English in gaelscoileanna directive delay

A DIRECTIVE to all-Irish schools from Education Minister Mary Hanafin that they must begin teaching English to children no later than the second term of junior infants is not to be issued until after the election.

Following angry reaction to her planned circular letter on the issue, revealed last week in the Irish Examiner, the minister has decided to meet the relevant organisations on the matter before sending out instructions.

The instruction to the 270 Gaelscoils and Gaeltacht primary schools would mean many of them would have to end a practice of total immersion in Irish for pupils which is used through to the end of senior infants in many cases. The minister had reached the decision following an examination of complaints from parents at a Kerry Gaelscoil where children were not taught English in junior infants.

A review of language and literacy in all-Irish schools by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment concluded that schools should have a choice of when to begin teaching English, but Ms Hanafin’s decision limited that level of choice.

A Department of Education spokesperson said that Ms Hanafin has agreed to meet the interested bodies to listen to their concerns in advance of the circular going out. The meeting is not expected to take place for a few weeks, although it is likely the minister will issue a circular letter before the Dáil reconvenes on June 14.

Gaelscoileanna, the umbrella body for the 131 all-Irish primary schools outside the Gaeltacht regions, has welcomed the opportunity to highlight their opposition.

“Her decision to meet us indicates the strong opposition to the move from schools and parents around the country. We want to discuss the options, but there must be proper research into the proposals put to the minister by the council on the different models of immersion education,” said chief executive Bláthnaid Ní Ghréacháin.

The minister has also invited the all-Ireland body Foras na Gaeilge and her advisory council on education in Irish language schools to discuss their concerns.

The proposal to limit the time which pupils can be totally immersed in Irish was welcomed last week by the National Parents Council — Primary, who felt that children were being unfairly deprived of the full curriculum by not being taught English from the start of their education.