Significant weaknesses in teaching of Irish
November 6, 2013
Chief Inspector’s Report shows major flaws in the learning and teaching of Irish in the education system.
The Report compiled by Chief Inspector Harold Hislop is based on the details of both announced and unannounced inspections carried out by the Department of Education and Skills between 2010 and 2012 and details the quality of learning and teaching of all subjects in Ireland’s schools.
This is the first time that the report has been published publically and while the quality of most subjects has been praised, the Chief Inspector has been critical of the approach to the teaching of Irish.
According to the report, the quality of Irish lessons is unsatisfactory in 24% of primary schools and 28% of post-primary schools. It found that 22% of students were not pupils were not provided with opportunities to learn through talk and discussion, one of the fundamental requirements of language learning. The inspection and Whole School Evaluations (WSE) found that students must be given greater opportunities to be provided to pupils to work collaboratively during Irish lessons, and for the language learning to be consolidated.
The report found that preparation and planning were of utmost importance in schools were the teaching of Irish was of a high standard. It estimates that 22% of teachers do not sufficiently prepare for lessons and as a result a significant amount of students are not being provided with the appropriate learning programme.
Inspectors noted that the assessment process was unsatisfactory in 35% of Irish lessons. The Chief Inspector’s Report found that this figure demonstrated the need of primary schools to make planned, systematic provision for assessing pupils’ learning of the main language skills in Irish.
A deficiency in resources for teaching Irish was recognised as a significant challenge in 20% of lessons and was also noted as challenge at post-primary level. The Inspectorate, in its 2007 report, Irish in the Primary School, recommended the implementation of a programme similar to Séideán Sí (currently in use in Gaeltacht and all-Irish schools) in all schools however, there has been no implementation of such a programme. It is hoped that the work of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) and will have a significant impact on this inadequacy.
The report highlights the need for greater attention to phonological awareness at post-primary level, a stronger focus on the acquisition of language structures and grammar rules and the consolidation of newly-acquired aspects of language. It recommends that lessons focus more on the target language and avoid translations. Inspector reports also found that found that in a small but significant number of classrooms, teachers’ own linguistic skills were deficient.
Foilsithe ar Gaelport.com
