News from Minister of Education received by Minister of Health, FF Spokesperson & Minister of State

Thank you all very much for signing the petition for Mandarin Chinese should be offered for Leaving Cert. We have reached over 500 signatures. Thank you. Here're more responses from Minister of Education & Skills received by Minister of Health, TD Simon Harris, FF Spokesperson TD John Lahart and Minister of State for Food Forestry and Horticulture, TD Andrew Doyle. Dear Simon, Thank you for your recent e-mail in relation to the proposed rollout of Mandarin Chinese as a Leaving Certificate examination subject. I am making enquiries about this matter and I will write to you again as soon as possible. Yours sincerely, Richard Bruton 1 (003) Richard Bruton TD Minister for Education and Skills Chun an Aire Oideachais agus Eolaíoctha To the Minister for Education and Science To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the stage at which plans to introduce the teaching of Mandarin as a language on the Leaving Certificate are at; and if he will make a statement on the matter. - John Lahart. * For WRITTEN answer on Tuesday, 5th July, 2016. Reference Number: 19538/16 Freagra Minister Richard Bruton The Programme for a Partnership Government commits to a range of new subjects and this is something I will work on over the coming years. As part of the new Framework for Junior Cycle, schools can decide to include a short course in Chinese language and Culture, prepared by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, in their junior cycle programme. There is also currently a Transition Year module on Chinese, which was taken by 4,825 students in 2015. My Department is currently considering the findings from a consultation process based on a policy document on Languages in Education published last year. Amongst the topics being considered in this context is the possibility of offering additional languages for the Leaving Certificate. It is expected that a languages strategy will be finalised in the second half of this year. Dear Andrew, The Department of Education is working on a Foreign Language Strategy and intends to complete it by the autumn. The Strategy will consider foreign languages from the post-primary sector upwards. The strategy will take into account the findings of a public consultative process with education stakeholders held in 2014. Following the analysis of the submissions received there were two further consultation events in 2015, one concentrating on schools and the second seeking input from stakeholders in the higher and further education sectors along with industry.