Enda Kenny’s Policy on Irish Language
**Note – Previously appeared on www.ogra.ie last month**
Enda Kenny’s committment to removing Irish as a compulsory subject at Leaving Certificate level is nothing more than a politician playing to his political base.
The fact that Fine Gael candidates in Gaeltacht areas oppose his plans tells a more important story. Enda will say and do anything to win a vote.
The way Irish has been taught over the decades probably did nothing more than to entrench the language in certain pockets of the country. Having said that it probably saved the language to a certain extent.
Enda’s proposals for Irish are like himself a distraction from the real issue. His inability to see that we need reform of the way Irish is taught rather than casting it adrift in the sea of other optional subjects at Leaving Certificate. An Ghaeilge is not the same as Arabic or Hebrew. It is the national language and as some one who comes from 6 miles of a Gaeltacht and who understands that we all have the ability to speak the language even if it is with the aid of copious amounts of alcohol.
So what should we do instead of Enda’s and Fine Gael’s daft idea??
Let’s be radical!
1. All Playschools to be as Gaeilge giving children a firm grounding in the language.
2. All children to receive one free trip to a Gaeltacht in Junior Cycle.
3. Leaving Certificate to have two seperate Irish subjects.
- Gaeilge mar Theanga Beo
- Gaeilge mar Abhair Acadúil.
All students would study Gaeilge mar theanga beo. It would focus on the spoken langauge, building on prior learning with a goal of creating a bi lingual Ireland.
Gaeilge mar abhair acaduil would as its name suggests focus on the academic nature of the language ie poetry, prose etc allowing students with a flare for the language to study it further.
There we have it. A sensible solution. Pity Enda doesnt do sensible though…
Update: The Irish Language Commission agrees with the idea of splitting up Irish into two subjects.
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