Learn no English, speak no English

IT could be a case of “learn no English, speak no English, learn very little else” for students at dozens of schools which will lose more than half of their language support staff.

The Department of Education is reimposing a cap on support for students whose first language is not English. Few schools will feel the effect as much as St Louis Infants National School in Rathmines.

Miriam Mulkerrin, principal of the Dublin school, has 121 children qualifying for language support among the 316 pupils.