I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Hoctor, to the House.
Irish Language.
Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. Molaim don Aire Oideachais agus Eolaíochta tarraingt siar ón gciorclán 0044/2007 a d'eisigh sí le déanaí. Cuireann an ciorclán deireadh leis an gcleachtadh atá ag dul ar aghaidh i ngaelscoileanna ar fud an Stáit, scoileanna ina bhfuil luath-tumoideachais iomlán á chleachtadh acu. De réir an chiorcláin, beidh ar ghaelscoileanna dhá uair a' chloig go leith, ar a laghad, de cheachtanna Béarla a mhúineadh do naíonáin bheaga agus mhóra. Níl an cleachtadh sin á leanúint ag cuid mhór de na gaelscoileanna faoi láthair. Tá ag éirí go maith leo leis an luath-tumoideachais i láthair na huaire. Rachaidh mé isteach san ábhar sin níos mine i gceann nóimead.
Caithfidh an tAire Stáit a adhmháil gur rogha na dtuismitheoirí atá ann sa chéad dul síos a gcuid páistí a chur go dtí gaelscoil, taobh amuigh d'iad a chur go dtí gnáth-scoil ina bhfuil Béarla á mhúineadh an t-am ar fad. Ba chóir go mbeadh na gaelscoileanna in ann cinneadh a dhéanamh an luath-tumoideachais a chleachtadh, nó gan é a chleachtadh. De réir na Roinne, tá an cleachtadh seo ag feidhmiú mar mhíbhuntáiste ag páistí nach bhfuil ag déanamh chomh maith le páistí eile ó thaobh léamh an Bhéarla de. Ní dóigh liom go bhfuil sé sin fíor, áfach. Má fhéachfaimid ar staidéar ar bith atá déanta — sa Bhreatain Bhig, i dtír na mBascach, i gCeanada nó in áit ar bith eile — beidh sé soiléir dúinn go bhfuil ag éirí go maith ní hamháin leis an mion-teanga — an Ghaeilge, sa chás seo — ach leis an teanga is mó — an Béarla, sa chás seo -freisin. Éiríonn go maith leis an dá theanga. Cleachtaíonn gaelscoileanna an luath-tumoideachais os rud é go dtagann mórchuid de na páistí a fhreastalaíonn ar na scoileanna sin as teaghlaigh ina n-úsáidtear an Béarla gach lá agus i ngach gné de shaol na clainne. Tagann cuid acu as teaghlaigh ina bhfuil an Ghaeilge mar phríomh-theanga. Is é an Béarla a chloistear ar na busanna scoile, sa chlós, sna siopaí agus sna amharclanna. Tá an luath-tumoideachais á chleachtadh ag na gaelscoileanna atá ag iarraidh déileála leis an bpróiseas sin. Tá sé tábhachtach gurb í an Ghaeilge amháin atá thart ar na scoláirí sna blianta luath dá gcuid oideachais. Tá an cleachtadh sin ag dul ar aghaidh sa Stát seo le caoga bliain anuas.
Tá sé soiléir nach bhfuil an méid atá le rá ag an Roinn agus an tAire mar gheall ar na fadhbanna a bhíonn ag páistí ó thaobh léamh an Bhéarla de, agus réiteach na faidhbe sa todhchaí má thagann an cleachtadh seo i bhfeidhm, fíor. Níl staidéar ar bith sa domhan a thacaíonn leis an méid atá le rá ag an Aire agus an Roinn. Leoga, is ar an dtaobh eile ata an scéal. Cruthaíonn gach staidéar atá déanta ar an tumoideachais ní hamháin go ndéanann sé sochar don mion-teanga ach go gcuireann sé leis an mór-theanga chomh maith. Léiríonn staidéar a rinneadh ar na mallaibh ar 3,200 páiste gaelscoile, ag deireadh rang a dó agus rang a cúig den bhliain acadúil is déanaí, cé chomh maith is atá ag éirí le páistí ó thaobh léamh an Bhéarla de. Fuair an staidéar sin amach gur bhain 43% de pháistí, a chaith ar a laghad blian iomlán sa chóras luath-tumoideachais na gaelscoile, amach caighdéan áirithe nach bhfuair ach 33% de pháistí ar bhonn náisiúnta.
I ask that the circular issued by the Department of Education and Science be rescinded. The Gaelscoileanna and the Irish language community ask that it be rescinded because it does not make sense that the practice of early language immersion would be ended by this Minister and this Department. Every international study shows that the practice of early language immersion benefits the minority language but also the majority language, which is English in this case. The results attained in reading levels in English in gaelscoileanna indicated 43% of the children were at the same level as 33% of the children in the normal — for want of a better word — English-speaking schools. This shows that not only does tumoideachas support the Irish language but it also supports reading and the English language.
I ask that the Minister withdraw this circular and carry out further research. This issue must be based on research because the Minister has gone against the advice of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment and An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscoilaíochta.
I bring it to her attention that the practice of lán tumoideachas, or Irish language immersion, exists within the Six Counties. It will continue to exist into the future in an area where there is a demand for rights to the Irish language. They have no protection of rights for the Irish language and yet Irish language immersion exists in the Six Counties. In this State, where the language is protected by the Constitution, we seem to want to end that process, which has been invaluable to Irish language students throughout decades.
Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach as ucht an seans seo a thabhairt dom an cheist seo a fhreagairt sa Teach inniu. Gabhaim buíochas freisin leis an tSeanadóir Ó Dochartaigh, a d'ardaigh an tábhar seo. Ós rud é gur tháinig an cheist chugam i mBéarla, níl rogha agam ach freagra a thabhairt i mBéarla freisin. As we received the matter in English, the response came to me in English to be delivered on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Mary Hanafin.
I should make clear that the Department fully supports immersion models of education and provides a range of supports to encourage the establishment of all-Irish schools. The right of parents and children to choose education through the medium of Irish is fully respected but this does not obviate the need for schools to provide children with their entitlement to the full primary school curriculum.
What is at issue in this case is the requirement that schools should implement the minimum instruction time specified in the curriculum for English and do so no later than the start of the second term in junior infant classes. In the introduction to the curriculum, on page 27, it is stated, "It is a particular feature of Irish primary education that children, from the beginning of schooling, have experience of language learning in two languages". The curriculum also specifies a set of learning objectives for each area of the curriculum for four groupings — infant classes, first and second class, third and fourth class, and fifth and sixth class. Promoting the achievement of the curriculum objectives in every curriculum area at each of the four levels of primary schooling is an overriding requirement of all schools. The Minister has therefore determined as a public policy issue that the introduction of a minimum of 2.5 hours per week for English as language 2 in Irish medium schools should not be delayed beyond the start of the second term in junior infants.
What we are talking about here is that for the entire first term in junior infants, the school may communicate with pupils exclusively in Irish, subject to the agreement of this policy with the school board and the parents' association. After that, 88% to 90% of the interaction with pupils is through Irish, with all subjects except English being taught through Irish.
There is no evidence that an 88% to 90% immersion model is insufficient to promote high levels of competence in Irish by students, or that it puts the objectives of immersion education at risk. Indeed, almost one third of gaelscoileanna are already teaching English from the outset without apparent ill effect and without detriment to the success of gaelscoileanna, which have been shown to perform at higher levels than ordinary schools in both Irish and English.
Research studies in Ireland and internationally have shown that immersion schools tend to have a higher socioeconomic profile, higher educational levels among parents and greater levels of parental interest in education, and that these factors may contribute in large part, although not exclusively, to the higher achievement levels compared to children in English-medium schools. It is important that our gaelscoileanna are seen to be inclusive and an attractive option for all pupils whose parents want to choose an Irish medium education, including newcomer pupils, disadvantaged pupils and those with special needs. We are simply seeking a balance, under which all subjects in the curriculum are taught from the earliest possible stage, so that students receive the benefits of an integrated curriculum.
There is extensive evidence that children from disadvantaged backgrounds enter school with significant deficits in oral language vis à vis their peers. If there is no English tuition and these deficits are not being addressed in the home environment, there is some potential for these pupils’ educational progress in English, at least in the early stages of schooling, to be put at risk. In such a context, the Department could not approve the exclusion of children from English tuition at a vital time for language development in early learning. Neither could we approve a position where schools exclude an entire subject of the curriculum for particular class groups. The flexibility for schools in the curriculum does not stretch this far.
There is a wealth of research to show that literacy skills are generally transferred to the non-immersion language, and the Minister is aware that some studies indicate that total immersion is more effective than partial immersion. The precise forms of immersion in use, whether this applied to the exclusion of all other languages, the socioeconomic profile of students, their home linguistic background, and the national context and level of societal use of the immersion language in the studies are not always clear and make comparisons difficult. In international terms "partial immersion" can be at any point along a continuum from 50% to 90%. The NCCA has advised that the research available is not sufficient or adequate to decide such matters definitively in the Irish case. To undertake research in the Irish case would take a considerable number of years, and it would be difficult to come to definitive conclusions given the range of variables at play, including socioeconomic status, education levels of parents, parental support, home language, community use of the language and school practices.
Very recent research has tended to the view that the quality of teaching trumps virtually all other variables, including the language of instruction, with regard to impact on achievement. It would be virtually impossible to control for all these variables in an experimental research model. The results of any such research would be likely to be inconclusive. This is a broader policy issue than educational achievement levels. Issues of a broad and balanced curriculum, inclusiveness, parental rights for their children, and the integrity of an integrated curriculum for all classes need to be considered also.
The decision the Minister has taken in this case is based on a considered view of what is best for all children attending gaelscoileanna. The Minister has consulted with a wide range of stakeholders, including Irish language advocates, parents and officials, and weighed all the advice and the options carefully. The Minister is confident all children will benefit; children's Irish will continue to flourish from the known advantages of early immersion education while they are accessing the full curriculum, including English, from an early stage.
I note from the script read by the Minister of State on behalf of the Minister for Education and Science one element which should be highlighted. It indicates that gaelscoileanna must be inclusive and this view has been repeatedly advocated by the Department of Education and Science. Gaelscoileanna are inclusive and time and again a challenge has been put to the Department to name one case where a person has been turned away from a gaelscoil. No such case exists and the Department should not be trying to indicate gaelscoileanna are not inclusive. They are a great model that promotes education and the Irish language in this State.
Research was at the heart of the matter I tabled on the Adjournment. There is no indication in the four-page reply that the Minister received any research in taking the decision she did. Where did she come up with the idea to end early Irish language immersion overnight? The practice has been in this State for over 50 years.
The fact that the Minister is ruling out any further research does not make any sense. Perhaps the Minister of State does not know the answer but did the Minister receive any research indicating that the ending of this practice would be beneficial for students? Did she come up with the idea herself or was it some official within the Department of Education and Science who advised her on it? Was it based on any real grounds?
If the Senator reads the script again, he will see that at no stage was it ever suggested that gaelscoileanna were not inclusive. It was indicated that it is apparent that the achievements of gaelscoileanna pupils are higher than those of pupils who are not exclusively from gaelscoileanna. The point was also made that if gaelscoileanna are inclusive, they take into account children from all socioeconomic backgrounds. Where there is disadvantage in the home, it is essential the children develop the English language from a very early age. To have 100% Gaeilge spoken in the absence of English would be a detrimental step for such children, which is underlined very clearly in the response from the Minister.