Dara Calleary
Question:943. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Education if she will consider exemptions for students (details supplied). [15702/21]
View answerWednesday, 24 March 2021
Questions (943)
Written answers
As the Deputy is aware an exemption from the study of Irish may be granted by school management in the exceptional circumstances outlined in circular 0052/2019 (Primary) and 0053/2019 (Post Primary) which came into effect at the beginning of the 2019/202 school year. 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. Neither I nor my department have a direct role in the granting of an exemption from the study of Irish to an individual student. The Department of Education website has guidelines (including checklists) and FAQs on exemptions from the study of Irish which provide parents and school staff with further assistance with applications for exemptions from the study of Irish. These can be accessed here: www.education.ie/en/Parents/Information/Irish-Exemption/.
All children educated in Ireland are expected to have the opportunity to study Irish to an appropriate standard, unless they meet the criteria for an exemption for the study of Irish. The closure of schools in response to the risk to health caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the education of the entire cohort of children attending school, it is a matter which schools should take into account in planning the education provision for students over the next few years.
My Department has recently issued a guidance note to schools related to the circumstance outlined in the Deputy’s question, i.e.
- where a pupil was not yet 12 years old on first time enrolment in a recognised school in Ireland and
- moved from abroad to join 5th or 6th class last year (academic year 2019/20) or 6th class this year (academic year 2020/21) and
- progress to post-primary school this (2020/21) or next (2021/22) academic years and
- had difficulties accessing appropriate supports during their initial period of learning of the Irish language while learning from home.
In such circumstances the principal of the post-primary school may consider granting an exemption on grounds that the student did not have the opportunity to engage in the study of Irish in accordance with Section 2.2.a of the Circular 0053/2019 (post-primary):
“students whose education up to 12 years of age (or up to and including the final year of their primary education) was received outside the State and where they did not have the opportunity to engage in the study of Irish”
With that in mind, the primary school should consider the available evidence of the student’s progress in learning Irish. If it is determined that the evidence indicates, as a direct result of periods of school closures due to COVID-19 during the 2019/20 and 2020/21 academic years, and notwithstanding the provision of remote teaching, the student has not made sufficient progress to prepare for engagement in the study of Irish in Junior Cycle, then the principal of the primary school should record this in the pupil’s Education Passport. Based on the evidence available on the student’s enrolment from abroad into fifth class or sixth class in 2019/2020 or into 6th class in 2020/21, the student’s engagement with and progress in learning Irish while in primary school.
As with all applications for an Exemption from the study of Irish, documentary evidence supporting the post-primary principal’s decision should be kept in the student’s Exemption File along with the Checklist and Certificate of Exemption. As set out in 2.3.b of the Circular a copy of the Certificate of Exemption must also be given to the parent(s)/guardian(s) of the student being exempted. To support inclusive practices, a student who is exempt from the study of Irish should be included in a meaningful way in aspects of Irish language and cultural activities in line with his/her ability and interests and should be informed of the option not to exercise the exemption granted, without any loss of the right to exercise it at a future time.