's you, and nobody else that's sitting the exam......just do the best that you can do.