L1 at Junior Cycle

1. This Conference calls on the Department of Education to recognise the damage being done by the L1 course at Junior Cycle to Gaeltacht schools and Gaelcholáistí, and to put an end to the two separate courses and the additional pressure placed on students in L1 schools without additional compensation.

Gaelcholáiste Ceatharlach

 Language of Instruction in Hospital School System

2. This Conference calls on NEPS to ensure that a child who receives instruction during long periods of hospitalisation is taught in the language of the school that the child attends, being Irish in the case of Irish-medium schools.

Gaelscoil Lios Tuathail

 Appointment of Special Needs Assistants

3. This Conference calls on the Department of Education and the National Council for Special Education to review the criteria for the appointment of Special Needs Assistants and to expand said criteria.

Gaelscoil Bhaile Bhrigín

 Learning Support for Irish and English

4. This Conference calls on the Department of Education to recognise support needs in both languages through implementing a new system that provides the support that is essential to students in the system.

Gaelscoil Bhaile Bhrigín

 Language of Communication and Work in Special Classes

5. This Conference calls on the National Council for Special Education to immediately cease the practice of putting pressure on Irish-medium/Gaeltacht schools to operate special classes through the medium of English.

Gaelscoil Bhaile Bhrigín

 Policy for Irish-Medium Education outside the Gaeltacht

6. This Conference calls on the Minister for Education to publish a draft of the Policy for Irish-Medium Education to provide the community with the opportunity to provide feedback on the actions and goals in the draft

and

7. This Conference calls on the Minister for Education to ensure that this will be a pioneering, strong policy, rooted in research, with clear targetes, supportive of the development, growth, and expansion of Irish-medium education from naíonra to post-primary level

and

8. This Conference calls on the Minister for Education to ensure that there is an appropriate mechanism to assess demand for Irish-medium education, that will give an accurate picture of the real current demand and makes appropriate future provision on that basis.

Bord Stiúrtha Gaeloideachas

Policy for Gaeltacht Education

9. This Conference calls on the Department of Education to develop and action an appropriate support scheme for schools that are not part of the Gaeltacht School Recognition Scheme as a bridge towards the recognition scheme for those schools.

Bord Stiúrtha Gaeloideachas

 Exemptions from Irish

10. This Conference calls on the Minister for Education to urgently intervene in the existing system for exemptions, and implement an alternative system that supports inclusivity among students to ensure that the cognitive, linguistic, and social benefits of Irish are available to every child, according to their ability.

Bord Stiúrtha Gaeloideachas

 Irish-Medium Units

11. This Conference calls on the Department of Education to accept the expert advice in the research results of Dr. TJ Ó Ceallaigh, Máire Uí Chonghaile, and Dr. Muiris Ó Laoire on the operation of Irish-medium units as a model of provision for immersion education and act on that basis to ensure standard and quality of provision.

Bord Stiúrtha Gaeloideachas

Oral Examinations at Junior Cycle Level

12. This Conference calls on the Department of Education to urgently reintroduce the Oral Examination to ensure that students gain the experience and relevant communication benefits in Irish.

Bord Stiúrtha Gaeloideachas

 Irish Specifications at Senior Cycle

13. This Conference calls on the Minister for Education and the NCCA not to proceed with the proposal for a divided course for students in L1 and L2 schools without recognition or recompense for the significant additional work associated with the proposed L1 specification.

Bord Stiúrtha Gaeloideachas

 Early Years

14. This Conference calls on Minister Norma Foley to publish a National Plan for Irish in the early years sector that is strong and rooted in research, with clear targets, supportive of the development, growth, and expansion of Irish-medium naíonraí within and outside the Gaeltacht

and

15. This Conference calls on Minister Norma Foley to set out an official definition of what a naíonra is and that recognition is given to Irish-medium immersion education services

and

16. This Conference calls on the DCEDIY and Pobal to make available a public database of naíonraí outside of the Gaeltacht on an annual basis.

Bord Stiúrtha Gaeloideachas

 Funding Structure of Foras na Gaeilge

17. This Conference calls on the Department of Gaeltacht Affairs, the Department of Public Expenditure, the Department of Community in the north and the Department of Finance north and south to make a strong intervention on behalf of Gaeloideachas and other lead organisations funded by Foras na Gaeilge to ensure that a structure is agreed that ensures an appropriate ring-fenced budget for the viability of the organisation(s) and therefore appropriate supports for the Irish language in the education system and in wider society.

Bord Stiúrtha Gaeloideachas