Written answers

Tuesday, 21 February 2006

Department of Education and Science

School Curriculum

9:00 pm

Photo of Enda KennyEnda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 592: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the results of the evaluation of Irish carried out in 30 whole school examinations during 2004-05; if the results of this evaluation will be published; if the evaluation indicates increased proficiency in the language and the subject; the problems highlighted by the evaluation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6301/06]

Photo of Mary HanafinMary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Irish has been evaluated in 30 of the 65 whole school evaluations, WSEs, carried out during 2004 and 2005. Irish is one of the three core subjects, English, Mathematics or Irish, always inspected within a WSE. The inspector generally meets most or all of the teachers of Irish on the morning of the inspection. The quality of teaching and learning is then evaluated in a range of classes normally four to five, but this can extend to seven to eight, in a large school and may range over two days. Oral feedback is given to each teacher at the end of a class. A further meeting is then held with the teachers of Irish at the end of the school day, at which the findings and recommendations are outlined and the principal teacher is also briefed.

In the case of a WSE, in addition to the feedback given to the teachers of Irish and the principal teacher as part of a subject inspection, the main findings and recommendations, including those relating to the quality of teaching and learning in Irish, where relevant, are presented to the entire teaching staff, the board of management and the chief executive officer of the vocational education committee, if relevant, at a post-evaluation meeting. Therefore, the results of the evaluations to which the Deputy refers have been communicated directly to the individual schools concerned with the expectation that areas identified for further development are addressed within the school development planningprocess.

The reports on the evaluations of Irish in the 30 schools to which the Deputy refers cannot be published because the evaluations were completed before 6 February 2006 and are not covered by the new regulations on publication. All subject inspections in Irish conducted on or after 6 February 2006 will be published, as will WSE reports including those where Irish is evaluated.

In addition, from 6 February onwards, both whole school evaluation and subject inspection reports will be issued to the school for factual verification and also to enable the school to respond to the findings and recommendations therein. This will afford a school the opportunity to state the follow-up actions that it has undertaken, or intends to undertake, to implement the findings and recommendations.

It is planned to publish a composite report on the teaching and learning of Irish at junior certificate level in 75 schools towards the end of 2006. This composite report will address the issues to which the Deputy has referred such as curriculum implementation, the quality of teaching and learning, and the proficiency of students in Irish.

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