Rise in numbers for higher level Irish in Leaving Cert

The number of Leaving Certificate students aiming for higher level Irish this summer is heading for 20,000 as exam reforms bring a boost for the language.

Although more than half continue to choose ordinary or foundation level, preliminary indications to the State Examinations Commission show that 42% of the 46,000-plus expected to sit Irish exams in June will take the honours papers.

The 19,481 higher level entries compares to 17,443 (40%) at the same stage in 2012 and 18,151 (41%) a year ago, with 54% signed up for now to take ordinary level Irish and 4% due to take foundation level.

While the numbers eventually taking higher level fall each year when the written exams arrive in June — around 3% dropped back to ordinary level in 2012 and 2013 — the numbers sitting honours Irish jumped from 32% in 2011 to 38% last year.

The number of Leaving Certificate students this year is 54,813 — up 4% from almost 52,800 last year — although previous trends suggest the numbers who sit written papers in June may be several hundred less.

The continuing increases in higher level Irish are most likely the result of changes to the marking of Leaving Certificate Irish, with the oral Irish test taken around Easter now worth 40% instead of 25% of overall marks since 2012.

This is also having a knock-on effect at Junior Certificate level where, as previously reported by the Irish Examiner, growing numbers of students are taking the optional oral exam for which marks have also increased.

The increase from 725 students at 24 schools to 10,640 at nearly 200 schools between 2009 and last year came in spite of teacher union policies that either ban members from marking their own students or set strict conditions on teachers who do so.