Research Supervisor
Barra Roantree
Background
Differences in academic performance between students attending public and private schools have long been debated in Ireland and internationally. In Ireland, these discussions are often centred on performance in the Leaving Certificate, the final secondary school examination used for university entry.
While research has linked educational attainment to factors such as income, school resources and prior academic ability, the role of private supplementary tuition (“grinds”) remains comparatively underexplored. As private tuition becomes increasingly common within high-pressure examination systems, important questions emerge surrounding educational equality and access to opportunity.
Outline
This research will examine whether participation in private tuition helps explain part of the academic achievement gap between public and private school students in Ireland. Using quantitative analysis of data from the Growing Up in Ireland longitudinal study, the project will investigate relationships between school type, household income, prior academic ability, gender and participation in grinds.
Through statistical analysis and engagement with sociological theories of inequality and “shadow education”, the research aims to better understand how educational advantage may be reproduced within contemporary education systems.
Impact
Beyond the programme requirements, this research aims to contribute to broader discussions surrounding fairness and equality within education. By examining the role of private tuition in academic attainment, the project hopes to inform conversations around educational policy, access to opportunity and the growing influence of shadow education systems.
More broadly, the research seeks to contribute to interdisciplinary discussions on how socio-economic advantage can shape educational outcomes.