Carol Nolan (Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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204. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to introduce Mandarin Chinese as a leaving certificate examination subject; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19491/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The Programme for a Partnership Government commits to a range of new subjects and this is something I will work on over the coming years.

As part of the new Framework for Junior Cycle, schools can decide to include a short course in Chinese language and Culture, prepared by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, in their junior cycle programme.

There is also currently a Transition Year module on Chinese, which was taken by 4,825 students in 2015.

My Department is currently considering the findings from a consultation process based on a policy document on Languages in Education published last year. Among the topics being considered in this context is the possibility of offering additional languages for the Leaving Certificate. It is expected that a languages strategy will be finalised in the second half of this year.