Mount Carmel Secondary School is a voluntary Catholic secondary school for girls under the patronage of the Religious Sisters of Charity. It is situated in the centre of Dublin, just a short walk from O’Connell Street or from the Jervis stop on the Red Luas line.
The school participates in the Department of Education and Skills’ School Support Programme under the Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) action plan. As part of this, Mount Carmel is involved in the School Completion Programme (SCP).
Fifty percent of the students enrolled in the school come from outside of Ireland, from thirty two different countries. The majority of these students come from Poland, Romania and Lithuania but other countries including Mauritius, Nigeria and China are also represented.
In contrast to earlier periods in the school’s history, the student population is now very diverse. One third of these students study Irish despite having been granted an exemption from the subject.
I was lucky enough to teach in this school before the lockdown in March of 2020 cam about. This school has opened my eyes to the diversity which inhabits school life. This experience has allowed me to think of my feet and adapt to different situations. The art room situated at the very top of the school allows a brilliant overview of the inner city and much space to work, covering the whole of the top floor.
