IB: International Baccalaureate in Ireland for international students

Studying in Irish schools for foreign students after grades 8, 9, 10 is an excellent option for those who want to get a high–quality European education in English with an optimal price-to-level ratio of educational services, experience living abroad, the opportunity to enrol after receiving an internationally recognized certificate in prestigious universities around the world. The foreign students mainly enrol in private schools in Ireland, offering various boarding programs to receive secondary education in Ireland. Prestigious independent schools allow you to better prepare for the final exams according to the national program, International Baccalaureate, A-Level, to enrol in prestigious universities.

• Affordable tuition, which does not affect the quality of educational services;
• As part of the studying, a gradual introduction of specialization is provided, which allows foreign students to choose disciplines taking into account individual goals and preferences;
• Providing comfortable living conditions, guaranteeing the round-the-clock safety of students on school grounds;
• The widest list of disciplines to study and educational programs focused on the comprehensive development of schoolchildren.

International Baccalaureate is an international program of full secondary education, providing a preparation of students for enrolment in the best universities of the world. The program IB in the USA, Great Britain, Canada, Switzerland, Spain and Italy is identical. It divides in 4 levels:

• Primary Years Program (PYP) for students aged from 3 to 12 years
• Middle Years Program (MYP) for students aged from 11 to 16 years
• Diploma Program IB (DP) for students aged from 16 to 19 years
• Career-related Program (CP) for students aged from 16 to 19 years.

IB stipulates studying of 6 disciplines from 6 main groups. The student studies 3 of them in depth (240

hours) and 3 within the standard program (150 hours). As a rule, for advanced development, the subjects necessary for admission to the chosen specialty at the desired University are selected.

Below the groups of disciplines in the best schools and colleges in Ireland with IB:

• Languages (native for the student, if it is not represented at school, then any choice) and world literature;
• Second language: the student chooses any foreign language from the ones presented in the educational institution;
• Humanities: philosophy, psychology, geography, history, IT, economics, law, anthropology, etc.
• Experimental sciences: physics, chemistry, ecology and others;
• Mathematics (various levels of difficulty from standard to higher) and computer technologies;
• Creativity and additional circles: painting, design, ceramics, music, dance, theatre art. If desired, the student can replace these subjects with the study of any discipline from groups 2, 3, 4 and 5.

International Baccalaureate in Ireland includes additional blocks for studying, which aims at comprehensive development of students:

• Theory of Knowledge - a philosophical course explaining the theory of research, teaching methods and the application of acquired knowledge in life. It includes 100 hours of classes and is aimed at developing logical thinking, the ability to argue a point of view, to conduct constructive discussions and gain knowledge.
• Creativity, Action, Service is an interesting part of program, offering the participation of students in cultural, creative and sport events, and also volunteer activities. Children should devote at least 150 hours to their own development and service for the benefit of society: dancing, sports, theatre, the publication of the school newspaper, environmental protection and much more. The block helps to develop talents and the best qualities in children, for example, compassion, civic responsibility, the ability to work in a team.
• Extended essay. To obtain the diploma IB in Ireland, each student must prepare a report on research activities (4,000 words) on the chosen topic and discipline. The work is carried out with the support of a teacher.

To enrol in TOP schools with IB, the international students need to provide the following package of documents:

• Copy of passport
• Report cards with school grades for the last two years of study, the share of excellent grades should be at least 40%
• International language certificate, confirming the high level of English knowledge
• Recommendation letter from teachers of Mathematics and English; in some cases, it is necessary to provide a letter from the school principal
• Motivation letter of the student, which indicates the reasons for the desire to receive secondary education in a particular leading private school in Ireland.

Requirements are rarely limited to the list above — you may need to provide additional documents. In addition, a foreign student needs to demonstrate a sufficiently good level of language and academic knowledge. The requirement for writing an entrance test in English and mathematics is not excluded.

The package of documents should include all awards and regalia received for high results in sports and creativity. Admission to some rated Irish schools requires an interview via Skype + passing additional tests in mathematics and other academic subjects.

Preparation of the package of necessary documents should be done in advance — the majority of prestigious private schools in Ireland accept applications until January.

Sam Jones

Recruitment Director for Partnership with INTO Universities (Europe and Central Asia)

What difficulties can foreign students face while studying at university?

Differences in cultures, educational systems, academic standards - and even personal expectations - can be shocking and hindered at getting started. Of course, there is also a difference between high school and university, and then there is an adaptation to a new country and a new language, which is also unusual. Many students also suffer from such seemingly trifles as different weather, food, time zones, etc.

• EC Dublin English
• Palmerston Park Dublin Emerald Cultural Institute
• Blackrock College Dublin 
• Midleton College
• Waterford English Language Centres 
• Villiers School 
• Monaghan Collegiate School
•  St Andrew’s College
• Royal School Cavan.

Democracy is a key characteristic of the cost of education in prestigious private schools in Ireland.  Compared to the UK, USA, Switzerland, then the cost of studying in Ireland is about 20-30% lower. However, the infrastructure and technical equipment of educational institutions, the quality of educational services is often even higher than in the leading boarding schools in England and America.

The price of studying, taking into account accommodation and meals, on average ranges from 10 to 15 thousand euro. Considering educational institutions in Dublin, the capital of Ireland, high-quality secondary education can be found from 9 to 14 thousand euro (the price of education includes the curriculum, school uniforms, educational materials, meals and accommodation).