Dublin: The teaching of the Irish language in the education system is facing a crisis and needs urgent reform to encourage more students to study the subject, according to the General Secretary of Conradh na Gaeilge. This follows a record number of students who did not take an Irish exam for their Leaving Certificate this year. Out of 60,839 students, 13,695, or 22.5%, opted out of the Irish exam, compared to 12,578 the previous year.
While Irish is a mandatory subject at the secondary level, students are not required to sit for the Leaving Cert exam in the language. Many who opt out have exemptions due to education outside of Ireland, literacy difficulties, or other special needs. Last year, 8,474 sixth-year students were exempt from studying Irish, leaving 4,104 who did not take the exam without an official exemption.
Julian de Spáinn of Conradh na Gaeilge expressed concern about the declining numbers and the risk of Irish becoming an optional subject. He emphasised the need to overhaul the way Irish is taught, suggesting a flexible, skills-based approach similar to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), which is used in Wales. This approach would accommodate different levels of language ability and ensure broader access to Irish education.
The 2020 Programme for Government included a commitment to develop a comprehensive policy for Irish language education, but de Spáinn argues that this has not been fulfilled. He calls for a cohesive policy covering all education levels to better integrate Irish into the curriculum. Despite the challenges, de Spáinn encourages continued learning of Irish, noting the growing job opportunities for Irish speakers in various fields.
Irish Samachar English News
{OR} Kindly click to follow the Irish Samachar News channel on WhatsApp