Primary school language-learning lowest in Europe

FEWER than 1-in-20 students learn a foreign language at primary school, the lowest rate in Europe.

A report by the European Commission shows less than 4% of primary pupils were studying a modern language in 1999/2000, compared to all children in Norway, Luxembourg, Malta and parts of Belgium.

While most pupils learn Irish as well as English, we are still way behind other European countries in terms of language tuition.