asked the Minister for Education the steps she proposes to take to make it possible for principals of second level schools to offer (a) German and (b) Spanish as a language option to students in the school year commencing September 1988.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Languages as School Subjects.
66.
The position in this regard is that my Department recognises German and Spanish as approved subjects on the school curriculum and has prescribed syllabi for them at intermediate and leaving certificate levels. However, as German and Spanish are not compulsory subjects, it is a matter for the school authorities to include them among the subjects they offer.
School authorities are naturally responsive to local needs and interests in their curricular provision provided that the number of pupils involved would justify the introduction of a subject. In this regard I recently attended a symposium held, at my request, by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment about the place of German, Spanish and Italian in the second level curriculum. Approximately 100 people were involved in the seminar including language teachers, school managers, representatives of CII, CTT, EC, the embassies and the cultural institutes. I am awaiting a report from the Council on its findings in relation to the issues involved and I will then consider what steps can be taken on achievable objectives.
I am aware that there are approved courses and that there are syllabi for German and Spanish, but the Minister will also be aware of the increasing demand from every sector for the provision of more modern language teaching in our schools. I have no doubt but that the Minister will respond to that demand as quickly and as actively as anyone else in education. With that in mind does the Minister know how many teachers are qualified to teach German, Italian or Spanish? It is necessary to have that information if we are to make any progress in that field. Is the Minister prepared to actively intervene and ask school principals if the time, 43 per cent of the total, spent at primary and post-primary school levels for language acquisition, is being well spent or if it could be better spent by the inclusion of different languages combined with modern methods of language teaching, because a number of people——
This is a very long question——
It is, and it is very serious.
——and I am obliged to dispose of the four questions within the prescribed time.
It is a long question but it demands a short response.
I would like the co-operation of Deputy Mairin Quill and indeed of Deputy Hussey when we come to her questions, so that I may dispose of them before 3.45 p.m. Otherwise, I will go on to other business.
Does the Minister think we are responding quickly enough by way of providing the teachers and the time, which are the two essential ingredients? The demand is there. Have we the teachers and will the time be provided?
The Deputy has asked me a long question and has told me that I am to give a short answer. That is a new way of dealing with parliamentary business. I recognise that the question put is extremely important. Indeed, Deputy Hussey has another question on an aspect of that. This was one of the issues prevailing when I came into the Department of Education. Earlier Ministers also expressed concern about this, so much so that I was determined to try to get a momentum going. The public recognise quite clearly that if we are to go anywhere in our dealings with Europe, we will have to be fluent in other languages such as German, Italian and Spanish, as well as French. I told Deputies about the seminar. The Council for Curriculum and Assessment are coming back to me with objectives arising; industry has said they will help financially and the cultural institutes and the EC are preparing ideas for me whereby perhaps as a subsection of ERASMUS there may be some way in which we can link into programmes. I am considering intervention in schools which show that they have a need and can accommodate this sort of thing in their curriculum. New course committees have been set up in languages. They are currently being established by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment. As a further measure I have authorised substitution pay for teachers who act on the various course committees. I have asked the linguistic institute to prepare draft materials for German, Italian and Spanish as they have done so successfully with the Salut scheme in French. There is movement but I share the Deputy's anxiety. I welcome from around the House the various commitments and expressions of support for such a movement. I am determined to move along with it.
Question No. 67, please.
Can I ask one other supplementary?
I have called the next question.
Has the Minister made provision for existing teachers or for listing teachers——
(Interruptions.)
The Chair must be obeyed from both sides of the House. I have called the next question.
Have you got the teachers?
We have both been taken to task.
(Interruptions.)