Gaelscoileanna have launched a campaign to preserve early immersion as an education policy in Irish medium primary schools.
The campaign, Immersion Education - Our Choice, is in response to the Department of Education circular notice to all Gaelscoileanna, which will come into effect from January. This, they say, "forces them to abandon early-immersion education and to teach at least 2½ hours of English each week from no later than the start of the second term in junior infants".
This, said Mícheál Ó Broin, president of Gaelscoileanna Teoranta, "flies in the face of international research and best practice". The decision, he said, is based on questionable findings by the inspectorate in one school.
"The result of this is the proposed ending of early immersion education and a devastating blow to the Gaelscoil movement, to the Irish language and to freedom of a parent's right to choose within the education system."
This, he said, is a wrong decision which puts an end to "a choice of education which many passionately believe is the best way of creating a natural bilingual ability within a high standard of general education".
The benefits of early-immersion education are evident, he said, from research conducted in Wales, Canada, the Basque region and in many other countries.
The campaign, backed by Foras Pátrúnachta na Scoileanna Lánghaeilge, Forbairt Naíonraí Teoranta, Comhdháil Náisiúnta na Gaeilge and Conradh na Gaeilge, will encompass an online petition at www.gaelscoileanna.ie; a Christmas card campaign; meetings with TDs, Senators, the Department of Education and Science, and the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Education and Science.