A Wexford School Principal has shared her concerns about the recent changes in the primary school curriculum, particularly the allocation of one hour per week for language education.
Vicky Barron said while she acknowledges the potential benefits of adding this time for language learning, Barron questions the impact it will have on the existing curriculum, which is already stretched thin. At present, primary schools are expected to fit a vast amount of content into a limited timeframe. That's according to Vicky Barron who said when speaking to South East RadioNews, “It’s great that we’re getting one hour a week for language education, but the real question is: What are we going to lose? What part of the curriculum are we going to drop to fit this in?” The School Principal also highlighted a program currently being implemented in many primary schools, called "Say Yes to Languages." This initiative brings in professional, fluent language teachers to work directly with students, an approach Ms. Barron strongly supports. She believes that having a fluent language teacher is the most effective way to teach children a new language, as it ensures that the teacher is proficient and can provide an authentic learning experience. In her view, attempting to teach a new language without fluency often results in less effective instruction. As primary schools await further guidelines on the new language education initiative, Ms. Barron is eager to see how the system will adjust to accommodate the changes. “We’ll just have to wait and see what the further guidelines will bring,” she said.