Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The assessment of skills in spoken Irish forms an integral component of the overall Irish language learning experience at Junior Cycle and occurs in a number of ways. Students' oral language skills are formally assessed through Classroom-Based Assessments (CBAs), the second of which is entirely based on students’ oral language competence. The CBA is linked to ongoing classroom exchanges and represents a more authentic reflection of students’ interests and competence levels in Irish.

Importantly, the oral skills of all students as assessed in CBAs are formally reported upon in each students’ Junior Cycle Profile of Achievement. Unlike the previous reporting format in which candidates receive one overall grade based on their achievement in Irish in the Junior Certificate, whether they undertook the optional oral or not, the Junior Cycle Profile of Achievement allows students’ achievement in the CBAs to be recorded independently of the result in the state-certified examination.

The Deputy may wish to note that the previous optional oral examination in the Junior Certificate was taken by approximately 40% of students, and was generally assessed by their teachers. The current assessment arrangements on the other hand require all students to engage in an assessment of their oral skills through the CBA.

A review of the early enactment of Irish specifications T1 and T2 in Junior Cycle, undertaken by SEALBHÚ in DCU on behalf of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), was published in March 2023. The review identified positives in the level of choice and selection of texts, the use of active learning methodologies and the use of spoken Irish as a motivator for students’ learning. Challenges were identified in relation to over emphasis on literature at the expense of oral Irish, and the need for assessment components to provide support for conversational Irish.

On foot of the review, changes were agreed by the NCCA Council to respond to those challenges. These included a reduction in the volume of literature to be studied, a greater focus on oral communications skills in third year and a reimagining of the second Classroom-Based Assessment (CBA). These changes were published in circular letter 13/2023, issued in March 2023.

The experience of students and teachers with Junior Cycle Irish T1 and T2 was impacted by the pandemic and other factors during the period of this review, as noted in the report of the review. Accordingly NCCA Council agreed to undertake a follow up review, and this is now underway.