A' Level Irish provision 'absolute disaster'

No resolution has yet been reached regarding the Year 13 students unable to access A' Level Irish in any post-primary school in Derry.

Speaking to Derry Now, Ciarán Mac Giolla Bhéin, the chief executive of Comhairle na Gaelscolaíochta, described the situation as 'an absolute disaster.'

Comhairle na Gaelscolaíochta is an arm's-length body which advises the Department of Education and the Education Authority on issues relating to Irish-medium education,

As reported in last week's paper, at the start of this academic year it emerged, at least, three Year 13 students from three different post-primary schools in the city who had chosen to study A-Level Irish had been unable to do so.

Following publication of the article, Derry News was contacted by parents from County Derry and Tyrone whose children were facing the same situation.

According to one concerned parent, Ciara Mac Giolla Fhiondáin, there were no schools in South Derry providing A-Level Irish in June this year.

She said: “That included St Patrick's College in Maghera, which up to four years ago had an Irish-medium unit funded by the school itself; St Columb's College in Draperstown; St Pius X College, Rainey Endowed School, Sperrin Integrated College and St Mary's Grammar School in Magherafelt. Eventually, St Mary's said they would teach it as part of the Magherafelt Learning Partnership.

“Thankfully, however, St Patrick's College, the school which my daughter, Saorla, attends, tried its very best to help her get A-Level Irish. It joined the Magherafelt Learning Partnership to ensure she could access the subject. As a result, Saorla now travels from St Patrick's College to St Mary's Grammar School three times a week.”

A teacher at Bunscoil Naomh Bríd, Tirkane in Slaughtneil, Gemma Brolly, who is the Aontú representative for East Derry and the party's spokesperson for education, said she was extremely disappointed to learn pupils across the North were being denied the same opportunities she had had at school.

She added: “I developed my love and knowledge of the Irish language at secondary level and was lucky enough to avail of tuition in Irish to A-Level. There is a surge of interest in the language with more than 7,000 children in Irish-medium education. However, there is a big gap in the provision for language acquisition through English-medium schools, from primary level upwards.

“There are cognitive advantages of learning additional languages, yet the Department of Education does not seem to wish to support and foster an interest in bilingualism.

There appears to be a policy of undermining the language. Last year, Aontú notified the Council for Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) of our disappointment and disapproval at the decision to remove the speaking element of the Irish language examination.

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“A few months later, we have a situation where pupils are being forced to drop the Irish language altogether. This is completely unacceptable. I have already contacted a number of organisations to express my disappointment on this matter and offer our support in reversing this.

“We in Aontú will strive to ensure all young people have the opportunity to continue in their studies of the Irish language, as is their right vindicated by the United Nations Convention on the rights of the Child,” said Gemma Brolly.

According to Ciarán Mac Giolla Bhéin, A-Level Irish cannot currently be studied in Omagh in County Tyrone, either.

He said: “That is absolutely disastrous, particularly given the very strong culture that existed in Omagh over a long number of years of young people going through education right up to A-Level and then going on from A-Level to university.

“Ultimately, there is a statutory duty on the Department of Education to encourage and facilitate the development of Irish-medium education. That, of course, should mean any young person, be they in Derry, Belfast or anywhere else, should have and be afforded the right to have access to the full range of the curriculum through the medium of Irish and the right to sit their A-Level in Irish.

“These young people who want to do A-Level Irish are the future teachers for our sector, they are the future practitioners but they are not coming through, those opportunities are not being encouraged and facilitated, in keeping with the statutory duty of the Department of Education.

“This is a legal duty on the Department of Education and it is not being fulfilled.

“Is there a strategy in place at the highest level, at departmental level, to continue to promote and encourage the development of Irish-medium education and A-Level Irish provision, given there is a legal duty? How is that given effect? What is the Department of Education doing to meet this? Does it have an actual strategy?

“If you take the example of Wales, the government there has been very up front and open and said, 'We want to increase the number of people who are sitting Welsh A-Level and we want to increase the number of people who are attending Welsh-medium education', and it took proactive steps to bring that about. Contrast that with the approach here, which is 'stand off-y' at best,” said Ciarán Mac Giolla Bhéin.

Mr Mac Giolla Bhéin contended the Department of Education in the North had no coherent strategy or policy in place to encourage or facilitate Irish-medium education.

He added: “We are seeing from the highest levels of education a greater emphasis being placed on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects.

“The Department of Education, which has the responsibility for language teaching, needs to re-focus and put a re-emphasis on the teaching of languages. It needs to provide more opportunities and celebrate languages more.

“I have no doubt, this in turn would be replicated within schools. Governors would feel more assured in terms of providing support and providing opportunities to young people,” concluded Mr Mac Giolla Bhéin.