Literacy and numeracy are among the most important life skills that our schools teach. Literacy and numeracy skills are crucial to a person’s ability to access the rest of the curriculum and to develop fully as an individual, to live a satisfying and rewarding life and to participate fully in our society. It is important therefore that children master these skills to the best of their abilities.
In view of this and in recognising the linguistic, social and cultural importance of Irish and English in Ireland, both languages and maths are included as core subjects in the national curricula for recognised primary and post-primary schools and centres for education in Ireland. This has been the case since the foundation of the State and there is no exemption from the study of English or Maths.
The Irish language is accorded special status in Ireland and is protected by various pieces of legislation and in particular Article 8 of our Constitution which states that “The Irish Language as the national language is the first official language”. The Education Act 1998 recognises the particular responsibility of the education system with regard to supporting the Irish language. The language has particular social, historical and educational importance and is part of the unique cultural heritage of the Irish people. It is an aim of Government to increase on an incremental basis the use and knowledge of Irish as a community language.
In that context, while exemptions from the study of Irish may be considered for pupils/students enrolled in recognised English-medium schools, such exemptions can only be considered in the exceptional circumstances set out in Section 2.2 of Circulars 0052/2019 – Primary and 0053/2019 – Post-primary. Decisions on the granting of exemptions from the study of Irish were devolved to school management in previous circulars 12/96 and M10/94 and this remains the case in the current circulars.
The current Circulars which were informed by an extensive public consultation process, move away from a categorical diagnostic model to a needs based model. The Circulars are set in the context of the Special Education Teaching Allocation model that allows mainstream schools to provide additional teaching support for all pupils who require such support in their schools based on their identified learning needs in school, as opposed to being based primarily upon a diagnosis of a particular disability. The granting of an exemption from the study of Irish should not be a key factor in planning for the provision of learning support for a student. Those students with ASD who are enrolled in a special class or special school will automatically qualify for an exemption by nature of their placement. Any student who does not meet the criteria for an exemption from the study of Irish should be supported in accessing the Irish language through a differentiated approach to teaching and learning in line with their identified needs and any other supports in accordance with Guidelines for supporting pupils with Special Educational Needs in Mainstream Schools and with Special Educational Needs: A continuum of Support.
Detailed guidelines and FAQs are available on the Department’s website together with contact details for the office dealing with queries in relation to policy and appeal issues related to exemptions from the study of Irish. The Department strives to respond to all queries in accordance with the Department’s Customer Charter. The circulars include a provision for a review of their operation after the first two years of implementation.
