The two fundamental elements of the structure of post-primary education as laid down by the regulations are:

• A “common core” of subjects to be taken by all pupils in all types of school and in all courses.

• A School Certificate Examination conducted annually by the Department of Education in a wide range of subjects.

The “common core” of subjects consists of English language and literature, social studies, general science, elementary mathematics, music, a craft or one of the fine arts, and physical education. These “core” subjects are not subject to external examination, but completion of satisfactory work in them is required of all candidates for the School Certificate Examination. Though basic syllabuses of instruction in these subjects are laid down in the regulations, very great latitude is allowed to schools and individual teachers both in content and method of presentation. These subjects may provide a satisfactory general course for the many pupils who do not intend to remain at post-primary school until they reach the stage of attempting the School Certificate Examination. At the same time they can be included within courses leading to this examination and, where they do not lead to an actual examination subject, they ensure a broadening of the course and an achieving of the aim of general education. The minimum number of hours each week to be allotted to the compulsory “core” subjects is specified; but “core” subjects overlap so extensively with the subjects taken normally in any course that schools have little difficulty in allocating the minimum times. In fact most schools give much more time than the prescribed minimum in the majority of “core” subjects. In a normal “academic” course, as an example, only music, art and craft and physical education do not lead to examination, and the time required for this section of the “core” is only about four hours per week in Forms III and IV and less in Form V, where pupils are prepared for the School Certificate Examination.

The School Certificate Examination was originally intended for most candidates at the completion of four years' post-primary study, and prescriptions were drawn up on this basis. Only the most able pupils, it was thought, would be able to cover the course in three years. Now very few pupils wait until their fourth year to make their first attempt at the examination. Many who fail at the first attempt enter again for the examination in the following year, and almost 70 per cent of those who take the examination obtain a pass either at the first attempt or subsequently. The examination subjects are English (compulsory) and 31 optional subjects from which the candidates are required to select a minimum of three. Most candidates elect to sit in English and four optional subjects; but for a pass each candidate is required only to obtain 30 per cent in English and a total of 200 marks in four subjects including English, scores of under 30 in any subject not being counted. The list of School Certificate subjects includes the languages, mathematics and the sciences, history and geography, art, music, commercial subjects, homecraft and clothing, agriculture subjects, practical workshop subjects, and technical drawing. The examination is therefore open to all pupils, whatever course they may be following in a post-primary school. The number of candidates for the examination has increased from about 8,000 at its inception in 1946 to over 35,800 in 1964.

Subject prescriptions for the School Certificate Examination are kept under constant review by a Revision Committee representative of the Department of Education and the teachers. When this committee is convinced that a particular prescription requires revision, it sets up a small working committee of experts to make a detailed study of the prescription and to recommend changes. The Revision Committee is concerned not only with the revision of prescriptions but also with additions to and deletions from the list of subjects.