number of Irish speaking people is decreasing every year. Most people in Ireland speak English. This is the reason the English language is considered the second national language of the country. The constitution provides for both Irish and English as official languages.16EDUCATIONIreland has long been recognized for providing top class education at all levels. The government of Ireland puts 5.6% of its annual GDP to education.17 That is a substantial amount of money dedicated to one part of the country. The education system is administered by the Department of Education, which provides the bulk of the current and capital funding. In the 1993/94 census, approximately 960,000 people were full-time students throughout the many levels of schools. That is more than a quarter of the entire country population. The schooling in Ireland is broken down into three different levels. The first level is for children up to twelve years of age.17 This is similar to grammar schools in the United States. There are over 3,000 first level schools in Ireland. The second level of schooling is for students twelve years of age and older. This is similar to an American high school. There are over 450 secondary schools in Ireland. Finally, the third level of schooling is that of the University level. There are four universities in the country; Dublin University, Trinity University, National University of Ireland (NUI) and the University of Limerick. The first two levels of educational schooling are public, therefore cost-free. However, since 1996, a law was passed making even the university level free. Above all, there is a tradition of respect for education and learning in Ireland. SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONWhether in the cosmopolitan cities, or the unspoilt countryside, sport is central to Irish culture. Some of the most popular sports played in Ireland are: association football (soccer), rugby football, equestrian sports, golf, boxing, and various water spo...
