National School (Ireland)

National School (Ireland)

In Ireland, a national school is a type of primary school that is financed directly by the State, but administered jointly by the State, a patron body, and local representatives. There are other forms of primary school, generally private denominational schools attached to secondary schools - unlike their second level counterparts, these primary level private schools receive no support from the state.

In national schools, most major policies such as the curriculum and teacher salaries and conditions are managed by the State through the Department of Education and Science. Minor policies of the school are managed by local people, often directed by a member of the clergy, as representative of the patron, through a local board of management. Most primary schools in Ireland fall into this category, which is a pre-independence concept.