Written Answers. - Modern Languages.
John Bruton
Question:
154
Mr. J. Bruton
asked the
Minister for Education and Science
his views on the low percentage of students taking Spanish at primary and secondary levels; the proportion of schools offering this subject at second level; the proportion of schools offering it at second level in Northern Ireland; whether the priority given to Spanish by schools is a fair reflection of the relative importance of it worldwide by comparison with other languages such as German and French; if he will increase the number of assistant teachers in Spanish at second level; and if he will provide additional inservice training for existing teachers in Spanish at second level.
[23894/99]
The low percentage of pupils taking Spanish at second level has been a matter of concern to me since I took up office.
At present, there are 219 second level schools, that is just under 30% of all second-level schools, offering Spanish. The numbers of pupils who took Spanish in the public examinations in 1999 are as follows:
|
JuniorCertificate
|
LeavingCertificate
|
|
Ordinary Level
|
730
|
552
|
|
Higher Level
|
1,401
|
1,007
|
|
Total
|
2,131
|
1,559
|
The number of pupils taking Spanish in the leaving certificate applied has risen to over 500 in the past two years. Spanish is also taken by transition year students in about 80 schools.
The figures quoted above for candidates in Spanish at the public examinations, 1999 represent 2.30% of the cohort at junior certificate level and 2.61% of the cohort at leaving certificate level.
In Northern Ireland, Spanish ranks as the second most popular of the languages on offer. It is provided by over 60% of second level schools – 150 out of 240.
Spanish is at present spoken by an estimated 400,000,000 people in 21 countries across the world. This makes Spanish speakers the second largest language group after speakers of Chinese. English speakers are at present in third place.
It should be stated that, from an education perspective, there are valid factors governing Department policy and subject choice in schools which have nothing to do with the size of the population which speaks a particular language. They include personal taste, proximity to the country in which the language is spoken, availability of teachers in a given school situation, third level study plans and plans to work abroad. Nevertheless, I am not satisfied with the current uptake of Spanish and am taking the following steps to address the matter.
I have recently appointed an inspector of Spanish who has been in post since September 1999. Already, this single measure has had an empowering effect on the Spanish learning and teaching community.
I have ensured that Spanish is represented in the modern languages in the primary school project. Spanish is at present taken by 53 of the 287 participating schools. The relatively modest number of schools involved masks the more relevant statistic that some of these are large schools where all pupils in 5th and 6th class are studying Spanish. When they proceed to second level, their numbers will create a new level of demand for the teaching of Spanish.
I am planning an expansion of the primary languages project at present. One feature of this expansion will be an effort to address the problem of teacher supply in the lesser-taught languages. My Department is currently working on the details of this expansion.
An initiative targeted specifically at increasing the uptake of Spanish and Italian and introducing Japanese will shortly get under way.
