Why forcing Irish on all makes most of us gag
March 21, 2011
MOST people are fairly impressed with the way our new Taoiseach is getting off the mark on tackling various pre-election issues.
But at least one of his policy proposals has already been spectacularly abandoned. That’s the promise to remove the compulsion to take Irish as a Leaving Certificate subject.
In one way it’s easy to see why Mr Kenny dropped the idea like a hot potato: the squawks, yells, huffs and puffs were deafening… all delivered in English, of course, as is the wont of the language police when they’re saying something they want understood; no sense protesting in our sacred native tongue, since the majority of people would neither hear nor understand. Their yelling was so deafening that Fine Gael probably thought the issue could lose them the election. So they listened to the travellers on the Irish language gravy train rather than to the population at large: and dropped the policy.
An Coimisineir Teanga, Sean O Curreain, whose office was set up to implement the provisions of the Official Languages Act, issued his annual report last week. It contained records of 700-odd complaints from people who found themselves unable to conduct their business through Irish with State departments. The Coimisineir was particularly pained because according to the last Census of Population, he points out, there are 72,000 people in Ireland who use Irish “on a daily basis”. I find that a fascinating statistic. Because another statistic from the report shows that only 1.5 per cent of the administrative staff of the Department of Education could provide a service in Irish. When you put those two statistics together, it would seem that the department has been singularly unlucky in being unable to find employees with a working knowledge of the language. Or could it be that the 72,000 people who use it “daily” are a figment of somebody’s imagination? Maybe even their own? After all, as Mr O Curreain himself points out, young adults are leaving school after having completed 1,500 hours of language tuition over a 13-year period … and they still can’t speak or write Irish.
We have just completed our annual hypocrisy fest called Seachtain na Gaeilge, in which everyone is “encouraged” to use what Irish they have. But despite being out and about as much as the average Irish citizen, I didn’t hear a solitary word of Irish spoken. In fact I, who cannot speak, write, or understand Irish, spoke the most Irish I heard last week: twice, in the company of friends, I said “Slainte” as I raised a glass. I frequently say that, because I don’t like “Cheers”. If that makes me one of the 72,000 Irish people who use the first official language “on a daily basis” we’re even more delusional and hypocritical than I believed. Admittedly, listening to and watching RTE during Seachtain na Gaeilge, you’d think that the entire country was going around with its collective nose stuck in a copy of Buntus Cainte or whatever the current text book is. But then RTE follows the official line, so presumably it shares Coimisineir O Curreain’s delusion that there are 72,000 bi-lingual people in the country. (There may well be, but Irish isn’t one of their two languages.)
I remember a well-known broadcaster who doesn’t go in for hypocrisy telling me on one occasion that his then teenage children demanded that he enter them on the Census form as Irish speakers, because they thought “it was a nice thing to be”. He refused, not being one to tell lies on official forms, and he knew very well that they couldn’t construct a sentence between them. Maybe his honesty was less than universal, and that’s why the census listed 72,000 people who use Irish “daily”. The bullying response to the Fine Gael proposal to make an act of faith in the Irish people as having a genuine fondness for the language, was both sad and interesting. The Nationalist Thought Police howled with one voice that it would be a death knell. So this core of our national beating heart will die out unless it’s forced on people? Nobody will opt willingly to learn this beauteous tongue? But haven’t we been told for generations that a love of the language was one of the markers of what made us Irish? And didn’t thousands, nay, millions of us suffer dungeon, fire, and sword to speak it? Or was that the Rosary?
What was really happening when it looked as though Fine Gael might actually have the courage of its convictions, was a convulsion among the people who’ve been on the financial pig’s back for years thanks to the compulsory nature of Irish in the education system and the public service. I used to feel guilty about my cynical belief that the various Mna na Tithe in the summer Irish schools were probably down on their knees storming heaven for their teenage visitors to be found uttering a forbidden English word. Because the kids are sent home in disgrace… but their fees aren’t refunded. Nice little money-making scam, I thought. And I was right: the language police even came out and admitted it: the Bean a Ti would be out of business, they shouted; under the Fine Gael proposals nobody would study Irish if they didn’t have to, much less visit the Gaeltacht during summer holidays. I recall receiving a letter on another occasion when I wrote about linguistic hypocrisy, in that case the outrageous expense involved in having all EU documents translated into Irish as an “official language” of the Community. My letter came from a civil servant. Who did I think I was, he wanted to know? He knew people who had terrific jobs with terrific salaries: they were official translators of documentation into Irish. It was their full-time job.
Enda Kenny (with his immaculate Irish, and obvious love of the language) and Fine Gael generally, were clearly naive even to imagine that they could square up to the sacred cow of the Irish language. If they’d stuck to their guns they would certainly have lost the votes of those who are making a load of money out of the language. But the sad thing is that Mr Kenny didn’t have the wit to realise that these people may shout a storm, but they’re ridiculously few in number. Effectively, the breaking of the Fine Gael promise is chickening out on an opportunity to revive the language. Because it hasn’t occurred to any of them that the language isn’t the problem: it’s having it shoved joylessly and leadenly down people’s throats that makes it hated. And yes, let’s tell the truth: there are more people out there who loathe Irish than love or speak it. And it’s compulsion that did it.
Sunday Independent – Emer O’Kelly
A new plan for education
March 21, 2011
Madam, – It was most refreshing and encouraging to read Seán Flynn’s advice to the new Minister for Education (Education Today, March 15th) regarding “breathing new life into the Irish language”.
It is a rare experience to read the direct clarity of the message “overturning 90 years of failed Irish language policy”. Those of us who speak and love the Irish language and value it as a gateway to the land of our forefathers, are aware of the malign effect of this policy on generations of young people. We have had nearly a century of State compulsion, even, for a time, to the extent of “no Irish, no job” in the public service. We have had bribery in the form of grants to Irish-speaking homes, and jobs as translators for Irish language university students, in the pretence that it is necessary to use tons of paper for translations of legislation, to be read by a person or persons unknown. However, “an rud is annamh is iontach”, so full marks to Mr Flynn. The question is, will Ruairí Quinn, or any other Minister, stand up to the Irish language lobby and its phalanx of support organisations? The Taoiseach seems already to have backed down on compulsory Irish in the Leaving Cert. – Yours, etc,
PD GOGGIN,
Glenageary Woods,
Dún Laoghaire,
Co Dublin.
Irish Independent – Litir chuig an Eagarthóir
Gaelscoil Ros Eo – Lá Spraoi
March 16, 2011
All-Irish schools fight for teachers
March 16, 2011
MORE than 40 all-Irish primary schools will lose teachers next September following a change in the current favourable pupil-teacher ratio in Gaelscoileanna.
They will have the same ratio as the English-medium schools, a change that will particularly hit Gaelic schools with between three and eight teachers. A campaign to retain the present ratio was launched yesterday by Gaelscoileanna Teo, whose president, Micheal O Broin, said the present system recognised the considerable extra workload involved in running an Irish-medium school, such as implementing the entire curriculum through the medium of Irish.
Up to 31 schools will lose one teacher, four schools will lose two teachers and administrative principals will have to return to the classroom in the case of six schools. As a consequence, the number of pupils in classes will increase and there will many mixed classes with a high number of children in them, he said.
Irish Independent
Call for separate Irish language and literature courses
March 16, 2011
AN COIMISINÉIR Teanga Seán Ó Cuirreáin has proposed that Irish-language tuition be split into two separate school courses as part of the promised Government review.
Mr Ó Cuirreáin said one course could focus on the language basics for non-native speakers. A second course would focus on literature and language history as an option for native speakers and those pupils with a good command of Irish. He was speaking in Galway yesterday at the publication of his annual report which found only 1.5 per cent of the administrative staff of the Department of Education and Skills could provide a service in Irish. The same department was among a number of public bodies which were subject to almost a dozen investigations by his staff under the provisions of the Official Languages Act.
Mr Ó Cuirreáin welcomed the Government’s commitment to review Irish-language tuition. The programme for government has dropped the Fine Gael proposal to abandon compulsory Irish for the Leaving Certificate, and Mr Ó Cuirreáin said a review was a far better option. However, he agreed there was a need for reform of the current system, whereby children are given 1,500 hours of Irish-language tuition over 13 years in primary and secondary school and still leave without a “basic ability”. “We are not getting value for money. The basic ability is not there when children are leaving [education]. There is a school of thought that we should possibly have two different courses. One would be a communications course where the emphasis would be on writing, reading and speaking Irish, and only on that,! he said.
“A second course would be for people with a natural interest in the language: literature, poetry, drama and so on.” Mr Ó Cuirreáin said a language-based course could result in school-leavers having sufficient command of the language to “watch TG4 or read a newspaper … Certainly abandoning the language will not achieve that.” Mr Ó Cuirreáin described as “alarming” the confirmation by his office that only 1.5 per cent of the administrative staff of the Department of Education and Skills could provide service in Irish – a decrease of 50 per cent in the past five years. He also described as a “myth” the suggestion that translating official documents to Irish cost far more than their production in English. He noted that the full cost of translating Clare County Council’s draft development plan for the six-year period between 2011 and 2017 was EUR10,112 – less than one-third of the amount suggested in a media report.
However, an investigation by his office found it cost over EUR350,000 to prepare such a document in English. “This equates to 97.3 per cent of the budget for the English version and 2.7 per cent for the Irish version,” he said. Very few official documents were required by law to be provided bilingually, he said. Current legislation allowed for publication electronically rather than in print form, as long as both official languages were treated equally. Some 700 complaints were made last year to the commissioner about difficulties accessing State services through Irish – more complaints than were made in any year since the office was first established, he said. Most complaints were resolved through informal negotiation with the relevant public body, or by providing advice to the complainant.
The Irish Times – Lorna Siggins
Language chief suggests splitting Irish into two
March 16, 2011
Leabhair do pháistí le fail saor in aisce
March 16, 2011
Ábhar dóchais agus éadóchais ag an Choimisinéir Teanga
March 16, 2011
Áiseanna digiteacha úra sa seomra ranga
March 16, 2011
How Quinn can make a difference
March 16, 2011
The new Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn has the unenviable task of boosting standards in Irish education with virtually no additional investment. Here’s an 11-point action plan to help him turn things around
1 PUT YOUR HANDS UP AND ADMIT THERE ARE DEEP-SEATED PROBLEMS IN OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM
For decades, successive ministers for education have congratulated teachers on our world class education system – even as some of the same teachers pointed to an alarming decline in standards. Batt O’Keeffe broke the mould in 2009 by raising awkward questions about the quality of Irish graduates – and by refusing to act as a cheerleader for the Irish education system. Late last year, the latest OECD world rankings confirmed the Irish system was nothing like as good as we thought. Almost a quarter of our 15 year-olds are functionally illiterate. On reading levels, Ireland has slipped from fifth place in 2000 to 17th place, the sharpest decline among the 39 countries surveyed. In maths, Ireland has fallen from 16th to 26th place, the second steepest decline among participating countries. Ireland is now ranked as below average in maths. The new Minister’s first message should be to acknowledge these deep-seated problems and end the culture of complacency. The signs are good. On the day after his appointment as Minister for Education and Skills last week, Ruairí Quinn described the OECD rankings as a “wake- up call’’ for the Irish education system .
2 ABOLISH BOTH THE JUNIOR AND LEAVING CERT
Neither exam is fit for purpose. And don’t just take my word for it. Talk to US multinationals about their difficulty in recruiting top-class graduates in key areas. Or listen to Tom Boland, head of the Higher Education Authority. He says many students weaned on the rote-learning culture of the Leaving struggle to adjust at third level. The Junior and Leaving Cert exams seem increasingly out of place in an era of smart technology. We want an education system which promotes independent learning and critical thinking and one which encourages students to be multilingual and at the cutting edge of technology. That’s why both exams should be scrapped. One piece of advice: set a time limit for the review of both exams which has been promised in the Programme for Government. And make sure the review team is full of radical, bold thinkers. The traditional education taskforce – made up of nominees from the teaching unions is exactly what’s not required. Their main agenda is to protect members. You need people who will take a wider view.
And while you’re at it, review the CAO points system which has not been subject to serious scrutiny since the 1999 Points Commission.
3 MAKE SURE EVERY TEACHER AT SECOND LEVEL IS QUALIFIED TO TEACH THE SUBJECT FOR WHICH THEY ARE TIMETABLED
It sounds straightforward. Every teacher should be qualified to teach their subject. But it’s not always the case in Irish schools . Astonishingly, 48 per cent of our maths teachers at second level are not qualified in the subject. The practice of finding a teacher, any teacher, to take the maths or biology class must be banned. Our children deserve better.
The Minister might also end the system where key subjects are unavailable in some schools or only available at ordinary level. Make the system more flexible so that students can take different classes in different schools; a practice increasingly common in the North.
4 REFORM TEACHER EDUCATION AT BOTH PRIMARY AND SECOND LEVELS – EXTEND THE TIME AND CHANGE THE CONTENT OF THE COURSES
To update yourself, read a recent report from the Teaching Council (the professional body for teachers) on Mary Immaculate College, Limerick, one of the largest teacher training colleges in the State. The report said trainee teachers spend too much time studying religion; the time allocated for religion was four times that for science. It also said that programme overload meant students do not have time “to critically reflect on their professional development and practice”. The new Minister should support the review of teacher training initiated by his predecessor – and make it a priority. He might also question why five State-funded teacher training colleges are controlled by the Catholic church.
5 MAKE MORE INFORMATION ON SCHOOLS AVAILABLE TO PARENTS AND THE WIDER COMMUNITY
For years, there has been a culture of secrecy in Irish education with virtually no information flow to parents. The Irish Times’ much copied Feeder School Lists have opened up a shaft of light. But parents can still struggle to get the information they need to make one of the most important decisions of their lives, namely, which school is best for my child?
One of the most common criticisms of school league tables is that they stigmatise schools in disadvantaged areas. But what’s the alternative? Ignoring the problem of some schools and pretending they don’t exist? Prof Colm Harmon of UCD” one of the few students from Ballyfermot Senior College to go on to university – recently backed an Australian-style system where exam results of all schools are posted on a website. “If there are great disparities in results and entrance to third-level education between different schools they should be highlighted. The information should be available to everybody, including researchers, and then the problems can by addressed by targeting more resources to those schools.’’ The bad news? The new Government already appears to have backed away from a Fine Gael plan which would have required all schools to publish exam results. The new Programme for Government says schools should provide public information “across a wide range of criteria”.
6 TACKLE CAUSE OF LITERACY AND NUMERACY DIFFICULTIES, ESPECIALLY IN DISADVANTAGED SCHOOLS
There are some good ideas in the new Programme for Government on literacy. Disadvantaged primary schools will be required to teach literacy for 120 minutes a day. But more detail is required on how this will work. Early childhood care is key here so Minister Quinn must work with Frances Fitzgerald, the new Minister for Children. Remember also that many of the problems are outside the school gates. An integrated approach across several departments may be required. Don’t rule out incentives to attract the best teachers to the most difficult schools.
7 SPEAK UP FOR OUR UNIVERSITIES – THEY DESERVE MORE CREDIT
The universities often get a bad press because of the inflated salaries for senior figures and those bloated administrative structures. But they actually do a good job and give very good value to the taxpayer. TCD and UCD, for example, make do with about 60 per cent of the funding available to Edinburgh University yet both are ranked inside the world top 100. What the universities don’t need is micro-management from the Higher Education Authority or the Department of Education. That said, you need to lay down some clear markers. Make sure the taxpayer is getting a bang for his buck when it comes to research funding. Over EUR1 billion has been invested over the past decade and another €UR00 million is promised. But the jobs return on this investment has been poor. Tell the universities to stop competing against each other and look to the common good. End the practice where colleges will “clone’’ a successful courses offered elsewhere.
8 GRASP THE FUNDING NETTLE, DON’T LET IRISH HIGHER EDUCATION DECLINE
Tackling the funding crisis is the biggest issue facing higher education. The sector is struggling to cope with record numbers at a time when its funding is being cut back. The projected 30 per cent increase in student numbers over the next decade will bring the system close to breaking point. We don’t need a review of the Hunt Report and OECD reviews as promised (threatened?) in the Programme for Government. This will only underline the scale of the funding crisis. Here’s the reality. The 26,000 who pay at least EUR5,000 a year for private education at second level can afford to pay fees/loans at third level. Embrace the student loan/graduate tax plan outlined by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. A higher education which is free at the point of entry and links fees to income after graduation is fair and just. Why should the ordinary taxpayer underwrite the EUR35,000 a year needed to train undergraduates in medicine when many proceed to lucrative careers? A parallel system which protects poor and disadvantaged students is also essential. But the basic principle is this – those who can afford to pay for higher education should be asked to make a contribution.
9 BREATHE NEW LIFE INTO THE IRISH LANGUAGE. THE CHALLENGE HERE IS IMMENSE – OVERTURNING 90 YEARS OF FAILED IRISH LANGUAGE POLICY
The key issue is how Irish is taught in schools and how society values the language. Is reading, spelling, writing and grammar introduced too early in primary schools? Would the Minister be brave enough to propose spoken Irish only in primary school? On compulsion, the new Minister might reference an Irish Times poll from 2005. Given a choice, a majority of parents said they would prefer their children to learn a foreign language rather than Irish. Does our society value our language as much as the pro-Irish lobby would have us believe?
10 TAKE A HARD LOOK AT THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
The failure of the Department of Education to pick up on the decline in educational standards highlighted in last year’s OECD report must raise questions about its overall capacity.
The Department also failed to notice – or to inform anyone – about the persistent grade inflation in Irish third level colleges until two academics in Tralee, Co Kerry, identified the problem. A decade ago, an expert report compiled by Seán Cromien, a former senior civil servant, was scathing about the department. It was, it said, a place where the urgent drives out the important. The Department has raised its game by devolving powers to new agencies like the State Exams Commission but questions linger about its capacity to manage and drive Irish education. Should the so-called Department for Children and Schools be in control of higher education? A key task facing the Minister is to take a hard, critical look at the Department of Education. He will find a good ally in Brigid McManus, the secretary general who is progressive and outward-looking.
11ADOPT A ZERO TOLERANCE APPROACH TOWARDS UNDERPERFORMANCE IN SCHOOLS
The vast majority of teachers in Ireland are high-calibre professionals with a huge commitment to their pupils but there is a minority who underperform. This group can do great damage to pupils and undermine their academic potential. But in the past decade, not one teacher has been sacked for underperformance. The Minister should listen to the concerns of parents and send the message that underperformance in the classroom will not be tolerated.
QUICK FIX: SOME OTHER MOVES THAT COULD HELP
* FIGHT TO KEEP EVERY CENT OF CURRENT FUNDING
There might not be much money swirling around but an education system that runs on two-thirds of the EU average cannot survive with anything less.
* INCREASE CLASS CONTACT TIME FOR SECOND-LEVEL STUDENTS
End the interminable summer holidays, introduced to facilitate farmers in the 1930s but out of kilter in the modern age.
* ALLOW EDUCATE TOGETHER TO EXPAND
Give Educate Together, the multi-denominational school group, the right to open second-level schools.
* ADDRESS THE CHRONIC UNDERPERFORMANCE BY BOYS AT SECOND LEVEL
Encourage co-ed schools at second level; boys do much better in this environment.
* SET UP A NATIONAL FORUM ON SCHOOL PATRONAGE
Follow on quickly on the commitment in the Programme for Government to establish a national forum on school patronage. Proceed with the plan before Diarmuid Martin, the most open advocate of change, seeks a transfer back to Rome. And remember the Irish Times poll finding last year which found that 61 per cent favour transferring control of primary schools from the Catholic Church to the State.
* REVIEW THE PROMINENCE OF IRISH AND RELIGION ON THE CURRICULUM
By some estimates, over 30 per cent of all teaching time in primary schools is taken up by religion and Irish. Is this appropriate in an increasingly secular Ireland – and one where knowledge of a foreign language is so critical for employment. At present, primary schoolchildren receive no foreign language instruction.
* GET TOUGH ON ADMISSION POLICIES
Especially in those fee-paying schools who receive EUR100 million in State support. Penalise any private school where admission policies work to exclude minorities and children with learning needs. Ask the religious orders how they justify their continued support for elite education.
The Irish Times – Seán Flynn
