Institute of Education - Worth it?

Hannaho

My good average daughter wants to go to Institute of Education for Transition Year and 5th and 6th Year. She has been going there for grinds and Saturday classes for three years - in JC - thinks the teachers are wonderful, but the cost of three years is almost 20k - having said that the grinds she is getting at the moment are 2.2 k per year - four subjects. Would welcome advice/opinions on this?

spurious

Why has she been doing grinds since first year? Even a very average child does not need grinds for the Junior.

It's worth what you want to pay.
I'd have a big red face if I'd lashed out twenty grand to find out she could have done as well in her school.

If you can afford it and think it's worth it, go for it.

Humour Me

What exactly would she be doing in Transition Year? My understanding is that only a small portion of the leaving cert syllabus can be taught in TY so what is the benefit?

tuisginideach

Somehow or other the Institute seems to be able to increase that 'small portion' ...

randylonghorn

They're a commercial business, not a school in the normal sense, and DES would have little control over what they do or don't do.

evolving_doors

They start early so they get the matric subjects 'out of the way' in 5th yr (Irish, Maths Foreign Language).

LC2017

Current student here,

100% wouldn't recommend it for Transition Year or even 5th year for that matter, complete waste of money IMO. Every course is started from scratch in 6th year so she wouldn't be missing out.

Just a note on the business side of things: yes they are a business (and a very profitable one) but the purpose of it is to get the student their very best leaving cert. As much as we would all like to sit around and get an 'education' in state school, it's not going to help you get into college at the end of the day. I know I'm going to offend some teachers here but every 1 in 2 teacher shouldn't be teaching at all. That isn't a problem in the institute because the minute grades start to slip that teacher is out the door.

I'm a repeat student and will forever live with the memory of those 1 in 2 bad teachers who essentially ruined my chance of a better leaving cert. Is that really a risk you want to take with your child?



.... yes I am aware that people in state schools get amazing grades all the time but lets be honest a lot of them got grinds at some stage but yet their school gets the credit. In the institute the majority of students score in excess of 500 points.

spurious

1 in 2 eh?

Don't fool yourself about the aim of the Institute. The aim is to make money and the fact that some parent trying to do right by their child is considering spending twenty thousand euro on fees shows they are very good at making money out of people's fears.

DK man

I'd say their days are number - new junior Cert focuses on skills development and involves project work and team work. The system is moving away from rote learning from super notes. Leaving Cert will be transformed in about 10 years and their place on lesson street will probably be a townhouse hotel.
Trinity have started a new admissions system and coming from an average school will be a benefit as these students will get extra points ( scheme being piloted ).

I'd say grind schools students struggle in college as they are used to being spoon fed notes. My own children will never go to a 'grinds school'. I see education as much more than points and if they can't get the points to get into their courses via traditional education then they are aiming for the wrong course.....

Hannaho

Thanks for all the replies. In relation to one in two teachers not being good - that is one of the reasons my daughter wants to move school - her maths teacher has been out for several months each year - some times they have subs, sometimes they don't - when she's there - my daughter and the other children say she goes so fast and never explains anything, that most of them are having grinds - my daughter has had grinds form first year in maths. My daughter has also had two different geography teachers - the second one didn't commence where the other one finished - but just started from where she wanted - and so lots of course isn't done. The music teacher was not in class for most of last year - and was doing other stuff - away stuff - with other students - they had some subs - but didn't get very much done. My daughter did three classes of French in the Institute - and said that she learned more in French in three classes in the Institute than she did for the previous two years in French in School. Quite a lot of messing in class - she can't hear and concentrate. These are the reasons I am thinking of changing her to Institute, but it's a huge cost! I need to be very sure.

rainbowtrout

Hannaho wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies. In relation to one in two teachers not being good - that is one of the reasons my daughter wants to move school - her maths teacher has been out for several months each year - some times they have subs, sometimes they don't - when she's there - my daughter and the other children say she goes so fast and never explains anything, that most of them are having grinds - my daughter has had grinds form first year in maths. My daughter has also had two different geography teachers - the second one didn't commence where the other one finished - but just started from where she wanted - and so lots of course isn't done. The music teacher was not in class for most of last year - and was doing other stuff - away stuff - with other students - they had some subs - but didn't get very much done. My daughter did three classes of French in the Institute - and said that she learned more in French in three classes in the Institute than she did for the previous two years in French in School. Quite a lot of messing in class - she can't hear and concentrate. These are the reasons I am thinking of changing her to Institute, but it's a huge cost! I need to be very sure.

Ok, so your daughter has had a bad experience in her school. Have you ever made an appointment with the principal and voiced your concerns? Talked to other parents about it? Does it have to be either or? Can she transfer to another state school, where she will get a good education that doesn't cost 20k? At the end of the day, IoE and any other grinds school is not a magic bullet, they get the grades because they are handed a pile of notes and made to work for 12 hours a day. That's all there is to it.

evolving_doors

At 7 odd thousand a year would you consider a fee charging school?
Not saying you should, but wondering why not. They would be bout 5k per year... Although she might find it hard to make friends compared to the institute where there's probably new faces every couple of months.

Also.... Are any of her friends thinking of going too? Or have any left to go recently.?

mathemagics

I went there for 5th and 6th year (admittedly quite a few years ago) and have nothing but excellent things to say about it. I got 600 points (equivalent to 625 these days, I believe) and am certain that I wouldn't have achieved that without IoE. Someone above said that going there for 5th year is a waste as they cover everything in 6th year. This is true, but being taught the material again certainly helps you to understand and remember it much better.

rooknight3420

I am in 6th Year at IoE and I would highly recommend going there. I skipped TY, but did 5th Year at the Institute, and I feel as though I have received a much better education than if I had been in a different school. To be honest, you do need to find the right teacher that works for you and who fits your style of learning, but other than that, the only issue one might have would be keeping up with the work set. (because there is a lot of work given out, and many tests every week) Overall, I think it's worth it, but it's up to you