Irish Election are pleased to announce our collection of Irish 
Enda on Schooling
Read more about: Education
Enda Kenny has another idea for the education system. This time however it is actually sane. (I am still waiting to a reply to my email)
1. Employ badly needed additional English-language teachers without delay.
2. Overhaul the rules governing the allocation of English teachers. Schools with a higher enrolment of children for whom English is not their first language should be entitled to a higher number of teachers.
3. Scrap the ‘two-year’ rule, which states that as soon as a child has benefited from language support for two years this support must end, regardless of need. Instead, after receiving this support for two years, children should be assessed, and where additional support is needed it should be sanctioned.
4. Update teacher-training courses to better equip teachers for the modern classroom. Out-of-date teaching courses do not focus on the challenges associated with teaching English as a second language, or the real issues teachers face in communicating with pupils who lack fluency in the language.
5. Enhance support to those currently teaching. Teachers must have enhanced access to courses such as those provided by Integrate Ireland Language and Training (IILT), which is funded by the Department of Education and Science to provide training and resource materials to assist schools in meeting the needs of pupils for whom English is a second language.
6. Address the English-language needs of foreign national parents. English classes should be provided during school hours on campus for parents of international children. This is an important aspect of allowing families to integrate into Ireland, and fostering links between Irish and foreign national parents.
Can’t really argue with that but hardly ground breakingly original. Still good though . One question is this on the proviso that they have pied in a cup or not.
Heres one suggestion. If the “child” can’t speak English don’t put them into a class based on age. If they can’t understand English (and many of them can’t when they first arrive) then it is unfair on them and on their fellow students to drop them into the middle of a Junior Cert or Leaving Cert class simply because thats the age level they should be at.
And I’m not suggesting we puth them into a class with younger students. Each school should be funded to establish a class dedicated to learning English. If a students English is not up to an age appropriate level then they should learn nothing but English for the first year rather than throw them into a biology class with an English Polish Dictionary. If they sit the leaving cert at 19 or 20 it’s better than failing at 18.
Very good point Mick. while many of them may well have the biology education to sit in a biology leaving cert biology class. if they don’t understand English then it is not much use. It is also unfair to be taking them out of classes to teach them english and expect them to sit the same papers
I think that the measures are somewhat more targeted at national school level where not being with your peers has a very significant effect on social development. So it would be better for the child to be amongst kids their own age. For the latter stages of secondary school certainly post junior cert I would agree with what mick suggests.