Ireland

Position of Irish at second level to be reviewed

The position of Irish at second level is to be the subject of a major review by the Government's main advisers on curriculum …

By Emmet Oliver
Education Correspondent
Wed Feb 27 2002 - 00:00

The position of Irish at second level is to be the subject of a major review by the Government's main advisers on curriculum and education policy.

The review, by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), will look at the constitutional position of the language and how this affects schools. The review will also look at other languages and how they interact with Irish at school level.

The review will start with the preparation of a paper on Irish and schools by a leading academic or linguist, said Ms Anne Looney, chairwoman of the NCCA yesterday.

This paper would be used to examine in detail future policies in relation to Irish, possibly by holding a forum. The NCCA also plans to look at the achievement of pupils in Irish and whether it can be improved.

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The move comes after critical comments about the current position of Irish in the curriculum by the former president of the University of Limerick, Dr Edward Walsh.

A new book by Dr Adrian Kelly has questioned the policy of making Irish compulsory in education.

The compulsory policy is expected to be reviewed by the NCCA, but is unlikely to be radically changed because of the political sensitivities involved. Dr Kelly's book, Compulsory Irish - Language and Education in Ireland 1870s to 1970s, has reignited debate on the subject of whether Irish should remain compulsory.

The NUI, which is the constituent body for UCD, UCC, NUI Maynooth and NUI Galway, requires most students to have a pass in Irish for entry. This requirement means thousands of students pursue the subject. The registrar of the NUI, Dr John Nolan, said yesterday that while the issue came up from time to time, there were no plans to change the requirement, which is part of the NUI's matriculation system.

The review is expected to find out whether the emphasis on Irish has undermined other languages, particularly French and German. Dr Walsh raised the possibility that science also lost out because of the primacy of Irish. The review will pay regard to the place of Irish in society and culture in the Republic.