Written answers

Thursday, 15 December 2011

Department of Education and Skills

Languages Programme

5:00 pm

Photo of Seán FlemingSeán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Question 93: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will re-consider the abolition of the modern language programme in primary schools in view of the fact that this provides an essential improvement in the education process for primary school children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40384/11]

Photo of Finian McGrathFinian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 108: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will reverse the decision to cut the modern languages in primary schools initiative. [40443/11]

Photo of Brendan SmithBrendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Question 109: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will review the decision to abolish the modern languages in primary schools initiative which has won support and in view of the fact that various studies by recognised agencies including the Royal Irish Academy, the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs and the Council of Europe policy profile have all outlined the importance of this initiative and that as recently as last month all EU countries including Ireland pledged to step up their efforts to implement the Barcelona Agreement, an agreement which calls for assistance to be put in place to facilitate early language learning of at least two foreign languages by 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40445/11]

Photo of Jerry ButtimerJerry Buttimer (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 110: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to introduce European languages to children at primary school level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40459/11]

Photo of Pat BreenPat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 111: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will review his decision to withdraw support for the modern language programme in our primary schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40463/11]

Photo of Michael Healy-RaeMichael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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Question 119: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills in view of the cuts which were hidden in budget 2012 up to 53 schools will be affected in that children who were receiving a third language will possibly no longer be able to do so, if he will review this situation for the sake of the young persons who want to start out life with a third language; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40559/11]

Photo of Ruairi QuinnRuairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 93, 108 to 111, inclusive, and 119 together.

As part of the Budget 2012 decisions that have been announced, the Modern Languages in Primary Schools Initiative will be cease at the end of the 2011/2012 school year. The savings from this measure will go towards the cost of implementing the new National Literacy & Numeracy Strategy, which is a key commitment in the Programme for Government.

Since becoming Minister for Education and Skills, I have spoken repeatedly about the need to raise educational standards. In terms of curriculum reform, the priorities in the period ahead are to strengthen achievement in literacy and numeracy, to implement reforms in maths, Irish and science, and to progress junior cycle reforms. The Modern Languages Initiative was a pilot scheme involving approximately 500 schools and had been operating since 1998. It has not been possible for other schools to join the pilot project for a number of years and the way in which it operated was not capable of being rolled out to all 3,200 primary schools. The decision to end the scheme was based in part on policy advice from a 2008 Report by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), which has identified serious issues with curricular overload at primary level. The NCCA's advice recommended that Modern languages should not be part of the Primary School Curriculum as an additional and separate subject at present. The primary curriculum is currently being reviewed by the NCCA in the context of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategy. The focus of the review will be on how best to enhance children's learning in these areas, provide a clearer delineation of the learning outcomes required, and integrate into the infant cycle the learning experiences from Aistear, the curriculum framework for early childhood education.

At post primary level, targeted support is provided to schools to enable them to diversify language provision with a particular focus on Spanish, Japanese, Russian and Italian. Other languages taught at second level include French, German and Arabic. Participation in foreign languages, relative to other subjects, remains high. The vast majority of students are studying two languages and are therefore developing core skills which will serve them well in future language learning over the lifespan, and there are many opportunities outside the second level system for people to resume language learning.

It was not an easy decision to end this scheme, but I gave careful consideration to the concerns about the teaching of languages before taking it.

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