Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

306. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 513 of 20 March 2024, her plans to develop a new policy on Gaeltacht education, to follow on from the 2017 – 2022 policy that was extended to the end of the 2023/2024 school year; the status of the research and evaluation study currently being carried out by the educational research centre to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of the scheme; the terms of reference of the study; the timeline for the publication of the final report of the study; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16307/24]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

My Department launched the Policy on Gaeltacht Education as a strategic response to address the linguistic challenges facing Gaeltacht language-planning areas. Significant progress has been made across all aspects of the Policy since the commencement of its implementation.

The Gaeltacht School Recognition Scheme was launched in April 2017. 103 primary schools and 29 post-primary schools in the Gaeltacht are participating in the Scheme in the current School-year. A circular issued in February 2024 to schools participating in the Scheme advising them that supports under the Scheme will continue throughout the next phase of the Scheme. This is in recognition that continuity will be required in the supports provided to schools to support them on their journey towards achieving best practice.

A Research and Evaluation Study is currently being undertaken by the Educational Research Centre (ERC) in to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of the Scheme in order to inform future policy and practice in schools. The current phase of their research is in the form of questionnaires and interviews with school communities, which are being conducted with a sample of schools in the Scheme.

The ERC has also conducted research on student attainment and on the views of parents, students, teachers and principals of participating schools. A report on these research findings will be published by my Department before the end of 2024.