Written answers

Wednesday, 24 March 2021

Department of Education and Skills

School Curriculum

Photo of Neale RichmondNeale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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820. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she has engaged with the NCCA on the Irish curriculum at leaving certificate level; her views on whether the focus on literature and written Irish over a focus on speaking and conversing in Irish is the best course of action; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13932/21]

Photo of Norma FoleyNorma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The syllabuses for Leaving Certificate Irish introduced in the 1990s were updated in 2010. Since then there have been significant developments in Irish language curricular provision at primary and junior cycle levels. The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) recently opened a public consultation process on draft L1 and L2 specifications for Leaving Certificate Irish. This model of curricular provision for Leaving Certificate Irish whereby separate specifications are provided for students in Irish-medium (L1) and in English-medium schools (L2) builds on the specifications introduced for Junior Cycle Irish in 2017. The NCCA has set out a comprehensive programme of consultation activities including an online survey, focus group, bi-lateral meetings and written submissions to garner the views of all stakeholders on the published draft specifications. It is worth noting that, in the current circumstances, a much longer period than would typically be the case has been allocated to this consultation process.

As is the case with the current syllabuses for Leaving Certificate Irish, the draft L1 and L2 specifications for Leaving Certificate Irish published by the NCCA for consultation are based on the principles of a communicative approach to language teaching. This is reflected in the centrality of ‘Communication’ as the main strand of the specifications. The communicative approach emphasises the development of all of the main language skills – listening, speaking, spoken interaction, reading and writing. The interdependent nature of language skills development requires an integrated approach and the role of literary and non-literary texts is central to the development of students’ communicative competences across the language skills. In this way, student engagement with texts from a variety of genres supports their development, in accordance with their ability, as effective communicators across a range of language skills including their oral competence in spoken production and interaction as well as reading and writing. Students’ engagement with texts also has an important role in creating awareness among students of the range of opportunities for Irish language usage available to them and equipping them to exploit those opportunities along with the development of their cultural awareness.

Feedback from the consultation process will inform any review of the current draft L1 and L2 specifications for Leaving Certificate Irish.

The draft L1 and L2 specifications for Leaving Certificate Irish and further information about the consultation process can be accessed at .

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