Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 18 May 1999

Vol. 504 No. 7

Written Answers. - Leaving Certificate Curriculum.

Austin Deasy

Question:

42 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for Education and Science if he has satisfied himself with the numbers of secondary school pupils taking continental languages at leaving certificate level; if not, the proposals, if any, he has for increasing this number; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12113/99]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. Martin)

While there is reason to be broadly satisfied with the overall numbers who continue to study a continental language in Irish post-primary schools up to leaving certificate level, I am endeavouring in a number of ways to improve the language capacity and diversity of our second-level pupils.

At present, about two thirds of the leaving certificate cohort in any given year takes a continental language. Taking the 1996 junior certificate cohort as a point of reference, the retention-rates to leaving certificate level are c. 78 per cent in French, 65 per cent in German, 73 per cent in Spanish and 56 per cent in Italian. At present, a feasibility study is being carried out at my request to help the Department to explore ways of increasing the uptake of Spanish and Italian and to look at the possibility of introducing other languages. Four people have been appointed to carry out this study. They are currently analysing the results of a questionnaire which has been circulated to all second-level schools to ascertain the current position regarding the teaching of these languages and to discover if there is some latent capacity in the system for the teaching of the languages. A report will be presented to me in the summer of this year and I will then consider the possible ways of extending the uptake of these languages even further.

The numbers taking languages in the leaving certificate applied are increasing each year. This is a particularly welcome development. The language modules designed for the leaving certificate applied are geared to the needs of the workplace and will increase the prospects for employment of the students who opt for this programme. It should also be noted that students taking the leaving certificate vocational programme are obliged to study a modern continental language.

The modern languages (primary) project includes 267 schools at present. In this project, an effort has been made to encourage the uptake of Spanish and Italian. French is currently taught in 120 of the project schools, German in 80, Spanish in 50 and Italian in 17. My Department has recently invited further applications from primary schools, especially those wishing to offer Spanish or Italian. It is hoped that this project will influence the uptake of the lesser-taught languages at post-primary level when these pupils move on. I am encouraged by the enthusiastic reports I have had from this project to date.