An urgent increase in the number of English language teachers is needed in order to help schools deal with the challenges posed by immigration, Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said.
Mr Kenny unveiled a six-point plan to deal with the issue today during a visit to a school in Dublin. A total of 20 per cent of the 350 pupils at Scoil Mhuire in Lucan and some 40 per cent of those in junior infants is a non-Irish national.
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny
"Recently I spoke of the challenges Ireland faces due to immigration - in education, crime, road safety and economy. There is no question that the current system is not being managed well. Immigration can be good for Ireland, but the Government is not regulating it.
"As a result our services are under severe strain. We need a system that is good for the Irish and good for the immigrants. Right now, we have a system that is not serving the interests of either," he said.
Mr Kenny called for an urgent increase in the number of English language teachers, along with a total overhaul of the "flawed" system of allocating English language teachers to schools with large numbers of international children.
He also proposed modernisation of teacher training in order to equip teachers with the skills required to teach a more diverse group of students.
"Some schools now accommodate children from up to 30 different countries, from Afghanistan to Zambia. It is clear from my visits that the issue of immigration is one of the most pressing that teachers face today."
"We need to ensure that foreign-national children - many of whom have little or no English - can progress in our education system, whilst at the same time making sure the education of Irish children is not held back. This is a big task, especially when schools find themselves facing this monumental task with little additional support."
Mr Kenny also said the so-called 'two-year rule' whereby a child who had benefited from language support would lose it after two years, regardless of need.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Education said an additional 200 English language support posts would be sanctioned "in the coming weeks" as part of the 550 announced in the new partnership agreement Towards 2016. This would build on the 1,250 posts already in the system, the spokeswoman said.