Time to drop Irish as core subject
March 28, 2011
I AM writing concerning the discussion of making Irish an optional subject for the Leaving Certificate.
As a second-year student, I study Irish in school every day, and find it a chore to have to learn the extensive amount of grammar that accompanies it. The emphasis is never on speaking the language and the teachers seem reluctant to encourage this. The recent introduction of an oral exam for the Junior Cert, is an attempt to try and change this attitude. I don’t think this will have the desired effect, unless the monotonous teaching methods are changed. I think it is time to drop Irish as a core subject, and feel it is very unfair to have it as a requirement for college entry. The truth is, after 14 years of learning Irish in school, the majority of students leave unable to hold a basic conversation. While I think it is time to move on, I recognise that the patriotic fluent Irish speakers will most likely win the day.
Ross Watchorn
Lucan
Co Dublin
Irish Examiner – Litir chuig an Eagarthóir
