The Irish language exam for the Leaving Cert saw a surge in non-participation this year, with 23% of the candidates not having registered for it. This equates to 13,695 out of the nearly 61,000 students who received their Leaving Cert results on the day. A growing number of students not pursuing the Irish exams has been noticed since 2018, at which point the figure was 15%.
Irish language study at the second level is compulsory, though sitting for the Leaving Cert exam is not compulsory. Most students who opt-out of the exam have been granted an exemption to study Irish due to learning difficulties or having some of their education outside of the state. Furthermore, some students choose to focus on other exams to secure better grades or manage one or two subjects.
The total number of students forgoing the exam is heading in the wrong direction, reflects Pádraig Ó Duibhir, a retired school principal and Professor Emeritus at DCU. He suggested that the main reason for the rise could be the growing number of exemptions ever since school principals were given the responsibility to award them in 2019 by the Department of Education.
According to the latest formal figures, the fraction of secondary level students with Irish study exemptions rose from 9.4% in 2019 to 10.5% in 2022. Prof Ó Duibhir expressed disagreement about the belief in an actual “language learning disability”, and urged for a more inclusive education system for students with learning difficulties. He suggested placing more emphasis on oral language like speaking and listening for dyslexic students, instead of reading and writing.
Prof Ó Duibhir warned that if the rise in exemptions continues unchecked, it could lead to calls for making Irish optional for the Leaving Cert. He cited the UK as an example of how optional language study leads to a steep decrease in the number of candidates.
Earlier in the year, a parliamentary committee in Ireland urged Education Minister Norma Foley to abolish the exemption mechanism for the Irish language, labelling it as unfit for its intended use and detrimental to the educational system. The joint committee overseeing the Irish language and Gaeltacht recommended that students who struggle with Irish should receive extra support and resources before exemption consideration.
Nevertheless, the Dyslexia Association of Ireland disagreed, stating the report showed a clear deficit in understanding dyslexic students’ needs and legal requisites for reasonable adaptation accommodating their requirements.
Minister Foley staunchly defended the Irish exemption scheme, noting most Leaving Cert pupils continue to take the examination, with nearly half doing so at a higher tier. She underscored school guidelines emphasising the necessity to aid pupils and students with special educational needs in language study.
Foley also highlighted that an exemption verdict would only be given by school authorities after a two-year period of intervention. Additionally, she highlighted that other countries, including the UK, Poland, and Italy, also have exemptions for languages.