Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I must compliment the Senator on what she is engaged in promoting, namely, the teaching of Chinese to young people in her city and county. It is great to hear it.

I am taking this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn. The Framework for Junior Cycle published last October places students at the centre of the educational experience, enabling them to actively participate in their communities and in society, and to be resourceful and confident learners in all aspects and stages of their lives. Junior cycle is inclusive of all students and contributes to equality of opportunity, participation and outcome for all. It will create interested, independent learners who will be better prepared to meet the challenges of life beyond school.

Short courses are an important part of the reformed junior cycle. They will link directly to the statements of learning and will be designed for approximately 100 hours of student engagement. Some short courses, such as those on Chinese language and culture and on programming and coding, will be developed by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, NCCA, and can be used "off the shelf" by schools. However, it is important to note that short courses are not compulsory and there is no national roll out; schools will decide which short courses, if any, to offer. Schools are also free to develop their own short courses.

The development by the NCCA of the short course on Chinese language and culture is a very welcome and exciting development. A growing number of young people are interested in learning Chinese and discovering the culture and way of life of Chinese people. This course will provide a learning base in Mandarin Chinese, which students can build on subsequently. They will also learn about China and understand and experience many aspects of Chinese culture. Students will develop their communication skills, their ability to interact successfully with people from Chinese and other cultures, and their capacity to be effective language learners. The focus is on active engagement by students through participation in varied tasks and in using digital media.

The Senator might be aware that a number of post-primary schools already provide courses or modules in lesser-taught languages, including but not limited to Chinese. It is a matter for schools to determine how best to facilitate such provision, with reference to the needs of the students and the existing resources within the school, including teaching staff.

In relation to qualifications, the Teaching Council is the statutory body for the recognition of teachers. At this time, the council does not register teachers for post-primary teaching on the basis of a qualification in Chinese language and culture. As this is a developing area, it will be kept under review. I understand most Mandarin Chinese in schools is taught by visiting native teachers funded by the Confucius Institutes. The Confucius Institute in UCD is involved in training registered teachers of other subjects to deliver transition year modules in Chinese culture. In the case of the new junior cycle, it is up to schools to offer programmes that meet their needs and aims. They are responsible for sourcing and deploying staff with the expertise to deliver the programme offered. I thank the Senator for giving me an opportunity to outline the current position in this regard.