Support for Gaelscoileanna on English

THE policy of some Gaelscoileanna and Gaeltacht schools to not teach English to pupils until they reach senior infants has been supported in official advice to Education Minister Mary Hanafin.

Such policies of total immersion in Irish have been the subject of significant debate in the past two years, because of a dispute between parents and management at a Kerry Gaelscoil where English was not taught to junior infants.

But despite Ms Hanafin’s indications that she favours the teaching of basic English literacy from a child’s first days in school, a number of models of provision have been proposed by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) in its advice to her.

In a report of its review of language and literacy in Irish-medium primary schools, the council includes a number of total immersion policies for the youngest pupils. They are among four models offering schools different choices on the level and stage at which English should be introduced.

The document presented to the minister last week, and seen by the Irish Examiner, explains that such a choice takes into account the different ways in which schools already interpret time guidelines for different subjects in the primary curriculum.

“Many Gaelscoileanna adopt early total immersion as an approach to language learning, for all or part of junior infants, while some delay the introduction of English until sometime in junior infants. Other Gaelscoileanna adopt a partial immersion approach where English is taught for 2.5 hours per week as proposed by the suggested minimum weekly time framework,” the NCCA wrote.

The models propose giving schools a choice of introducing English either from a pupil’s first term, the second term of junior infants, the beginning of senior infants or the second term of senior infants.

As well as recognising the different approaches already evident in the country’s 160 Gaelscoileanna and 150 Gaeltacht primary schools, the NCCA said its proposals afford an opportunity to develop clarity for schools, teachers and parents on the approach being adopted.

“Finally, it offers an interim arrangement while much needed Irish-based research on the introduction and development of language and literacy is commissioned and completed,” the report said.

Department of Education inspectors have made a number of visits to Gaelscoil Uí Easmainn in Tralee since parents complained in 2004 about the total immersion policy for junior infants. Up to now, the school has been told it must implement the full curriculum for all classes.

The NCCA report also refers to the challenge facing some Gaeltacht schools where a significant number of pupils are from non-Irish-speaking homes, whose education is effectively in an immersion setting.