Inspectors report on gaelscoil’s language teaching

INSPECTORS are due to report to Education Minister Mary Hanafin within days on language teaching at a gaelscoil where parents of infant pupils have complained about a shortage of English classes.

The inspectors spent two days at Scoil Uí Easmhainn in Tralee, Co Kerry, last week examining the teaching and learning of English in junior classes.

The matter had been brought to the attention of the Department of Education by parents who said they were not consulted about a policy of “total immersion”, under which pupils do not learn English until first class. The school board said last October that 15 minutes English per day would be taught to infants.