"from bilingualism to multilingualism"
Cén Fáth go Roghnófa Gaelscoil?/Why Choose a Gaelscoil?
According to national and international research, advantages of immersion education include:
- Immersion education leads to greater cognitive flexibility and divergent thinking; students become more creative thinkers, with the ability to provide a range of valid solutions to a problem.
- Greater academic success: Students in Irish-medium schools have higher achievement in both English and Maths than their peer groups in English-medium schools.
- Easier to learn additional languages: Students develop both languages and neither will be negatively affected, nor will their progress in any other subject
- Students gain a deeper appreciation of their culture, which leads to increased self-esteem and sense of identity. Students also develop an appreciation for other cultures.
- Economic and employment benefits: Ability to work in more than one language is a valued skill
- A candidate who answers in Irish in the written examination in certain Leaving Certificate subjects may be given bonus marks
- Bilingual education for children with special educational needs ‘does no harm and clearly does contribute to social, emotional and interpersonal growth’ – NCSE Report, 2011
