Irish Language Exemption and Class Attendance

The leaving cert takes your best 6 out of 7 subjects. For most I would think its their backup subject. For some they will ignore it completely and just do well in 6.

For those who have an exemption, whats the issue? As others have pointed out - there may not be another room/teacher to supervise.

As long as they are not disrupting anyone, keeping the head down and doing their own work there should be no issue. The class can just ignore them as the teacher leads the class.

I failed foundation Irish - just didn't give a crap. Did accounting in my Irish classes and the class went on without me. Everyone else just got on with their work whilst I did accounting stuff without making a sound or disruptong anyone. The class managed.

I have a feeling you wouldn't react the same way about this situation in another subject - give it over. Irish isn't something the kids care about except the few who do higher. For most it'll be their seventh subject and the class will be a joke. There were 30 ish in my Irish class and we were the worst ordinary class as we all just didn't care about it.

IMO this is a big issue. Students should not be forced to take a subject that it is commonly acknowledged they have no interest in and it serves them no useful purposes in the academic world.
Great for the language that it remains on the curriculum for those motivated students who either have a grá for the language or are good at it and it gives them a competitive edge in the cut throat point race.

Otherwise give students the independence to treat Irish as they would choose any other language for the leaving cert.

I think you’ll find that maths and English are of some value to every student, while unless your into teaching, Irish is a luxury subject kids with for eg dyslexia could well do without. No issue with it being on the curriculum just remove its mandatory status

One could argue the format of the leaving cert itself discourages focusing on Irish.

If only 6 of 7 subjects are taken and most kids least favourite subject nowadays is Irish then do the math...

Unless your teaching LC Irish, doing Primary teaching or translating you don't need it. Do the guards still need it?

It is our national language, not a luxury subject.

If it was taught better it could truly help to revive the language and there is an increasing interest in it from the younger generations, look at the success of Kneecap who regularly rap as Gaelige and you have thousands rapping along with them.

Look at how Wales Cyrmu have revived their language and the population have taken to it greatly, shouldn't have even called them Wales anymore. They are a shining light that we should follow.

It took you 2 weeks to come back with a response to something I never said.

You're not quite Usain Bolt.

If you want to re-read what I said, happy to debate it.

Ok from that response including (Peig) I can tell it's been a good while since you were in secondary school. Do you even know anything about the curriculum or how it's taught anymore or is it just that you hated it?

What about the thousands who rap along as Gaeilge at Kneecap gigs, they all seem to be enjoying the language.

"Speaking" Irish means actually speaking it - not just repeating a few lyrics of a song you know.

I can confidently say kneecap fans aren't there for the Irish language....probably just like rap and feel rebellous because of the balaclava's/IRA theme.

There is two Italian songs I like - I know the course, doesn't mean I can speak Italian or have a desire to learn it.