Below is a proposal I have written and am looking for Support

 

 

 

Introduction 

The Irish language holds a unique and vital place in Ireland’s cultural, historical, and national identity. As an official language of the state and a core subject within the education system, Irish should be a living means of communication rather than a purely academic exercise. However, despite many years of compulsory study, a significant proportion of students leave school unable to speak, read, or write Irish with confidence. This proposal outlines the fundamental problems within the current curriculum and presents a comprehensive vision for reform, focused on genuine language acquisition rather than rote memorisation.

The purpose of this document is to argue for a shift in Irish language education towards a model that prioritises vocabulary, grammar, comprehension, and spoken fluency. By adopting a more communicative and skills-based approach, the education system can foster real literacy and a more positive relationship between students and the language.

Current State of Irish Language Teaching

At present, Irish is largely taught and assessed as a memory-based subject. In many classrooms, students are provided with pre-written essays, answers, and phrases that they are expected to memorise verbatim. These prepared responses are often designed to match predictable exam questions, encouraging reproduction rather than understanding.

As a result, students frequently learn what to write without knowing what they are writing. Vocabulary is memorised in isolation, grammar rules are learned mechanically, and comprehension is secondary to recall. This approach creates an illusion of competence while failing to develop true language skills.

Rote Learning and Its Consequences

Rote learning discourages active engagement with the language. When students are rewarded for memorising entire texts, there is no incentive to understand sentence structure, verb tenses, or word meanings. Over time, this leads to dependency on learned material and anxiety when faced with unfamiliar vocab.

The consequences are severe: students struggle with basic conversation, cannot adapt the language to new contexts, and often feel frustrated or alienated. This contributes to a widespread negative perception of Irish as difficult, irrelevant, or inaccessible.

Lack of Functional Literacy

Functional literacy refers to the ability to use a language effectively in real-life situations. Under the current system, functional literacy in Irish is rarely achieved. Many students who achieve high exam grades are unable to hold a simple conversation, read a newspaper article, or write an original paragraph without extensive prep.

This gap between academic success and real-world ability undermines the credibility of the subject and the assessment system. It also limits the long-term survival and everyday use of the language.

Proposed Changes and Policy Measures

Key Principles for Reform

Any successful reform must be based on one clear principle; the main goal of Irish education should be functional literacy. Students should be able to understand spoken and written Irish, take part in conversations, and express their ideas clearly.

Curriculum Reform: Focusing on Communication

The Irish curriculum should be redesigned around communication. Learning outcomes should describe what students can do with the language, rather than what material they have covered. For example, instead of being able to write a paragraph on a topic of their choice rather than having done a chapter on Mo taighleagh. These outcomes should include practical skills such as asking questions, giving opinions, understanding instructions, and writing short original texts.

Grammar should be taught in a clear and practical way, always linked to communication. Instead of learning long lists of rules, students should focus on common structures taught in a way that works for students.

Vocabulary teaching should prioritise frequent and useful words. Language should be recycled regularly across different topics so that students can build confidence and retention.

Irish as the Language of the Classroom

Greater use of Irish during class time is essential. While full immersion may not be possible everywhere, consistent classroom Irish can greatly improve listening skills and confidence. Simple instructions, routines, and interactions should take place through Irish wherever possible.

Assessment Reform

Assessment strongly shapes teaching practice and must be reformed. Exams should reward understanding, flexibility, and originality rather than memorisation.

Written exams should place more emphasis on unseen comprehension, short functional writing tasks, and guided creative responses. The use of heavily memorised essays should be reduced or removed completely.

Oral assessments should focus on real interaction. Conversations, role-play, and discussion based on situations students face on a regular basis are far more effective measures of ability than rehearsed speeches.

Also an Oral assesment for Junior Cycle is vital to ensuring students are able to communicate in Irish at a Basic level.

Listening tests should reflect natural spoken Irish, including different accents and speaking speeds. which I believe is being done effectively by the Department already.

Resources and Technology

Modern, high-quality resources are needed to support change. Textbooks should encourage interaction and understanding rather than provide model answers. Digital resources, media, and online platforms can increase exposure to authentic Irish when used effectively. Especially resources for accessing past exam material i.e. Examinations.ie must be improved to provide teachers and students with the material they need to succeed.

Student Engagement and Motivation

Negative attitudes towards Irish often develop through repeated failure. Reform should focus on early success and meaningful communication. When students can use Irish successfully, motivation improves.

The language should be connected to real-life situations, modern culture, and student interests. Opportunities such as exchanges, projects, and Gaeltacht experiences should be accessible to a wider range of students.

Equity and Inclusion

Reform must recognise diverse learner needs. People learn differently, some will more effectively learn the language by speaking it, some hearing it and some reading it, all different learning methods must be considered.

Implementation and Evaluation

Clear communication with schools and families will be key to building confidence in the reformed system.

Educating and training teachers in the changes in advance to their implementation will also be vital.

I also recommend Comhairle Na nÓg be consulted nationally on these changes to get the views of a wide range of young people across the country.

Conclusion

The current approach to Irish language education has not achieved its central aim: producing confident and capable users of the language. Examination success without real ability is no longer acceptable.

By adopting a clearer, more communicative, and more supportive model, the education system can improve outcomes and rebuild trust in Irish as a living language. Such reform is essential for both educational quality and the future of the Irish language and Irish Culture itself.