AN OFFER to settle a High Court action over an alleged all-Irish policy at a second-level school in Dingle was turned down by parents yesterday.
The offer was made by the Department of Education on behalf of Pobalscoil Choirca Dhuibhne/Dingle Community School in an effort to settle the High Court action brought by parents of 12 students which is expected to last three weeks.
The parents claims the school has failed to provide the bilingual education which their children had been accustomed to.
It is claimed the children are unable to understand what they are being taught because of the alleged “abandonment of English as a language of instruction.” The school and department deny the claims and contend education is not exclusively through Irish.
Under yesterday’s “open offer” from the department, it was proposed a detailed programme would be put in place to help students improve their Irish, initially allowing them to operate on a 70 per cent Irish, 30 per cent English basis, before they would eventually be taught fully through Irish.
James O’Reilly SC, for the parents, objected that the offer was being proposed at this late stage given the lengthy exchanges between the parties since last year.
Mr O’Reilly said the parents were seeking a permanent bilingual stream between first and sixth year and a “robust” grievance procedure where problems arise.
Opening the case, Mr O’Reilly said the Pobalscoil is effectively the only school available in the area to the parents as the next school which has places available was about 30 miles away.
The 12 children include four Irish while the remainder are British, American, German, Russian, French, Swiss and Estonian nationals. It is claimed, as a result of the alleged all-Irish policy, an unfair burden is being placed upon the children at a critical time in their education.