Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 December 2013
211. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Education and Skills in the context of the findings of the school inspector's report relating to the teaching of the Irish language, if consideration will be given to introducing a requirement for Irish language teachers, at all levels of education, to undergo refresher and skills intensive language courses in the Gaeltacht per annum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53128/13]
View answerThe Chief Inspector's report highlights a number of areas in relation to the teaching of Irish where improvement is required and indicates that teachers' competence and confidence in using Irish has an effect on pupils' learning opportunities. While there are no specific requirements for teachers of Irish to undergo refresher courses, all teachers have a professional responsibility to ensure that they keep their knowledge and skills up to date by evaluating their practice on an ongoing basis and engaging in appropriate continuing professional development (CPD). This is part of the standard set out by the Teaching Council in the Code of Professional Conduct for Teachers, and it is something that society and students can reasonably expect from their teachers.
My Department supports teachers in this endeavour by providing a wide range of CPD opportunities. In relation to Irish in particular there has been significant investment in CPD in recent years, such as:- CPD in relation to the national literacy and numeracy strategy for primary teachers and post-primary teachers, including specific provision for teachers in Irish medium schools and a commitment to offering 20 hours of CPD over the course of 5 years to certain teachers.
- CPD for post primary teachers of Irish from 2007-2012 provided by the Seirbhís Tacaíochta Dara Leibhéal don Ghaeilge. This team has now been integrated with the Professional Development Service for Teachers and continues to provide CPD for teachers of Irish as part of the literacy strategy
- CPD provided by the Tús Maith team at primary level from 2006
- CPD for post-primary teachers of Irish in the context of the new junior cycle Irish specification will begin in the school year 2014/15. At initial teacher education stage, measures to enhance the development of Irish teaching skills are key parts of the reconfiguration of primary and relevant post-primary programmes. The 20 year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010 -2030 also contains a number of other actions relating to improving the quality of Irish Teaching. This Government is committed to supporting the overall thrust of the strategy and will deliver on the achievable goals and targets proposed. An update on progress on the education actions underway is available on my Department's website.
These actions are occurring in tandem with the implementation of the National Strategy, developments in initial teacher education and reform of the Junior Cycle. I am convinced that, in time, the measures outlined above will have a positive impact on the quality of Irish teaching in our schools.
