Based on the oral history testimonies of Sister-teachers, this study provides an insight into the impact of the Free Education Scheme (1967) on the lives of women religious in Ireland. This major initiative was generated and driven by men; however, it had a direct impact on the professional lives of thousands of women who ran schools. The article outlines the development of Irish convent schools as a form of 'voluntary secondary schooling' and the roles performed by women religious (nuns). It then considers the impact of the Free Education Scheme on convent schooling and how Sister teachers and Sister principals responded and adapted to these changes and increased demands. The article draws on oral history accounts, in which women religious articulate their own thoughts on this period of dramatic change in their lives as educators.