The study of Irish at second level is in crisis, with little enthusiasm for the language among many students and poor performances in examinations, according to a confidential new report.
A major review of Irish at post-primary level is to start soon as a result of the report, which was drawn up by the education partners. It says students learn Irish for 3,186 hours during their school careers (primary and secondary) but they do not appear to benefit fully from this intense level of teaching.
Teachers are finding it increasingly hard to engender any enthusiasm for Irish among demotivated students, it says.
The report - seen by The Irish Times - has been produced by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), responsible for reforming the curriculum and advising the Minister for Education on Irish. Entitled Proposals for the Review of Gaeilge in the Post-Primary Curriculum, the report was recently discussed by the NCCA.
The views contained in it have prompted the NCCA to carry out a full review of the subject. One of the most damning of these views is that students are no longer motivated enough to study the subject to a high level.
The report states: "The goal of engendering enthusiasm for the language and its use in everyday settings is becoming increasingly difficult as more and more teachers are faced with a lack of motivation on the part of students in many schools and resulting low achievement levels".
It adds: "These issues of under-achievement and de motivation are now posing a serious challenge at all levels".
Apart from a small group of high achievers, "the majority of students and the language itself are not benefiting proportionally from the hours spent" in the study of Irish, it says.
It also notes an "unusual clustering" of grades at D3 (ordinary level) in the Leaving Cert. Because a D3 is a minimum requirement for entry to many third-level courses, the report suggests this may be the only reason students bother reaching this level.
"It could be the case that students perceive the achievement of the pass grade as a strategic rather than an educational goal," it states. In 1999 more than 10 per cent of students got a D3 at ordinary level. This was significantly higher than the number of D3s in other subjects.
Some educationalists have expressed the concern that if the Irish requirement was dropped, interest in the subject would completely collapse.
The review by the NCCA will include a measurement of students' "basic proficiency" in Irish, concentrating on listening, speaking, reading and writing. The tests will be taken by first and fifth-year students. They will also fill out a questionnaire on "their attitudes to and use of Gaeilge in school and in other contexts".
A major conference on how best to support Irish will also take place. The final report will be issued next year by the NCCA and the cost will be £75,000.
The report is likely to add to the debate about the future of Irish in schools. Last year Gael Linn, the independent body responsible for promoting the language, claimed up to 60 per cent of primary teachers had insufficient fluency in Irish to teach the subject properly. It said improved teacher-training at primary and second level was urgently needed to combat low levels of fluency among teachers. These claims were rejected by teachers' unions and the Government.
Emmet Oliver can be reached at eoliver@irish-times.ie