Primary School - Irish language optional ?

LordSutch

Are Irish lessons still compulsory in Primary schools? I guess the answer is probably Yes, but are there any get-out clauses for parents who wish their children to learn subjects other than Irish?

Chuchoter

No,not unless you fake dyslexia or something, and even then they'd just be sitting there colouring or something. The system isn't interested in useful subjects :P Why don't you want them to do Irish?

LordSutch

Why? because chances are that he will leave school in thirteen or fourteen years time without being able to speak Irish fluently (like most of the Irish population), and for this reason I deem Irish lessons to be a complete waste of time (for my child) in Primary school & Secondary school.

Looks like he will have do do them though :cool:

Ollchailin

But he might actually enjoy it- lots of children do. Plus he'd be left out of things if he wasn't involved with the rest of the class. And besides, it's said that students who learn two languages (or more) at a young age find other languages easier to pick up (I know there's research done on this, don't have a link though, sorry!).

I understand you feel he won't use it, but there are lots of things he won't use when he grows up, and you can't assume he won't ever use Irish- he might like it & want to do it.

BoozyBabe

Why don't you give him the opportunity to decide this for himself!
How do you know he'll have as negative attitude towards the language as you do.
How do you know he won't absolutely love it, in spite of you!

Do you plan on trying to deny your son all the other opportunities in life that you don't agree with / find to be a waste of time?
Sure he prob won't be a professional soccer play / concert pianist, should you try therefore to ensure he's excluded from PE & Music from school?

As said, being exposed to a second language, regardless of what that language is, at a young age, makes it easier for the child to pick up other languages.

The best thing you could do for your son is to keep your attitudes of the Irish language to yourself & let him form his own, unbiased views of the language. There's a good chance he'll agree with you, there's a chance he won't.
But my point is, they should be HIS views.

sealgaire

But he is going to have a negative attitude towards the lananguage because he parents have it and they will pass it on to him. So he is doomed I think . . .

thelittleone

If he dosn't study irish his options when he is older are limited. Irish is required for entry into many of the university's in Ireland and if he ever decided he was interested in Primary School teaching without Irish its not an option.

LordSutch

thelittleone wrote: »

If he dosn't study irish his options when he is older are limited. Irish is required for entry into many of the university's in Ireland and if he ever decided he was interested in Primary School teaching without Irish its not an option.

Could possibly end up in an English Uni, which brings me on to the standard of Irish required to be accepted into an Irish Uni, and I know quite a few attendees who still cannot hold a long flowing conversation in Irish :cool: I am not Anti-Irish language, I just wish it was taught in a manner 'Ala french' for example, wherby it was embraced & cherished by more people, instead of being wasted & reduced to a situation wherby Irish Uni Students end up with only the 'Cupla Focal'.

byhookorbycrook

I thoink you will find that Irish is more widely "cherished" than you think and better taught than you seem to believe.

E.T.

Camelot wrote: »

Could possibly end up in an English Uni, which brings me on to the standard of Irish required to be accepted into an Irish Uni, and I know quite a few attendees who still cannot hold a long flowing conversation in Irish :cool: I am not Anti-Irish language, I just wish it was taught in a manner 'Ala french' for example, wherby it was embraced & cherished by more people, instead of being wasted & reduced to a situation wherby Irish Uni Students end up with only the 'Cupla Focal'.

The biggest problem with Irish is that it isn't "embraced and cherished by more people" outside of school hours! I realise that it's a Catch-22 situation at this stage - people had bad experiences of Irish in school so they dislike it now, which in turn means they're less likely to support efforts to use it more. Most people do a European language at secondary level now but you'd be hard pushed to get more than a few words let alone a basic sentence of French or German from them unless they've continued studying it to third level, or lived in France/Germany.

The curriculum has changed since most adults (anyone out of their teens really) were in school - it's a lot more conversation based. I teach infants and a lot of the Irish we use is everyday instruction in addition to formal lessons. I think a language needs to be taught like this, it's crazy to think that people will pick up a language through isolated lessons alone.

Irish needs to be everywhere - fine, you see it up on roadsigns and you see the odd "Fáilte" or "Slán" messages on shop doors. I think it should anything in print in public should be in English and Irish. It would be a lot more meaningful for those actually learning the language at the moment, and ring a few bells for those who learned it and left it go in the past.

LordSutch

Thanks for the replies guys, but with with my four year old about to start 'Irish' lessons in the next year or so, I am just wary on his behalf.
I remember my experience of having it hammered into me in Primary school (which didn't work), and 'this hammering' has been going on since Irish was introduced into the Primary education system at the foundation of the State! > Even the latest crop of school leaver can't speak Irish fluently (by & Large). Looks like we will have to take the long journey & see what happens in eighteen years time.

#15

Camelot wrote: »

Thanks for the replies guys, but with with my four year old about to start 'Irish' lessons in the next year or so, I am just wary on his behalf.
I remember my experience of having it hammered into me in Primary school (which didn't work), and 'this hammering' has been going on since Irish was introduced into the Primary education system at the foundation of the State! > Even the latest crop of school leaver can't speak Irish fluently (by & Large). Looks like we will have to take the long journey & see what happens in eighteen years time.

I can sympathise.

It's probably frustrating knowing that your son will spend so much time studying a language that, in all likelihood, he will not gain fluency in.

As has been said already, no one can learn a language through the school system alone.

byhookorbycrook

#15 wrote: »

I can sympathise.

As has been said already, no one can learn a language through the school system alone.

Gaelscoileanna prove that this is not true.

Catari Jaguar

Any parents out there have any idea how Gaelige is taught in primary school these days? Or are you just gonna deem the language unlearnable, useless & unenjoyable because of the draconian manner that was used to try to teach you gramadach? :rolleyes:

jane17

Either its the cirriculum or the way its taught but obviously there is a problem with irish in the schools today.
It seems to be attend a gaelscoil and become fluent effortless or go throught !4 years of struggling with the language and still not being able to hold a decent conversation!
I certainly dont the answer but I do feel at the moment it feels like flogging a dead horse!

E.T.

It's impossible to become fluent in a language for life without using it outside school hours with a variety of people - parents, friends, people in real life situations eg shops, restaurants. People can give out about the curriculum all they want (and I would agree that there's too much emphasis on grammar before fluency) but unless they're prepared to try and help their children by using their cúpla focail in the home, then it's just all hot air.

As cherub rock says above, teaching methods have changed a lot since the new curriculum introduced in 1999. There's so much free information available and sites to help adults with Irish on the internet that there's no excuse for people not being able to learn enough to help their kids themselves.