The present primary school curriculum affords primacy to the language of instruction of the school in the recommended timeframe for language teaching in English- and Irish-medium schools. It provides for two languages from the beginning of schooling, and sets out learning objectives for all subjects which should be promoted at 4 key stages of primary schooling — by the end of the infant cycle, second class, 4th class and 6th class. Irish-medium schools have traditionally delayed the introduction of the teaching of English for varying periods in order to expedite children's acquisition of Irish, the language of instruction of the school.
In making regulations to prescribe the primary curriculum, I will seek to balance the option to defer the teaching of English in Irish medium schools until the end of the first term in senior infants (subject to the approval of the school Board of Management, following consultation with patron, teachers and parents) with children's entitlement to access the full primary school curriculum, including English.
Recent research has highlighted the increasing diversity of the linguistic community in Gaeltacht areas. I am conscious of the needs of a growing proportion of children enrolling in Gaeltacht schools whose home language is not Irish. I propose to extend the same flexibility to Gaeltacht schools in planning their Irish and English curriculum as will be available to Irish-medium schools outside the Gaeltacht.
A school is required to ensure that its curriculum caters for the educational needs of all its students. I believe that the best educational interests of all children should be the primary consideration in planning the language curriculum for schools. The school plan for language should be developed in consultation with the individual school's stakeholders, including all parents