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Home
Age Groups
Age Group 4 and under
Irish names
Playgroups
Using Irish with your children
Speaking Irish to your grandchildren
Raising children with Irish outside the Gaeltacht
Raising children through Irish in the Gaeltacht
Support, services & facilities
Age Group 4 - 12
Irish-Medium Schools
Benefits of All-Irish Education
Irish Colleges (Gaeltacht Summer Courses)
The Gaelbhratach
Irish Language Festivals
Support, services & facilities
Age Group 12 - 18
Irish-Medium Schools
Benefits of All-Irish Education
Summer Colleges
The Gaelbhratach
Irish Language Festivals
Using Your Irish Name
Support, services & facilities
Age Group 18 - 22
Learn Irish: 18-22 year olds
Irish Third-Level Courses
Irish Language Festivals
Support, services & facilities
Age Group 22+
Irish language jobs in Ireland
Irish Classes for Adults
Get Involved in the Movement with Conradh na Gaeilge
Conversation Circles
Irish Language Festivals
Support, services & facilities
Community
PEIG.ie Newsletter
10 Reasons to Register to our Business Directory
Supports Available for Businesses
Conversation Circles
Surnames
The Gaeltacht
Community Groups
Irish Language Centres
Organisations
Irish Language Festivals
Festivals
Irish Week / Seachtain na Gaeilge
Awareness Events
5 Tips
Irish Language Books
Irish Language Podcasts
Learn
Learning Irish
Playgroups
Irish-Medium Schools
Irish in English Speaking Schools
Irish Classes for Adults
Irish Classes
Irish Services for Schools
Terminology and Grammar Tools Online
Rights
The Official Languages ​​Act 2003 and the 20-Year Strategy for the Irish Language
The European Charter for Minority Languages
The 20 Year Strategy in the North
Services Available in Irish
Get Involved with Conradh na Gaeilge
Campaigns
Research and Submissions
Using Irish State Services
Irish Language Commissioner
Employment
Irish Language Careers Booklet
Irish language jobs (Europe)
Irish language jobs in Ireland
Irish Third-Level Courses
Vacancies
Information Sheet on Job Possibilities

Benefits of All-Irish Education

This article outlines some of the advantages of Irish-medium education.


When raised through the medium of Irish, valuable advantages can be seen in the fields of:

  • The speed at which writing and reading is learned
  • The ability to comprehend and learn more complex languages
  • The development of communication and social skills
  • Future employability and willingness to learn
  • Creative thinking development
  • Being central to the modern revival of the Irish language
  • Economic and socio-economic success

There are many reasons parents chose Irish-medium schools for their children, including the following:

  • It’s very important to them that their children can speak Irish well
  • They see that it gives their children and insight into their own culture and other cultures
  • It instils pride in their children in their culture, their language and in themselves
  • It gives their children competencies in speaking, writing and reading in two languages, with all the associated benefits of bilingualism
  • They receive an excellent standard of education
  • Contributes to the development of their children’s self-confidence and identity

According to research on bilingual education published by An Foras Pátrúnachta, the following are some of the benefits to students:

  • Higher academic performance (Gallagher & Hanna, 2002).
  • A greater ability to learn a third and fourth language (Cenoz & Valencia 1994).
  • Understanding and openness towards other cultures (Gallagher & Hanna, 2002).
  • An improvement in cognitive functioning in creativeness and communication (Bialystok et al. 2005).
  • Higher grades in English and in Mathematics (Ionad Taighde Oideachais, 2011)
  • A higher awareness of identity, culture and understanding of community (Baker, 2003)
  • An increase in self-confidence (Baker, 2003)
  • Improved communication and social skills (Cummins, 2000)

Visit Gaeloideachas for  more information on the advantages of Irish-medium education. 

Further Reading

Date updated: September 2023