In Ireland, grinds are private tuition; a major industry in Ireland, particularly at secondary school level.

In 2012, the Revenue Commissioners launched an investigation into a perceived failure of some teachers to declare extra income from giving grinds for tax purposes. The Association of Secondary Teachers, Ireland denied that this is a widespread problem.^[1]

Some schools such as Ashfield College,^[2] Bruce College,^[3] the Institute of Education,^[4] Leinster Senior College,^[5] and Yeats College^[6] which offer the Leaving Certificate as a single year (repeat) course are called grind schools.

A study in 2020 indicated the students from Irish-speaking secondary schools and grind schools had strong chances of progressing to further education but were significantly less likely to finish their course or achieve a 2:1 degree or greater compared to students from secondary schools.^[7]

Online grinds

The advent of COVID-19 forced Irish schools to shut down.^[8] The education sector shifted to online classes and new online-only grinds schools were established. These can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection, making them useful for students who live in remote or rural areas. The rise of online grinds schools represents a shift in the way education is delivered. This is likely to have a lasting impact on the sector.

References

Further reading

• Hickey, Shane (28 October 2008). "Sacrifices will be made to pay for the grinds". Irish Independent. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
• Donnelly, Katherine (21 May 2020). "Pupils from Irish-speaking and grind schools less likely to finish college". Retrieved 24 March 2022.
• The Irish Times (28 May 2002). "Former Bruce College Dublin principal to set up grind school". The Irish Times. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
• The Irish Times (21 November 2000). "Class goes on for the students at Bruce". The Irish Times. Retrieved 30 June 2020.