John O'Donoghue
Question:21 Mr. O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education if she will introduce an oral Irish examination at junior certificate level as recommended in the 1995-96 academic year. [5109/95]
Written Answers. - Oral Irish Examination.
A voluntary oral Irish test conducted according to guidelines issued from the Department is available in the junior certificate. This option is taken up by very few schools. The testing of ability in the spoken language is mainly through the aural examination which tests listening and comprehension skills and forms a significant element of the examination. It is the intention to have a full scale oral examination as soon as this can be achieved but I am not in a position at this stage to state that it can be introduced in the 1995-96 academic year.
The main obstacle to an oral Irish examination at this level is that it depends on agreed arrangements for school-based assessment. Any other arrangement would involve unacceptable levels of disruption to schools and interruptions to teaching time. Up to this point it has not been possible to negotiate a mutually acceptable system of school-based assessment.