On 12 March 2020, all

schools A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes compulsor ...

colleges A college ( Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offerin ...

, and childcare facilities in the

Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 Counties of Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern ...

were shut down in response to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

. The shutdown resulted in the cancellation of the 2020 Leaving Certificate and 2020–2021

Junior Certificate Junior Cycle ( ga, An tSraith Shóisearach ) is the first stage of the education programme for post-primary education within the Republic of Ireland. It is overseen by the State Examinations Commission of the Department of Education, the Stat ...

examinations, as well as all 2020–2021

Irish language Irish ( Standard Irish: ), also known as Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Insular Celtic branch of the Celtic language family, which is a part of the Indo-European language family. Irish is indigenous to the island of Ireland and was ...

summer courses in the

Gaeltacht ( , , ) are the districts of Ireland, individually or collectively, where the Irish government recognises that the Irish language is the predominant vernacular, or language of the home. The ''Gaeltacht'' districts were first officially reco ...

Timeline

Initially, some schools around the country were closed and pupils were instructed to self-isolate.

2020

On 12 March,

Taoiseach The Taoiseach is the head of government, or prime minister, of Ireland. The office is appointed by the president of Ireland upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann (the lower house of the Oireachtas, Ireland's national legislature) and the o ...

Leo Varadkar—speaking from

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

where he was meeting U.S. President

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...

—announced the closure of all schools, colleges and childcare facilities across Ireland until at least 29 March. On 1 May,

Leo Varadkar announced that all schools would remain closed until September 2020. On 21 March, State broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ) announced that it would begin showing "school" live on the television programme '' Home School Hub''. The broadcasts began on Monday 30 March, aimed at children attending 1st–6th class of primary school (i.e. roughly 6–12 years of age). On 24 March, Minister for Education

Joe McHugh Joe McHugh (born 16 July 1971) is an Irish Fine Gael politician who has served as Chair of the Committee on European Union Affairs since September 2020. He has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Donegal constituency since 2016, and previously ...

confirmed that schools would not be reopening on 30 March as had been the official deadline until then. On 2 April, the

Department of Education An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...

deferred the introduction of its "School Inclusion Model" for the allocation of Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) in schools that had been scheduled for September 2020, citing cancellations of meetings due to COVID-19 and the absence of therapists called to assist the

Health Service Executive The Health Service Executive (HSE) ( ga, Feidhmeannacht na Seirbhíse Sláinte) is the publicly funded healthcare system in Ireland, responsible for the provision of health and personal social services. It came into operation on 1 January 2005 ...

(HSE) in its battle against the pandemic. Also on 2 April, RTÉ announced it would—on weekend mornings—televise those plays of

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

on the Junior and Leaving Certificate

syllabi A syllabus (; plural ''syllabuses'' or ''syllabi'') or specification is a document that communicates information about an academic course or class and defines expectations and responsibilities. It is generally an overview or summary of the curric ...

to cater for English students at secondary school who had been prevented from attending a live theatre performance ahead of their exam.

Headfort School Headfort School, first established in 1949 by Lord and Lady Headfort at Headfort House near Kells, County Meath, is Ireland's only remaining preparatory boarding school. It closed in March 2020 but a new operation under the same name opened i ...

Kells, County Meath Kells (; ) is a town in County Meath, Ireland. The town lies off the M3 motorway, from Navan and from Dublin. Along with other towns in County Meath, it is within the " commuter belt" for Dublin, and had a population of 6,135 as of the 20 ...

, the country's only private boarding school for children receiving primary education, was forced to shut due to debts worsened by the pandemic. With the virus affecting pupils transitioning from

secondary education Secondary education or post-primary education covers two phases on the International Standard Classification of Education scale. Level 2 or lower secondary education (less commonly junior secondary education) is considered the second and final pha ...

, Beech Hill College in

County Monaghan County Monaghan ( ; ga, Contae Mhuineacháin) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Ulster and is part of Border strategic planning area of the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town of Monaghan. Monaghan County C ...

held a drive-in ceremony to bid farewell to its departing pupils. First Day of School

On 24 July,

Micheál Martin Micheál Martin (; born 1 August 1960) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who is serving as Tánaiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence since December 2022. He served as Taoiseach from 2020 to 2022 and has been Leader of ...

and Minister for Education Norma Foley announced that all schools would fully reopen in August 2020. A €376 million support package and roadmap on how to reopen all schools in Ireland was announced on 27 July which include additional teachers and special needs assistants, personal protective equipment and stepped-up cleaning regimes. On 7 August, updated guidelines was published by the

, which stated that all teachers in both primary and secondary schools and students in secondary school would be required to wear face coverings when a physical distance of two metres could not be maintained. On 9 October, the

announced that no decision had been made in relation to extending school closures over the mid-term break by one week, following a report from the '' Irish Independent'' which stated that the mid-term break for schools was expected to be extended. On 11 October, speaking on RTÉ's '' This Week'',

Minister for Health A health minister is the member of a country's government typically responsible for protecting and promoting public health and providing welfare and other social security services. Some governments have separate ministers for mental health. Coun ...

Stephen Donnelly Stephen Donnelly (born 14 December 1975) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who has served as Minister for Health since June 2020. He has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Wicklow constituency since 2011. On his election to Dáil Éireann, D ...

announced that there would not be an extension to the upcoming school mid-term break at the end of October. On 17 December, Minister for Education Norma Foley announced that schools would not close early for Christmas—nor would they reopen later than planned after Christmas—as there was no evidence or recommendation from public health authorities to do so. However, all schools remained closed after the

Christmas break An academic year or school year is a period of time which schools, colleges and universities use to measure a quantity of study. School holiday School holidays (also referred to as vacations, breaks, and recess) are the periods during which sch ...

, following the government's announcement to move the entire country to full Level 5 lockdown restrictions.

2021

On 6 January 2021, the Government agreed to postpone the reopening of all schools until February 2021 with Leaving Certificate students allowed to attend school for three days a week. One day after the announcement, the Government was forced to abandon plans for Leaving Certificate students to attend school on three days a week, and instead students would return to homeschooling along with other students until February, after the Association of Secondary Teachers, Ireland (ASTI) directed its members not to return to in-school teaching. On 19 January, the Government was forced to abandon plans to reopen special schools on Thursday 21 January for thousands of children with special educational needs following safety concerns among staff unions. On 22 January, speaking on RTÉ's ''

Morning Ireland ''Morning Ireland'' is the breakfast news programme broadcast by RTÉ Radio 1 in Ireland and is noted as that country's most listened to radio programme. It is broadcast each weekday morning between 07.00 and 09.00 and alternate items are normall ...

'',

Chief Clinical Officer A clinical officer (CO) is a gazetted officer who is qualified and licensed to practice medicine. In Kenya the basic training for clinical officers starts after high school and takes four or five years ending on successful completion of a one-y ...

of the

(HSE)

Colm Henry Colm Henry is an Irish consultant geriatrician and Chief Clinical Officer of the Health Service Executive (HSE) since April 2018. He previously served as National Clinical Advisor and Group Lead for Acute Hospitals from 2014 to 2018, Nationa ...

stated that COVID-19 transmission levels remained too high for schools to reopen in February. On 26 January, talks between the

and unions continued with hopes that schools would be able to reopen on a phased basis between February and March. On 1 February, the

agreed to reopen special schools with 50% capacity on Thursday 11 February and special classes in mainstream schools on Monday 22 February. On 10 February, details of a return to in-school teaching and learning for students attending special classes in secondary schools from Monday 22 February was announced, after a deal was agreed between teacher and SNA trade unions and the Department of Education. Under the Government's new revised Living with COVID-19 plan published on 23 February, junior and senior infants, 1st and 2nd classes, along with Leaving Certificate students returned to in-school teaching and learning from 1 March, while the rest of primary school classes and 5th Year students returned from 15 March, and 1st to 4th years returned from 12 April, after the

Easter holidays "Easter Holidays" is a poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, which he wrote at age fifteen in 1787. It is one of his earliest known poems and was included in a letter to his brother Luke. The poem describes the joy of Easter but also warns of possible ...

. On 26 July 2021, Minister for Education Norma Foley stated that she was confident that a full reopening of schools from late August and early September would go ahead as planned. On 25 August, a row over the return to school of teachers in early stages of pregnancy intensified after the three teacher unions condemned the Minister for Education and the

for the "failure to provide alternative time-bound working arrangements for teachers who have been ineligible to receive vaccines."

2022

On 4 January 2022, after meeting with public health officials and education stakeholders, Minister for Education Norma Foley confirmed that schools would reopen as planned on 6 January, despite record-breaking COVID-19 cases being reported over the Christmas period. HSE Chief Clinical Officer Dr Colm Henry said there was no public health rationale to delaying reopening of schools. On 24 February, schools were told by the

that they could resume normal routines and normal teaching and learning activities from Monday 28 February, with social distancing and the wearing of masks no longer required.

Confirmed cases

On 1 September 2020, the first day of reopening schools, a primary school class in Dublin was sent home after one pupil tested positive for COVID-19. On 2 September, a second primary school class in Dublin was sent home after a number of pupils tested positive for COVID-19. Also on 2 September, a primary school in

County Clare County Clare ( ga, Contae an Chláir) is a county in Ireland, in the Southern Region and the province of Munster, bordered on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. Clare County Council is the local authority. The county had a population of 118,81 ...

closed for one week after a number of staff members were identified as close contacts of a case of COVID-19. On 3 September, one primary school and one secondary school in County Kerry sent a number of students home after students tested positive for COVID-19. From 7–20 September, six cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in two counties— Cork and

Westmeath "Noble above nobility" , image_map = Island of Ireland location map Westmeath.svg , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Ireland , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 = , subdivis ...

—while several schools around the country closed from October 2020 due to multiple cases of COVID-19, in accordance with the

and the

(HSE). On 13 September, a primary school in

Rathcormac Rathcormac () is a small town in north County Cork, Ireland. Previously situated on the main Cork to Dublin road (the N8), it was bypassed in 2006 by the M8. The former N8 through the town's main street is now the R639 regional road. Rathcor ...

County Cork County Cork ( ga, Contae Chorcaí) is the largest and the southernmost county of Ireland, named after the city of Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. Its largest market towns a ...

became the third school in

to confirm a case of COVID-19. On 8 October, a secondary school in Longford announced its closure due to a confirmed case of COVID-19. On 25 November, all staff and students at a

Gaelscoil A Gaelscoil (; plural: ''Gaelscoileanna'') is an Irish language-medium school in Ireland: the term refers especially to Irish-medium schools outside the Irish-speaking regions or Gaeltacht. Over 50,000 students attend Gaelscoileanna at primary an ...

primary school in

Glanmire Glanmire () is a suburban town from Cork city centre, in the civil parish of Rathcooney, County Cork, Ireland. Glanmire is within the administrative area of Cork City Council and the Dáil constituency of Cork North-Central. The greater Gl ...

began restricting their movements until 8 December, after 17 cases of COVID-19 was confirmed there, resulting in the closure of the school. On 11 December, two primary schools in

Laois County Laois ( ; gle, Contae Laoise) is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and in the province of Leinster. It was known as Queen's County from 1556 to 1922. The modern county takes its name from Loígis, a medi ...

and

Mayo Mayo often refers to: * Mayonnaise, often shortened to "mayo" * Mayo Clinic, a medical center in Rochester, Minnesota, United States Mayo may also refer to: Places Antarctica * Mayo Peak, Marie Byrd Land Australia * Division of Mayo, an Aust ...

closed early for the Christmas holidays due to an increase in COVID-19 cases among students. On 16 December, all pupils at a primary school in

Killorglin Killorglin () is a town in County Kerry, Ireland. As of the 2016 CSO census, the town's population was 2,199. Killorglin is on the Ring of Kerry tourist route, and annual events include the August Puck Fair festival, which starts with the crow ...

, County Kerry began to restrict their movements after 17 people tested positive for COVID-19. On 1 March 2021, following another period of remote learning, a school in north Dublin confirmed a case of COVID-19 as parents received an urgent letter from the school. A secondary school in Cork confirmed a case of COVID-19 while a south Dublin school announced its closure due to a confirmed case of COVID-19 just one day after schools reopened. On 22 March, a primary school in

Carrick-on-Suir Carrick-on-Suir () is a town in County Tipperary, Ireland. It lies on both banks of the River Suir. The part on the north bank of the Suir lies in the civil parish of "Carrick", in the historical barony of Iffa and Offa East. The part on the s ...

County Tipperary County Tipperary ( ga, Contae Thiobraid Árann) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. The county is named after the town of Tipperary, and was established in the early 13th century, shortly after t ...

closed after two positive cases of COVID-19 were confirmed. On the next day on 23 March, six classes were sent home from a primary school in County Longford after five cases of COVID-19 were confirmed, and a class was sent home following an outbreak of COVID-19 at a primary school in Dublin. On 26 March, a number of students were asked to stay at home after multiple cases of COVID-19 were confirmed at a secondary school in

Limerick Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...

. On 2 April, a COVID-19 outbreak of 15 cases was confirmed in a special school in

Clontarf, Dublin Clontarf () is a largely affluent coastal suburb on the Northside of Dublin in the city's Dublin 3 postal district. Historically there were two centres of population, one on the coast towards the city, and the fishing village of Clontarf Sheds, ...

. On 23 April, a COVID-19 outbreak resulted in all Leaving Certificate students being sent home from a secondary school in

Letterkenny Letterkenny ( ga, Leitir Ceanainn , meaning 'hillside of the O'Cannons'), nicknamed 'the Cathedral Town', is the largest and most populous town in County Donegal, a county in Ulster, the northern province in Ireland. Letterkenny lies on the R ...

County Donegal County Donegal ( ; ga, Contae Dhún na nGall) is a county of Ireland in the province of Ulster and in the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town of Donegal in the south of the county. It has also been known as County Tyrconn ...

. On 27 April, a primary school in County Offaly closed following confirmation of 23 cases of COVID-19. On 19 June, a primary school in County Offaly confirmed a suspected case of the

Delta variant The Delta variant (B.1.617.2) was a variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. It was first detected in India in late 2020. The Delta variant was named on 31 May 2021 and had spread to over 179 countries by 22 November 2021. The ...

with the children told to self isolate at home. After schools reopened for the 2021/2022 academic year, the HSE's lead for testing and tracing Niamh O'Beirne revealed that around 800 schools reported a positive COVID-19 case since they reopened, with 500 in primary schools and 300 in secondary schools. By 8 September, the number of children restricting their movements as a result of being designated a close contact of a COVID-19 case increased to 16,000, after more than 100 schools contacted the HSE over cases among pupils. On 18 October, a primary school in County Wexford closed until after the mid-term break in November after 34 cases of COVID-19 were detected at the school. One day later on 19 October, a primary school in County Wicklow closed over concerns at a high incidence of COVID-19 at the school.

Junior and Leaving Certificate 2020–21

2020

On 19 March, Minister for Education

announced the cancellation of Leaving and

oral The word oral may refer to: Relating to the mouth * Relating to the mouth, the first portion of the alimentary canal that primarily receives food and liquid **Oral administration of medicines ** Oral examination (also known as an oral exam or or ...

and practical exams, with all students given top marks. On 10 April, McHugh announced the postponement of Leaving Certificate written exams until late July/August, and that Junior Cycle examinations due to take place in June would be replaced by school-based exams and assessments held early in the new school year. On 23 April, McHugh confirmed in the Dáil that Leaving Certificate examinations would begin on 29 July. On 29 April, McHugh announced that all third-year Junior Cycle students would receive a certificate of completion and a report on achievement and that the decision to hold school-based exams and assessments early in the new school year was abandoned. On 8 May, McHugh announced the cancellation of the Leaving Certificate examinations. A guide to calculated grades that included four layers was published online by the

on 8 May. The calculated grades system was initially rejected by the Association of Secondary Teachers, Ireland, but was later agreed after further clarification was made by McHugh. On 16 July, new Minister for Education Norma Foley announced that Leaving Certificate results would be published on 7 September, three weeks later than usual. After the announcement, the Association of Secondary Teachers, Ireland described the way that the time of the Leaving Certificate results being released as 'disappointing'. On 26 August, Foley announced that the postponed Leaving Certificate written examinations would begin on Monday 16 November for those who couldn't get calculated grades. On 1 September, Foley announced that under 17% of Leaving Certificate grades calculated by schools would be reduced and 4% would be increased. On 2 February 2021, over 2,000 students who sat the postponed written Leaving Certificate exams in November 2020 received their results, with over 40% of the grades higher than the calculated grades students had received.

Grading errors

On 30 September,

announced that two coding errors were identified in the Leaving Certificate calculated grades system. Speaking at a press briefing at the

, Minister for Education Norma Foley apologised and announced that around 7,200 students were affected, receiving a higher grade than they should have while some students received a lower grade. On 3 October, following a review of the calculated grades system, the

confirmed that 6,100 students were affected by the errors and would receive improved grades. On the same day, Minister for Education Norma Foley announced that a third error was identified.

2021

On 5 February 2021, Minister for Education Norma Foley announced a new phase of planning for the Leaving Certificate examinations. On 11 February, the Association of Secondary Teachers, Ireland (ASTI) withdrew from discussions with the

on the Leaving Certificate 2021 after it said that the plan being developed would not provide a "meaningful Leaving Certificate" for students. Two days later on 13 February, the ASTI re-joined discussions with the Department of Education on the Leaving Certificate 2021 after pulling out on 11 February. On 17 February, Minister for Education Norma Foley confirmed that Leaving Certificate examinations would proceed with students given the option between a modified version of calculated grades or written exams, while

examinations were cancelled for a second year in a row. On 9 March, Minister for Education Norma Foley lost her appeals against findings that two home-schooled students were unfairly excluded from the Leaving Certificate calculated grades process. On 24 March, the

State Examinations Commission The State Examinations Commission ( ga, Coimisiún na Scrúduithe Stáit) is the organisation that replaced the Examinations Branch of the Department of Education in Ireland. History The State Examinations Commission is a State body established ...

and Minister for Education Norma Foley issued new guidelines to schools advising that face coverings would be required during the Leaving Certificate oral exams, which begin on Friday 26 March. On 2 June, the

announced that Leaving Certificate results would be delayed for a second year in a row, with students to receive their results on 3 September. On 3 September, over 61,000 students received their Leaving Certificate exam results with grades significantly higher compared to 2020, with the number of students achieving H1s in some popular subjects rising by more than 7 percentage points. On the day CAO offers released on 7 September, an error was discovered in the Leaving Certificate grading process, affecting 1,800 students who sat the Leaving Certificate Applied programme.

2022

On 1 February 2022, Minister for Education Norma Foley confirmed that the 2022 Leaving Certificate would be held with no accredited grades, while the

Junior Cycle Junior Cycle ( ga, An tSraith Shóisearach ) is the first stage of the education programme for post-primary education within the Republic of Ireland. It is overseen by the State Examinations Commission of the Department of Education, the State ...

exam would be held for the first time since 2019. On 8 June, more than 131,000 students began their Leaving and Junior Certificate examinations, marking the first full return to traditional written June exams in two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On 23 June, the

announced that Leaving Certificate results would be delayed for a third year in a row, with students to receive their results on 2 September. On 2 September, more than 61,000 Leaving Certificate students received their results, which were artificially boosted in order to comply with a commitment made by the Minister for Education earlier in the year.

Universities

Trinity College Dublin , name_Latin = Collegium Sanctae et Individuae Trinitatis Reginae Elizabethae juxta Dublin , motto = ''Perpetuis futuris temporibus duraturam'' (Latin) , motto_lang = la , motto_English = It will last i ...

cancelled lectures in March and moved to online delivery. On 6 April, Galway's University held the first non-physical online graduation ceremonies in its history, after bringing forward the examinations of 190 medical students to send them into service in hospitals with immediate effect. Michael Ryan, the Irish-born Executive Director of the

World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of ...

's Health Emergencies Programme, addressed those graduating from what was also the university where he studied. The university also held another similar online ceremony two days later.

University College Cork University College Cork – National University of Ireland, Cork (UCC) ( ga, Coláiste na hOllscoile Corcaigh) is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland, and located in Cork. The university was founded in 1845 as one ...

held its first non-physical online graduation ceremony on 17 April (a date also brought forward for the same reason), with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar addressing them through a video link and asking anyone from overseas to stay in Ireland, because "everyone graduating this year" would be guaranteed an internship as a result of the virus. In May, researchers at Galway were reported to have developed a

smartphone A smartphone is a portable computer device that combines mobile telephone and computing functions into one unit. They are distinguished from feature phones by their stronger hardware capabilities and extensive mobile operating systems, whic ...

social distancing In public health, social distancing, also called physical distancing, (NB. Regula Venske is president of the PEN Centre Germany.) is a set of non-pharmaceutical interventions or measures intended to prevent the spread of a contagious dis ...

app which set off a vibrator if people were too close to each other for too long, with it being possible to suspend the vibrator if movement is not possible. In June, some universities either had (

Galway Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a city in the West of Ireland, in the province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lough Corrib and Galway Bay, and is the sixth most populous city on ...

) or were intending to (

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...

) refund rent fees to students (Galway also vowed to reduce the cost of its on-campus accommodation for the following academic year). However, Cork reduced its lease by only three weeks for the following academic year and Dublin's second university gave no comment on its intentions. On 25 September, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris announced that all higher education institutions had been asked to deliver lectures remotely where possible for the next two weeks. In October 2020, all further and higher education institutions across the country moved classes primarily online due to Level 5 lockdown restrictions, however buildings of universities and colleges were allowed to remain open to students and staff after the government granted higher-education institutions "essential service" status under the country's Level 5 lockdown. On 9 October,

confirmed several cases of COVID-19 amongst students in a UCC-run student accommodation. On 16 February 2021, it was announced that two universities in

and

had been hit by major COVID-19 outbreaks of up to nearly 250 confirmed cases due to students breaching Level 5 lockdown regulations, which caused clusters of infection involving up to 40 people. On 3 June, speaking on RTÉ's ''

'', Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris stated that he expected students and staff to be back on campus for the new academic year of 2021/22.

Other

The

Royal Irish Academy of Music The Royal Irish Academy of Music (RIAM) in Dublin, Ireland, is one of Europe's oldest music conservatoires, specialising in classical music and the Irish harp. It is located in a Georgian building on Westland Row in Dublin. An institution whic ...

(RIAM), which had announced the cancellation of its spring and summer music exams on 12 March, announced on 8 April that it would allow online submissions of home-recorded exam performances in June 2020. On 20 April, the

Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media ( ga, An Roinn Turasóireachta, Cultúir, Ealaíon, Gaeltachta, Spóirt agus Meán) is a department of the Government of Ireland. The mission of the department is to promote a ...

announced that all summer

college courses scheduled for the various

regions throughout the country were cancelled, with the counties of Donegal and

particularly affected. In January 2021, the pandemic forced the annual

Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition The BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition, commonly called the Young Scientist Exhibition, is an Irish annual school students' science competition that has been held in the Royal Dublin Society, Dublin, Ireland, every January since the co ...

online for the first time. On 7 May, the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media announced that all summer Irish language college courses in the Gaeltacht were cancelled for a second year running. On 22 September, following advice from Chief Medical Officer

Tony Holohan William Gerard Anthony Holohan is an Irish public health physician who served as Chief Medical Officer of Ireland from May 2008 to 1 July 2022. Fergal Bowers described him as being "as familiar as Dr Anthony Fauci in the US and arguably as i ...

, asymptomatic primary school children and those in childcare facilities identified as close contacts of a confirmed case of COVID-19 would no longer have to restrict their movements or get tested from Monday 27 September.

References

{{COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland Education impact

Education Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty ...

2020 in the Republic of Ireland 2021 in the Republic of Ireland Education in the Republic of Ireland Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education by country

Timeline

2020

2021

2022

Confirmed cases

Junior and Leaving Certificate 2020–21

2020

Grading errors

2021

2022

Universities

Other

See also

References