A three-year Research and Evaluation Study is underway to evaluate the impact of the Gaeltacht School Recognition Scheme and the extent to which participating schools are fulfilling the language-based criteria to strengthen immersion education.
A comprehensive Case-Study Report on 12 primary and 7 post-primary schools was published by my Department in September 2021 and is available online at www.gov.ie/pdf/?file=assets.gov.ie/197926/6212469f-69b1-41c7-a2eb-2056f17ab7b0.pdf#page=null
This research was carried out by the Educational Research Centre in collaboration with the Inspectorate.
The Case-Study Report on the Scheme included many positive findings in relation to:
- the practice of boards of management, teachers, pupils and parents regarding the use of Irish
- schools’ re-energised vision for the Irish language and the Gaeltacht, which school leaders have effectively communicated to their communities
- the increased use and promotion of Irish language and culture in school communities
- the effective implementation of the two-year period of early immersion in Irish, which is being implemented in all case-study primary schools
- the innovative strategies implemented in a number of schools to extend the use of Irish
- the use of digital technology as a teaching resource in certain instances
The following areas were identified as requiring further development:
- the need to address challenges in relation to the use of Irish as the language of socialisation among students in some post-primary schools
-the need, in some cases, to better facilitate the effective transition from early learning settings to Gaeltacht primary schools
- the need to develop the role of parents and pupils/students in action-planning and school self-evaluation processes
The ERC continues to conduct research on student attainment and on the views of parents, students, teachers and principals of participating schools. It is intended that a further report will be published by my Department in 2022.