Teachers blamed for lack of Irish speaking workers
Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Minister Éamon Ó Cuív said the standard of Irish among teachers needs to be looked at to help address the problem. Although there is a combination of factors behind poor levels of Irish, he said teacher training is a major element.
“One of the major problems is the large number of teachers, particularly those qualified in recent years, who don’t have a competency in the language,” Mr Ó Cuív said.
“We’re getting a poor return for our investment of time and money in terms of the learning of Irish,” he said.
In an address to the Cork Irish Teachers Association (CITA), the minister said he was not criticising individual teachers, saying the system must be looked at.
He suggested issues such as text books and curriculum are also factors in standards of Irish among school leavers. The problem has come to his attention as Government agencies report difficulties finding staff capable of conducting business with the public in Irish.
“I am not going to get into details about the method of delivery of the Department of Education, that’s an issue for them. But there is a demand, and not just in the public sector, for people with good competency in the official language,” Mr Ó Cuív said.
The minister also declined to comment on the lowering last year of pass marks in the Scrúdú Cáilíochta na Gaeilge, which is required for primary teachers who trained outside Ireland.
He said the models of other countries should be examined, such as Sweden and Canada, where students finish school with high levels of fluency in at least two languages.
CITA chairperson Dónall Ó Murchú said tremendous work is being done by many people to promote the language.
“It is a precious jewel which we must look after and great efforts are being made by teachers, Irish language organisations, universities, TG4 and Raidió na Gaeltachta,” he said.
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