A chara, – The numbers being exempted from Irish at second level on the grounds of disability has again increased, up to 32,000 across the second level in 2014 (Carl O'Brien, "Rising number of students exempt from studying Irish", April 25th).
According to the website Tuairisc.ie, 62 per cent of those who were exempted from Irish studied another language aside from English.
The research on the matter by the ESRI is reported to say that “policy towards more inclusive education” is one of the causes of the increase in the numbers of those receiving exemptions.
I fail to understand how it is inclusive to have a cohort of students who are able to opt out of studying Irish on the grounds of disability while also studying a further language. If anything this practice is exclusionary.
The massive numbers seem to suggest that the Department pf Education is trying to reduce Irish to an optional subject without debate. – Is mise,
EOIN P Ó MURCHÚ,
Droichead na Dothra,
Baile Átha 4.