Madam, – Seán Flynn (Education Today, March 15th) highlights several areas for reform in the Irish education system, but not one of the most obvious.
Our education system does not develop our best talent. Gifted or “exceptionally able” pupils are ignored in the Irish education system. While the US, China, India and many European countries have specific, government-mandated provision, we insist that the most able pupils in our classrooms must wait while everyone catches up with “the basics”.
No wonder China topped the OECD Pisa study! It was pleasing to see for the first time in the current programme for government, recognition of the specific needs of exceptionally able pupils.
Further progress in this area has the potential to raise student performance across the board. The new Minister is the man for the job. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – It was most refreshing and encouraging to read Seán Flynn’s advice to the new Minister for Education (Education Today, March 15th) regarding “breathing new life into the Irish language”.
It is a rare experience to read the direct clarity of the message “overturning 90 years of failed Irish language policy”. Those of us who speak and love the Irish language and value it as a gateway to the land of our forefathers, are aware of the malign effect of this policy on generations of young people.
We have had nearly a century of State compulsion, even, for a time, to the extent of “no Irish, no job” in the public service.
We have had bribery in the form of grants to Irish-speaking homes, and jobs as translators for Irish language university students, in the pretence that it is necessary to use tons of paper for translations of legislation, to be read by a person or persons unknown.
However, “an rud is annamh is iontach”, so full marks to Mr Flynn. The question is, will Ruairí Quinn, or any other Minister, stand up to the Irish language lobby and its phalanx of support organisations? The Taoiseach seems already to have backed down on compulsory Irish in the Leaving Cert. – Yours, etc,