Nine new Educate Together schools will open next week.

It is the second highest number of Educate Together schools to open in a single year.

The organisation says it reflects the demand for schools that do not observe a single religious background.

Four national schools and five secondary schools will open in counties Cork, Dublin, Mayo and Wicklow.

CEO of Educate Together Paul Rowe said: “The reputation of Educate Together’s equality-based schools continues to grow, nurtured by the example set by existing schools, by the satisfaction of parents and children and by the very fact that Educate Together offers a level of inclusivity, openness and innovation that is unparalleled in the Irish education system.”

“Educate Together is fresh to Irish second-level education but is not just offering something that is a natural progression from its national school ethos.

“The Ethical Education curriculum has been developed on how we live as global citizens in the modern world; it investigates the challenges and possibilities of contemporary life in a way that is original and enterprising.

“The enthusiasm of teachers, parents and students has been astounding and Irish second-level education needs this energy if it is to offer students a path of learning and living that chimes with the modern world.”