A motion calling for the reassessment of Irish as a compulsory subject in primary and secondary schools was narrowly defeated last night at the AGM of the Union of Secondary Students(USS).
According to Mr Daire Hickey, spokesman for USS, the motion was not a call to have the teaching of Irish in schools suspended but a call for the Department of Education to examine the content and relevancy of the current syllabus.
Mr Hickey said the motion also requested an examination of the disparity in resources attributed to Irish on one hand and the rest of secondary school subjects on the other.
"There is no suggestion in the motion that students wish to get rid of Irish as a subject in primary or secondary education," Mr Hickey said.
"What it calls for is a review of how the subject is taught . . .and to see what changes might be made [to make it more relevant].
More than 100 students attended last night's debate from all over the country, many of whom were not fully informed about the issue, Mr Hickey said.
The motion is likely to be resubmitted to students for a second vote later in the year.
Other motions debated last night included a motion asking for a review of the manner in which the Leaving Certificate is administered, and a motion rejecting the Government's proposal to reintroduce third-level fees.
In both cases, the motions were passed unanimously.
Representative of USS are due to meet the Minister for Education and Science Mr Dempsey, next month where issues from last night's debate will be discussed.