CULTURAL EXCHANGE IN IRELAND
For the whole duration of your cultural and academic exchange in Ireland you will be surrounded by young Irish of the same age. With their help you have the opportunity to learn their language, culture and way of living.
You will be surprised by how different and, at the same, alike we are: the Irish and the Spanish. Irish people like stories and are fond of telling jokes. Besides that, they are well-known for their kindness and for being very welcoming, being able to talk with anyone about anything.
Likewise, our programs are carried out in smaller towns, where people are quite friendly and nice, especially if they know you are a foreigner.
THERE IS A LOT TO DISCOVER IN IRELAND
Our Academic Year in Ireland program takes place in the same area as our immersion program does: County of Wicklow and Co Mayo, where we have excellent families that are well known to us.
Being a member of an Irish family, making new friends, learning English and participating in Irish life will be some of your goals for this special academic year. We assure you that it will be an unforgettable experience you will remember throughout your life.
What are the main advantages of studying a year of ESO (Obligatory Secondary Education) or Bachillerato (Upper Secondary Education) in Ireland?
After a school year in Ireland, you will be able to master your English and as you will become bilingual it will open doors for your future.
This experience will make you more mature than your classmates in Spain will be by the time you come back. The more open your character is, the easier your adaptation will be.
Throughout the course, our students create very important bonds with the Irish family they are staying with and the friends they make. However, even if though the experience is very good, they will learn to better value what they have at home: meals, their families, their friends … because they will personally grow.
Frequent questions
What happens if I fail?
In case of not passing the minimum number of subjects necessary to close the academic year, the student will have the chance to take the exams of the pending subjects in June of the following year. The expenses related to that are not included in the price.
If necessary, the student may have some extra English classes.
Once the pending subjects have been approved, the student may request the validation of the course.
How can I spend my free time?
The school, with the help of the local coordinator, will offer you the possibility of taking up extracurricular activities, which play a great role in the formation of the students.
What if I have to attend a doctor?
You will have a health insurance that covers all emergencies and/or illnesses you might suffer from during your stay in Ireland. However, it is recommended that you travel with the European Health Card, although this does not guarantee free medical care straight away. This is because in some countries, it is necessary to pay for consultations and treatments, including public health facilities, which would oblige us to make the corresponding payments for the services provided. However, the European Health Card guarantees the reimbursement of these payments later on.
In case the student needs medical assistance, he / she must inform the host family and the local coordinator, who will be responsible for all the following procedures.
Who will help me during my stay?
Every day you will find “daily” problems on your way that you will have to face and probably solve by yourself with no need to ask for help. These situations are what will make you become more mature and grow as a person.
When you encounter situations you cannot solve on your own, your host family, your teachers, the school management, the local coordinator of the program and our team in Spain will be at your disposal to offer you the necessary help. There is a whole team of people prepared to supervise and guide you in difficult times.
What will my school be like?
The secondary school you will attend is very similar to that of Spain. However, you will realize that education and respect both among students and between students and teachers is essential. The expression “Thank you” is widely used in Ireland and ashows how educated and polite you are.
How do I accomplish my course?
The only thing you have to worry about is to pass the subjects of the course, we take care of everything else.
More information on validation.
When can I see my family?
Irish schools also have Christmas holidays, so you can return to Spain to spend these days with your family. by the time this vacation ends the first term of your studies will have been finished and the rest of the course ends in June, therefore as soon as you adapt to the routine, time will fly by.
We recommend the students staying in Ireland throughout the course so that their integration is not interrupted and they make the most of their time in Ireland.
How long can I stay in Ireland?
There are 2 options available:
1. Full academic year from the beginning of September to the end of May.
2. One term from the beginning of September to the middle of December
Note: Usually fly two or three days before the start of the course.
Will you help me with my flight?
We cooperate with the Hawk Travel company so we can offer you some good deals. Likewise, a valid individual passport is required throughout the school year.
What about the insurance?
All our students travel with the multi-assistance and Civil Liability insurance, already included in the price of the program.
How much money should I have?
It is recommended for students to have a Spanish VISA card with limited access controlled by parents as well as an additional amount in cash for incidentals and personal expenses.
The education system of Ireland
The Secondary School in Ireland is composed of 6 levels, which are distributed in two cycles:
a) JUNIOR CYCLE
The Junior Cycle is the one that begins at 12 or 13 years, after having passed the 8 courses of Primary Education.
It consists of three courses that correspond to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd year of ESO in Spain. The cycle ends with the Junior Certificate Examination.
b) SENIOR CYCLE
The Senior Cycle consists of three courses: from the 4th to the 6th year of the Secondary Education, which correspond to the 4th year of ESO followed by the 1st and the 2nd year of Upper Secondary Education. This cycle is more specific, so that students choose the subjects according to the university branch they want to go to.
The first one of those is equivalent to the 4th year of ESO in Spain. The other two are equivalent to 1st and 2nd year of Upper Secondary Education in Spain.
At the end of the Senior cycle, with 17 or 18 years old, students take the exam called Leaving Certificate, a test similar to the Spanish ‘Selectividad’. This exam is necessary in order to enter any university, and is recognized by academic institutions in England, Europe and the United States.
Transition Year: the 1st Year of Senior Cycle or the 4th Year of Secondary School, which is equivalent in Spain to the 4th year of ESO. It is a special course as, giving the credit to the innovative educational system of Ireland, it has its own characteristics for being closely related to one’s professional and academic orientation in future.It is a bridging course between the Junior and Senior cycles, through which students receive a large amount of information about university careers, professional training and professional opportunities. It has a very practical approach, thus, the students are given an opportunity to gain a few weeks working experience in the sector of their choice.
This course is a good choice for foreign students, as the academic pressure is lower than in other courses, and it gives more room for practicing English and communicate.
At the end of this course, an end-of-course trip is usually carried out, which costs between € 600-1000, depending on the school and its destination.
The Bachillerato in Ireland also consists of 2 courses, corresponding to the 2nd year of the Senior Cycle (5th Year of Secondary School) and the 3rd year of the Senior Cycle (6th Year of Secondary School).
Spanish and Irish courses equivalence:
| SPAIN | IRELAND | CYCLE |
| 1º ESO | 1st Year | Junior |
| 2º ESO | 2nd Year | |
| 3º ESO | 3rd Year | |
| Junior Certificate | ||
| 4º ESO | 4th Year | Transition Year |
| 1º Bachillerato | 5th Year | Senior |
| 2º Bachillerato | 6th Year | |
| Selectivity | Leaving Certificate | |
WHAT ABOUT THE VALIDATION OF THE ACADEMIC YEAR?
The validation of studies in Ireland is automatic for Spanish students.
1. The 1st, 2nd and 3rd courses of the Junior cycle are homologated directly by the student’s study center in Spain in their 1st, 2nd and 3rd ESO equivalents. It is not necessary to carry out any validation process.
2. The 4th and 5th years courses must be validated by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Culture (MEC) where the minimum of five subjects must be passed.
3. The 6th year + Leaving Certificate course must be validated by the MEC, thus, it is required to take and pass all the subjects to apply for validation and take part in the admission process of any university.
Note: It is important to bear in mind that this validation does not include admission procedures in any university nor in a higher cycle.
The official validation document is obtained through the validation flyer issued by the MEC and the payment of the fees corresponding to the year to be validated, as long as the student meets all the requirements detailed above.
Tourbel is in charge of managing the validation procedures. However, the expenses derived from the validation process are not included in the offered prices.
Academic year in Ireland, prices:
The price includes:
- Selection process and enrollment in an Irish public school.
- If traveling as a group, you will be accompanied by a monitor from departure till the beginning of the school year.
- Pick up and transfers to/from the airport in Ireland..
- Accommodation in an Irish host family with full board and single room.
- Visits, coordination and supervision during the entire stay by our local coordinator.
- Monitoring and sending reports to parents about the development of the student.
- 24-hour assistance phone number in Spain and Ireland.
- Multi-assistance insurance: medical, travel and civil liability.
- Processing of the validation of studies.
- Textbooks.
- School uniform.
- Irish SIM card.
- Informative dossier of the student.
- Backpack and polo.
The price does not include:
- Round trip ticket to Dublin at the beginning and end of the course.
- Stay in the family during holidays at school.
- Classes or extracurricular activities, outside of class.
- Black shoes to go to class
- Personal clothes
- Bus ticket if the student needs it.
- Clothes for sports
- School supplies: pens, notebooks, etc.
- Trips organized by the school at an extra cost. E.g. end-of-course trip.
- Pocket money.
Prices:
| DURATION | PRICES 2018/19 |
| 1 term from September till December |
8.395 € |
| 1 term from January till Easter |
8.395 € |
| 2 terms from September till Easter |
12.250 € |
| Academic Year |
15.190 € |
| Supplement Transition Year |
700 € |
These prices are provided by Irish public schools.
En caso de querer información sobre colegios privados o internados por favor contacte con nosotros, ya que el precio varía dependiendo del colegio.
If you would like to have some more information about private or boarding schools please do not hesitate to contact us.
Note: The stay in the family during school holidays is at additional cost (€ 200 / week)