Written answers
Tuesday, 1 October 2024
Department of Education and Skills
School Curriculum
Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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171. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to provide modern foreign language education at primary level. [38590/24]
Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Following extensive research and consultation in preparation for the redevelopment of the Primary Curriculum, modern foreign languages (MFL) will be introduced as part of the Primary Language Curriculum/Curaclam Teanga na Bunscoile (PLC/CTB) on a phased basis for 3rd to 6th classes from September 2025. The NCCA consulted on the Draft Primary Curriculum Specification on MFL from March to June 2024. This specification is available on the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) website: .
For stage 3 (3rd and 4thclasses), the focus will be on language awareness, which is already part of the PLC/CTB, but additional focus will now be placed on foreign languages. This will progress to a language competence model in stage 4 (5th and 6th classes). The Department is working with its partners, including Oide and Post Primary Languages Ireland (PPLI), in planning for this introduction. This includes plans for teacher professional learning and language upskilling. The Department will be communicating with schools in relation to plans to support the roll out of the new Primary Curriculum, including MFL in the coming weeks and months.
In advance of the introduction of the MFL component of the PLC/CTB, Post Primary Languages Ireland (PPLI) has been managing a 10-week foreign languages sampler module for primary schools on behalf of the Department. Over 1,400 primary schools have applied to participate in this “Say Yes to Languages ” programme in 2024/25 (Year 4 of the project). The response to the sampler module over the last three years has been enormously positive from parents, pupils and teachers. This sampler programme lays the groundwork for the introduction of the MFL as part of the PLC/CTB specification.
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