We need to look more broadly at how we teach the language given that so many students leave school with relatively poor standards
We need to look more broadly at how we teach the language given that so many students leave school with relatively poor standardsThe Irish language is a cornerstone of our cultural identity. Yet its place in the education system remains a source of ongoing debate.
At the heart of the issue are exemptions granted to students to allow them not to study Irish, which remains a mandatory subject across primary and second level schools.such as learning difficulties or time spent outside the Irish education system – the latter applying predominantly to immigrant children. These exemptions have grown in number. Twenty-five years ago 2.5 per cent of post-primary students were exempted from Irish. Now 13.5 per cent, or about 55,000 students, have exemptions. Moreover, figures released under the Freedom of Information Act, detailed in today’s Irish Times, show that more than 20,000 students who had exemptions from studying Irish at second level on the grounds of a learning disability last year were studying foreign languages such as French, German and Spanish in the same year. Critics argue that forcing students to learn Irish risks alienating those who struggle with the subject, creating resentment and anxiety rather than appreciation. They don’t argue the same about, say, Maths. And it is worth interrogating the idea of a quasi-automatic exemption for children from migrant backgrounds, given that many such children, some of them already fluent in several languages, have excelled in Irish at State exams. Parents of children with conditions such as dyslexia have concerns that having to learn Irish will hamper progress in reading. If there is research and evidence that shows that learning Irish, as opposed to learning a foreign language, presents particular difficulties, it should be highlighted.Eoin Burke-Kennedy: Davos has a Marie Antoinette problem Steven Isserlis: ‘The last straw was with Nigel Kennedy in a gambling arcade ... That did not go down well’ In any event, we should ask how the curriculum can better serve diverse learning needs. Differentiated teaching, a greater focus on conversational skills, providing enough qualified teachers and modern technology could all help make Irish more engaging. We also need to look more broadly at how we teach the language given that so many students leave school with relatively poor standards. The blunt instrument of an exemptions system sends the wrong message. Irish is more than just another subject. It is a cultural treasure, a window on the world, a link to our heritage and part of our shared identity. With so many securing exemptions, that idea of a shared experience is compromised. Reassessing Irish language exemptions should not be about forcing students to study the language. It is about striking the right balance and ensuring Irish is taught in a way that is accessible and enjoyable. If we are serious about safeguarding our linguistic heritage, we need a more considered policy from the Department of Education.The Irish Times view on the Programme for Government: the fallacy of common sense‘The phone would ring and it would be Mike Scott from the Waterboys or Bono from U2. Everyone wanted to talk to my father’Cameron Diaz: ‘I left movies because I wanted to live my life differently. We started our family, and that was all I wanted to do’Couple fall prey to fake invoice scam: ‘If people were being robbed of €10,000 on the street we would be up in arms’
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