Irish language compulsory for University?

doolox

Is Irish in the Leaving Cert still compulsory for University entrance?

My daughter claims that some of her leaving cert school mates are dropping Irish to concentrate on other subjects to maximise points in their 6 best subjects and are not good at Irish. I thought you had to have a minimum of D3 in pass Irish to be admitted to University in Ireland.

She claims that they can get permission from their Irish and other language teachers to skip Irish classes entirely.

I know there are exemptions for people from non-Irish backgrounds entering the education system after age 10 (I think) but I thought that all Irish residents in full time education had to get at least a pass in Irish at ordinary level.

Just Like Heaven

For most courses in most universities yes you need Irish, or an exemption, but not all. So unless she's set on a course for sure it'd probably be unwise to drop it, but if she is then fair enough. You can look up each courses matriculation requirements individually on each university's website.

pajor

Not all specify Irish as a requirement. My course required either English or Irish and Maths.

Some are English, Maths and any other language.

whiteandlight

It would be fairly unusual for a school to be able to facilitate students deciding not to take Irish. Supervising students may be an issue and I would have thought if this decision was made most schools would still require a student to sit in the back of the class.

One way or the other I would buzz the school tomorrow and find out

An Coilean

As a general guide, NUI colleges (UCC, UCD, NUIG, NUIM etc) require a pass in Irish unless the student has an exemption. Get her to explain what she is planning to do as dropping Irish will drastically limit her college options.

randylonghorn

doolox wrote: »

Is Irish in the Leaving Cert still compulsory for University entrance?

My daughter claims that some of her leaving cert school mates are dropping Irish to concentrate on other subjects to maximise points in their 6 best subjects and are not good at Irish. I thought you had to have a minimum of D3 in pass Irish to be admitted to University in Ireland.

I suspect many of them are dropping to pass rather than dropping it entirely.

doolox wrote: »

She claims that they can get permission from their Irish and other language teachers to skip Irish classes entirely.

Not sure what the teachers of other languages would have to do with it; it would be a matter for the Principal and her Irish teacher.

As has been pointed out, most schools are not in a position to facilitate students being absent from scheduled classes.

doolox wrote: »

I know there are exemptions for people from non-Irish backgrounds entering the education system after age 10 (I think) but I thought that all Irish residents in full time education had to get at least a pass in Irish at ordinary level.

Trinity doesn't require Irish, and exemptions in Irish for matriculation to the NUI are easier to get for those born outside the country than they are in terms of exemptions from learning Irish at primary / secondary.

However, she is definitely limiting her options by dropping Irish altogether, something she may not understand.

Contact the school to find out the full story. Several things not adding up here.

yournerd

It would be useful to have irish as a language, if you need any help I just studied in a gaelcholaiste for 6 years so would love to help out!

randylonghorn

Off-topic posts deleted.

The OP asked a very simple and specific question, and there is no need whatsoever to drag it off into yet another argument about the pros and cons of Irish for the LC, thanks.

Peregrine

As it stands all NUI universities and affiliated colleges require Irish for matriculation.

NUIM, NUIG, UCD, UCC and other colleges like RCSI require you to pass both English and Irish. See full list here
Trinity College - English and a second language.
DCU - English or Irish.
UL - Not entirely sure and the website won't work for me atm, if you want to know you could try their website or ring them.

Now those are just Irish requirements, they might have other requirements like Maths. Other colleges I haven't mentioned might have their own Irish requirements too.


NUI will exempt you from their requirement if you were born outside Ireland, you will have to show a copy of your birth cert.

But learning Irish is still compulsory for all students unless you only enrolled in the Irish education system after you were 11. Some students in a similar situation might have an agreement with their Irish teacher and principal. But students just deciding to drop Irish because it is one of their weak subjects is definitely not permitted.

marko747

Whatver about the pro's and con's of Irish or the requirements for University entry, something in your daughter's story is very suspicious!! irish, maths and english are Core Subjects for Junior and Leaving Cert. They are not "opt in" so therefore no matter what reasons a student has they cannot "Drop them"! The only way for a student not to do Irish is 1) To have been born outside ROI and not moved here until after 8 years of age and 2) To have a disabibity which would impact on their ability to learn irish eg. dyslexia. You should really talk to her teachers and they will tell you the same. Your daughter nor her friends can't drop irish. I think her idea of dropping irish is mitching perhaps! Or else she is badly mistaken!

SpaceTime

I'm a little confused here as you cannot actually drop Irish without an exemption (which would have to be on the grounds of some kind of learning difficulty or else because you were educated up until a certain age outside the state).

It's a compulsory subject so technically if you didn't sit it, you wouldn't actually be getting the Leaving Certificate.

...

Is your daughter just planning to sit and fail it?

Perhaps your daughter's friends have exemptions from taking Irish and are not just dropping it and she's somehow misinterpreted that?

Honey-ec

My school (Ashfield College in Templogue) allowed students to drop Irish if they wished; it is not a state-mandated requirement to take it to Leaving Certificate level.

However, all NUI universities require it as part of their basic matriculation for all Irish students who do not have an exemption. The Institutes of Technology and other third level institutes are different.

So no, Irish is not compulsory for the Leaving Certificate, but it is required for admission to an NUI.

English and Maths are the only compulsory Leaving Cert subjects. You can drop or fail Irish and still pass your Leaving.

spurious

Is Ashfield College recognised by the Department of Education as a school?

I can't find it on any lists.

Is it a fee-paying place like a grinds business?

Peregrine

Honey-ec wrote: »

it is not a state-mandated requirement to take it to Leaving Certificate level.

You're right.

However, it is required by the department that all students be taught English, Irish and Maths up to 6th year unless the department itself exempted you from learning it for whatever reason.

Second level education isn't all about the Leaving Cert. It is an exam at the end of it and no you don't have to sit the Irish exam but that doesn't mean you don't have to learn Irish in school.

rainbowtrout

Nimrod 7 wrote: »

As it stands all NUI universities and affiliated colleges require Irish for matriculation.

NUIM, NUIG, UCD, UCC and other colleges like RCSI require you to pass both English and Irish. See full list here
Trinity College - English and a second language.
DCU - English or Irish.
UL - Not entirely sure and the website won't work for me atm, if you want to know you could try their website or ring them.

Now those are just Irish requirements, they might have other requirements like Maths. Other colleges I haven't mentioned might have their own Irish requirements too.


NUI will exempt you from their requirement if you were born outside Ireland, you will have to show a copy of your birth cert.

But learning Irish is still compulsory for all students unless you only enrolled in the Irish education system after you were 11. Some students in a similar situation might have an agreement with their Irish teacher and principal. But students just deciding to drop Irish because it is one of their weak subjects is definitely not permitted.

UL require Irish or a foreign language, along with English and Maths.

OP - schools are required to teach it to students, but you can't make a student turn up and sit the exam, so your daughters friends claiming they are not doing Irish could be just that. They will be assigned to a class, but the school can't make them turn up for the exam next June. The school will have fulfilled the requirement of providing them with an Irish class.

Like other posters have said, she will limit her third level options if she drops it.

anirishlad

Alot of students stopped doing Irish in my school and now go to a supervised free class. I think they're giving the option of foundation if they want to do it.

An Coilean

SpaceTime wrote: »

It's a compulsory subject so technically if you didn't sit it, you wouldn't actually be getting the Leaving Certificate.

No, It used to be the case that if you failed (Or did not sit) Irish then you failed the entire LC, that was gotten rid of a long time ago though.

There is no actual requirement to go an sit the exam, it is compulsory because the school recieves its capatitation for each student on the basis of weather or not they are enroled in an Irish class, because of this all schools require all of their students to be enroled in an Irish class, if they did not, they would loose out on part of their core funding.

Now if you fail or don't sit Irish you just get an F beside Irish on your LC transcript. The rest of your LC still counts and you will still get whatever number of CAO points you earned, but you will not be eligable to apply to NUI colleges unless you have an exemption.

spurious

You do not get an F beside Irish if you sit no part of it.
If you sit no element of an exam, it does not appear in the list of subjects on your results.