I am aware that for gaelscoileanna and Gaeltacht schools to be in a position to properly implement the revised Gaeilge curriculum, there is a need to ensure that suitable resource materials, including textbooks, are available for use by those schools. I am committed to ensuring that this is the case and a number of developments have taken place recently in this regard.
As an interim measure, to alleviate the concerns expressed by gaelscoileanna and Gaeltacht schools, my Department, through the primary curriculum support programme team, issued in October 2000 an extensive list of resource materials available for teaching through the medium of Irish. This list was researched and prepared by experts involved in the development of the revised curriculum and can be used by schools in implementing the curriculum on a daily basis. In addition, and in order to ensure that schools were in a position to purchase appropriate materials as outlined on the list, my Department issued an Irish language materials grant to all gaelscoileanna and Gaeltacht schools in late November-early December. Schools received a grant equivalent to £100 for each teacher in such schools with a minimum grant to all schools of £500.
However, more needs to be done. In this regard my Department has recently held meetings with the various educational publishers as well as all the educational partners through the forum of the primary curriculum implementation group. Representatives of the gaelscoileanna and Gaeltacht schools are included in all meetings of this forum. A clear commitment to ensuring that appropriate resource materials for the teaching of Gaeilge in Gaeltacht schools and gaelscoileanna was given by representatives of my Department at the last meeting of this group on 15 January 2001.
Since that meeting officials within my Department, in consultation with the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment and the primary curriculum support programme team have been examining various options with a view to putting in place a scheme which will ensure that new high quality resource materials are developed and produced for gaelscoileanna and Gaeltacht schools. It is expected that these discussions will be concluded very shortly and at that stage I will be in a position to announce detailed proposals. The education partners, including appropriate Irish language interests will continue to be consulted as proposals are formulated.
I reiterate my commitment and that of my Department to ensure that suitable high quality materials are developed specifically for use in the teaching of Gaeilge in gaelscoileanna and Gaeltacht schools.
