IS IT WORTH PAYING MORE FOR A HIGH-QUALITY SCHOOL IN IRELAND?

Posted 11/02/2019

When you are searching for schools in Ireland, you might at first think, “they are all schools, they all teach the same thing, there is no difference at all.” However, when you go to a school, you find out that the infrastructure offers much more than just a school itself. There are some other important points often overlooked. So, we ask again, is it worth paying more for a high-quality school in Ireland?

Many students categorize and demonize a school for totally irrational and irrelevant reasons, and when it comes time to actually categorize a school they forget the really important points to be taken into account.

The first one is, if this space is truly a school that has all the certifications and accreditations required for the operation, and is not just a named building and a hired teacher.

Not long ago, one of Dublin’s most well-known schools suddenly closed down for reasons that neither the students nor the workers knew. The situation has suddenly left hundreds of students and teachers adrift.

Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon to hear that there are schools that never open their doors, and these schools take advantage of selling an idea that doesn’t exist.

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Now, to be a high-quality school in Ireland, as we mentioned at the beginning, is more than offering parties, giving gifts or classifying students by their nationality, because trust me, you will find this everywhere.

To be a high-quality school, based on Irish government standards, it must have two important things: to be accredited by ACELS and to be a member of MEI, an institution that represents and recognizes ELE Schools.

In addition, it must have several other requirements, such as having family accommodation (host family), English proficiency tests, and more. An example of the requirements that schools must possess to be accredited by ACELS follow below:

All facilities used by the school must comply with the Required Standards Programme prepared by ACELS. These standards include the requirements of local authorities for planning, construction, water supply, waste disposal, fire precautions, and general safety. Schools should also have adequate heating and ventilation and provide adequate facilities (learning and recreation) for students;
The course programs should clearly indicate the number of class hours, which normally should not be less than 15 hours per week;
Students should be placed in a classroom according to their competence and age, and normally there should be no more than 15 students per class;
All information contained in advertising and promotional materials (brochures, etc.) must be clear, precise and verifiable.

These are just a few points to check and you can access the official page on Citizens information, English teaching section, where you can see firsthand that what we have mentioned is true.

On this page, you can find other criteria to take into account when searching for a school. So we ask that you review each of them and stay tuned to choose a high-quality school in Ireland.

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