Exemptions from Irish reach new peak among students
THE number of secondary students given exemptions from studying Irish has reached a new record high of 60,946, according to the latest figures from the Department of Education and Youth.
The new figures, exclusive to TG4’s flagship current affairs programme Iniúchadh TG4 - As Láthair, will be revealed tonight (Wednesday) on TG4 and TG4.ie at 9.30 p.m., in a programme presented by award-winning investigative journalist Kevin Magee.
The figures shows that the number of exemptions from studying Irish has almost doubled in the past seven years - leading to fears among some that Irish is losing its compulsory status in schools.
The documentary probes the reasons behind the increasing number of exemptions in the education system at a time when Irish is enjoying a cultural revival among young people, fuelled by the success of bands like Kneecap, the popularity of Irish summer colleges, and the growth of online influencers speaking Irish.
The programme contains calls from the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals (NAPD) for its members to be relieved of the responsibility to grant exemptions, claiming some headteachers are being pressurised by parents seeking dispensations for their children.
The latest figures show that in the 2024/25 academic year, 60,946 children - 14.3% of the post-primary school population - had an exemption from studying Irish even though it is a compulsory school subject. This is the equivalent of one in seven secondary school children currently having special permission to excuse them from studying Irish.
The figures shows an increase of 5,286 students from the previous year’s total of 55,660, which was 13.4% of the post- primary population.
Currently a school principal can make a decision to grant an exemption if a student meets the necessary criteria laid down by the Department of Education and Youth. The conditions usually apply to children who have special educational needs or are new arrivals coming to Ireland from abroad.
NAPD director Paul Crone said: "Principals should no longer be responsible for granting Irish language exemptions and this practice should be ended immediately.
“The reason for this is the highly technical nature of making the exemption decision and the conflict it creates between the principal and the parent when the exemption criteria are not met.
“Parents believe that the principal has the discretion to grant the exemption and they often obtain a medical note from their GP to support their claim when the criteria for exemption are not met.”
The Department of Education confirmed that it has no plans to remove the responsibility for decision-making regarding exemptions from principals. “This is not under consideration at present,” a spokesperson said.
Figures from the Department of Education and Youth also show that in 2023/24 academic year, around two thirds or 20,264 pupils in secondary school granted an exemption because of special educational needs (SEN) were studying another language other than Irish.
The new peak in the number of exemptions from studying Irish has led to concerns among some experts that the status of the language is being eroded in the school system, and Irish is sliding towards being a voluntary rather than compulsory subject.
Pádraig Ó Duibhir, Professor Emeritus at the Institute of Education at Dublin City University, speaking in Irish, said: "There are certain things compulsory at school. You have to study maths. You have to learn English. You have to learn basic reading and writing skills and so on and as an Irishman I would include Irish among those things.
“I don't know if there is a conscious policy or not (to grant exemptions), but I think the result of this, if it is not addressed, is that in the long-term or even medium-term, the Irish language will become an optional subject."
Responding to the programme, the Department of Education and Youth said it has no plans to make Irish a non-compulsory subject at school. “No, this is not under consideration,” a spokesperson said.
Generally, exemptions are awarded to children with special educational needs, those attending special schools or children coming to Ireland from abroad with no previous experience of learning Irish. About half the total number of exemptions are given to new children arriving in Ireland and entering the education system.
The Department of Education and Youth said the exemption figures have to be seen in 'the broader context' of the number of new students moving to Ireland from abroad, many of whom are entitled to an automatic exemption from Irish – a policy that is criticised in the TG4 documentary, which is called 'As Láthair' or 'Absent'.
Principal at Coláiste Pobail Fóla at Citywest, Dublin, Joy Uí Mhurchadha said the rule allowing an automatic entitlement to an exemption for many children coming from overseas is dated, and should be changed. Speaking in Irish, she said: “I think it’s a very outdated view and certainly the pupils we've given them a chance to learn Irish enjoy it.
“Most of the time, they continue with Irish, and certainly, in terms of inclusivity or inclusiveness of pupils with learning problems, pupils who have come from other countries, they feel that they are not part of the school community. If you are also telling them that they are not entitled to learn Irish, you are adding to the feeling of not being part of the school. I think you're telling them another way as well, you're different in this way as well - you're not allowed to do Irish.”
A spokesperson for the department told the programme that the number of students coming from abroad in recent years has to be taken into consideration when examining the number of exemptions. Over 18,000 students have enrolled from Ukraine over the last three years alone, the spokesperson said, and added that “the number of children with more complex special educational needs is increasing.”