Sir, – The Budget 2012 decision to abolish the Modern Languages in Primary Schools Initiative will have catastrophic consequences for the employment opportunities of future generations of Irish school-leavers and graduates.
This is a long-running pilot scheme involving over 500 primary schools throughout the State. The maximum savings as a result of this decision in 2012/13 will at the very most be €2.5 million.
It is a long-established linguistic fact that the earlier a child learns a language, the easier it is to acquire the language and the greater the chances of mastering the language in later life. It is crucial for language competence that the child is introduced to the language as early as possible.
Early intervention is more effective, more economic and its effects are more lasting.
According to the 2011 Languages for Jobs report, sponsored by the European Commission, language skills were considered to be among the top 10 most important skills required by employers. A 2010 Eurobarometer study found that 40 per cent of recruiters in industry considered language skills to be highly important for future employees. Ibec’s 2010 Education and Skills survey identified foreign languages as a significant area of skills shortage in the years ahead.
As pointed out recently in this paper (November 24th) by the European Commission representative in Dublin, Ruth Deasy, the low take-up of Erasmus placements abroad is mirrored by the low level of Irish applications for European Commission internships and civil service jobs. The lack of foreign language skills among Irish graduates means that they are not doing as well as they should in competitions to get into the EU civil service.
If the purpose of Budget 2012 is to create a favourable climate for job creation, the decision to abandon the Modern Languages in Primary Schools Initiative is utterly wrong-headed. The savings in overall budgetary terms are minuscule, but the damage to the long-term employability of our young people will be irreparable and incalculable. The Government should reverse this decision as a matter of urgency. – Yours, etc,