Dáil debates

Thursday, 22 March 2007

3:00 pm

Photo of Mary HanafinMary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

Gabhaim mo bhuíochas leis an Teachta as ucht na tacaíochta a thug sí do na moltaí seo because they are very significant proposals. It is the first time in 35 years that a change has been made in oral Irish. Naturally, I would love to see more schools offering the oral Irish examination at junior certificate level. I believe that many teachers are not aware it is an option in the first instance. Probably the greatest barrier is that the two teaching unions have established positions against teacher-based assessment.

This morning, I visited Newpark comprehensive school, where students take the oral examination at junior certificate level, certainly in the modern languages, I am not too sure about the Gaeilge. In this school, a class teacher examines another class, so one does not examine one's own students. That is certainly a very feasible way of doing it. It is done in a very objective manner without interfering in the running of the school. Local arrangements could be made between two schools if one wished to take it outside one's realm altogether. There is great potential to do that.

In the first instance, I hope to remind all schools that this exists and to set out how it can be done. I also want to encourage people, on the basis of the extra percentage that is being given, that it is valuable for the students to do it. Third, I want to point out that not only is it of value in itself, but it is a direct preparation for the leaving certificate, given that emphasis will be placed on the spoken language within the schools. I am awaiting the NCCA's work, which it has begun to undertake, on the various ways of doing an oral examination using mobile technology, such as mobile phones and the Internet. That could be quite exciting and would be a new challenge within schools. Obviously, as I stated in my answer, there would be considerable professional development for teachers because I recognise that is needed. Normally, when we introduce changes for the curriculum, we do it with a two-year run-in, as we are doing with the technology subjects, which I announced two years ago and which will be introduced in September of this year. It is the love and use of the language I want to change, rather than just the examination, which is why I gave a five-year lead-in to this one.

I met Conradh na Gaeilge to discuss its proposal, about which I have two concerns. First, it would be very elitist to have two separate leaving certificate honours courses. If that is the case, ordinary mainstream schools would not be able to offer the two choices because they would not have the capacity to offer an alternative leaving certificate level. The NCCA proposals in that regard were somewhat similar.

The question of giving extra points for honours Irish also arose. That argument has been made in respect of honours mathematics, the sciences——

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