Billy Timmins
Ceist:14 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for Education and Science his views on the appointment of a specialist Irish teacher in primary schools in order to enhance the quality of learning. [16158/00]
Other Questions. - Teaching of Irish.
It is one of the underlying principles of the primary school curriculum in Ireland that it should be presented where at all possible as an integrated curriculum. In effect, this means there are many links across subject barriers and that cross-curricular teaching is practised widely and is the norm rather than the exception.
In relation to Irish, it is not unusual to find the language being used in the course of a school day during lessons on a wide range of other subject areas. Similarly, there is frequent reference to other subject areas during lessons in Irish. It is a basic principle of the approach to teaching Irish, as recommended in the revised curriculum, that the language acquired during the Irish lesson be used for purposes of real communication during the school day both informally and during the teaching of other subjects. In a situation where the class teacher is not a teacher of Irish, this would become impossible to implement and the position of Irish in the curriculum would be considerably diminished. It is essential, therefore, that the class teacher teach the Irish programme and that all teachers should have a level of mastery of the language which would enable them to use it as a medium both of teaching and of communication during lessons in other curricular areas.
All graduates of the colleges of education in Ireland are qualified to teach the Irish language up to sixth class level of the primary school. It is an entry requirement for the colleges that candidates would have attained at least a grade C in the leaving certificate, higher level, in Irish. As undergraduates they then pursue either a B.Ed. course with Irish as a main degree subject or are required to successfully complete a course in professional Irish, Gaeilge ghairmiúil. This course is designed to develop the students' mastery of the language with particular reference to the use of Irish in the curriculum. Teachers who qualify outside this jurisdiction must obtain a pass in the scrúdú cáilíochta sa Ghaeilge, the qualifying examination in Irish, before being granted full recognition to teach in primary schools. This examination is set at a standard which matches as closely as possible the standard attained by those who graduate from the Irish colleges of education. Graduates of St. Mary's College, Belfast, who have Irish as a main degree subject in the B.Ed. degree or who have successfully pursued a recognised course in professional Irish during their years in college are granted recognition as fully qualified primary teachers in this State without having obtained a pass in the scrúdú cáilíochta sa Ghaeilge examination.
I asked for the Minister's view on a proposal and not the Department's received gospel on this subject. Will the Minister accede to the request by Gael-Linn for a pilot scheme of specialist Irish teachers in a selected number of primary schools to see if the system can work and improve the standard of Irish teaching?
I will certainly consider that.
Written Answers follow Adjournment Debate.