Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 16 November 2022
107. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Education her views on whether there should be a full Irish oral examination for Junior Certificate students; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56859/22]
View answerFollowing extensive consultation, L1 (Language 1) and L2 (Language 2) Irish specifications for Junior Cycle were introduced in schools in 2017 as part of Phase 3 of the roll out of the Framework for Junior Cycle (2015). This was the first time discrete Irish language curricular provision was made, in response to stakeholder feedback, for student learning Irish in Irish-medium and in English-medium post-primary schools. All students who started Junior Cycle from Autumn 2017 onwards are learning Irish as laid out in these new specifications.
The assessment of skills in spoken Irish forms an integral component of the overall language learning experience and occurs in a number of ways. As well as the completion of tasks where students use and demonstrate their oral language skills to achieve specific learning outcomes, their oral language skills are also formally assessed through Classroom-Based Assessments (CBAs), the second of which is entirely based on students’ oral language competence. The CBA is linked to ongoing classroom exchanges and represents a more authentic reflection of students’ interests and competence levels in Irish. Importantly, the oral skills of all students are now assessed in CBAs and formally reported upon in each students’ Junior Cycle Profile of Achievement. Unlike the previous reporting format in which candidates receive one overall grade based on their achievement in Irish in the Junior Certificate, whether they undertake the optional oral or not, the Junior Cycle Profile of Achievement allows students’ achievement in the CBAs to be recorded independently of the result in the state-certified examination.
Additionally, it is worth noting the previous oral examination in the Junior Certificate was optional and was taken by approximately 40% of students, and was generally assessed by their teachers. The new assessment arrangements on the other hand require all students to engage in an assessment of their oral skills through the CBA.
Responding to requests received from stakeholders through the recent consultation on draft L1 and L2 specifications for Leaving Certificate Irish, the NCCA Council decided to undertake a review of the early enactment of Irish, L1 and L2, in Junior Cycle. Accordingly, I understand that a report on the early enactment of Irish, L1 and L2, in Junior Cycle is currently being finalised by the NCCA.
