Ms Treasa Kirk:

I will address the point raised by Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh. Tá dul chun cinn suntasach déanta ag gnéithe éagsúla de na cuspoirí éagsúla atá leagtha síos ann. Tá oiliúnt sna teangacha á láidriú sna cúrsaí éagsúla.

Tá méadú i bhfad na gclár oideachais a tháinig chun cinn ó mhí Mheán Fómhair seo caite. In ionad trí bliana oiliúna anois, tá ceithre bliana oiliúna ann do na hoidí nuacháilithe atá sna coláistí faoi láthair.

Chomh maith leis sin, tá achoimriú déanta ar ábhar na gclár éagsúla agus tá socrúchán Gaeltachta atá leathnaithe amach. Roimhe seo bhíodh trí seachtaine ag na hoidí ag freastal ar chúrsaí Gaeltachta. Tá sin méadaithe anois chuig dhá thréimhse de dhá choicís, mí ar fad. Tá sin mar ghné lárnach don chúrsa. Is dul chun cinn é sin.

Tá an Chomhairle Mhúinteoireachta ag iarraidh ar na coláistí díriú isteach ar chláir éagsúla a úsáid le linn an chláir oideachais do na múinteoirí, mar shampla, CLIL, content and language integrated learning. Colleges are implementing some of these programmes to promote different strategies to enhance the language.

It is also important to point out that the NCCA, which advises the Minister in respect of the curriculum, is undertaking a number of various curricular initiatives to support language teaching. In the context of the primary sector, for example, a language integrated curriculum is being developed for pupils from junior infants up to second class. This curriculum will soon be available for the purposes of consultation and schools, teachers and the various partners will be given the opportunity to comment on and provide input in respect of it. In addition, and specifically for Gaeltacht schools in Irish-medium education, the curriculum is very much based on learning outcomes. There will be higher targets or targets set at a particular level for pupils in such schools. The expectations would be such that immersion education would allow for the learning outcomes to come together and merge at a certain time. The Department is very much committed to immersion education.

In the post-primary sector, the language curriculum continues into the junior cycle framework. Members will be aware of the announcement made by the Minister last October or November in respect of the that framework. The NCCA is developing an Irish-medium syllabus or curriculum - at junior cycle level - for post-primary schools. The Minister has also requested that the NCCA develop a specialised short course for Irish-medium Gaeltacht schools, with a particular emphasis on teaching literature so that the saibhreas teanga do na scoláirí i bhfad níos fearr ná mar atá sé faoi láthair.

The Educational Research Centre, ERC, carried out national assessments of English reading and mathematics in 2010 in respect of 49% - a total of 51 - Gaeltacht schools. This was a representative sample. The pupils surveyed in respect of their English reading in 2010 outscored those who were surveyed in 2009. The same was true in respect of mathematics. It is interesting to note that the survey also highlights that very few children in Gaeltacht schools have reading problems. That is encouraging and it is obviously due to very good teaching on the part of staff in such schools.