Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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182. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans for the inclusion of the Polish language into the secondary school syllabus from junior cycle upwards, in view of the increase in Polish speaking persons and the growing importance of the language; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33562/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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In 2015 the Framework for Junior Cycle was published and along with it provision for the delivery of short courses upon implementation of Junior Cycle. New subject specifications for Junior Cycle are being implemented on a phased basis, with Modern Languages being introduced from September 2017.

A short course in Polish has been developed and is being piloted in four schools in 2017 as part of the new Junior Cycle. This course is in addition to short courses developed in Chinese Language and Culture, and Irish Sign Language.

In Senior Cycle there are a number of languages available, in addition to French, German, Spanish and Italian Russian, Japanese and Arabic which are available in the Leaving Certificate examination. For students whose mother tongue is an EU language other than those listed above, they can present for examination in a non-curricular EU language. In 2016 candidates presented in some sixteen EU Languages.

Under the Action Plan for Education 2016-2019 my Department is developing a new Foreign Languages in Education Strategy and as I previously announced, as part of the goals in this strategy, curricular specifications at Leaving Certificate, starting with Polish, Lithuanian and Portuguese as heritage languages with accompanying Leaving Certificate examinations will be developed. These specifications would replace the existing Leaving Certificate non-curricular examinations in these languages.

It would be hoped with the emphasis that will be placed on foreign languages, following the publication of the strategy, that more students will study these languages and that the diversity of languages studied will be greater.