Entire Annual Report (2) - Flipbook - Page 50
Chinese in Leaving Certificate
20 schools
Action 2.A.6
Six teachers
Leaving Certificate Chinese was introduced in 2020. In 2021, work was done to meet the needs of schools and
students engaging with this new curriculum.
Main aims
•
Establish and further develop the Leaving Certificate Chinese curriculum in schools
•
Increase access to the Chinese language and update it in Senior Cycle
Progress in 2021
In 2021, PPLI deployed six Mandarin Chinese teachers to 20 schools to help implement Chinese language
education. A small cohort of schools continue to offer it as a Leaving Certificate subject, based on foundations
laid in 2020.
As LC Chinese entered its second year, PPLI conducted more school visits to stay connected and address their
needs. There was also an increased number of classroom observations and mentoring sessions in 2021. In
order to support students who don’t have access to the curriculum in their own schools, PPLI offered
Saturday LC Chinese classes in Dublin and Cork to 41 students. An online model has also been piloted, to
improve equity and quality of the classes.
Impact
•
Overwhelming positive feedback from schools and
their students
•
Students learned about Chinese cultures and explored
83%
of 6th years “quite
motivated” in LC Chinese
67%
less daunted when
they started lessons
their own cultures
•
Changing perceptions – majority of students less daunted
after they started learning
50
“Thanks to the consistency PPLI
has brought, I believe this language
can establish itself in equal stature
to the other languages offered
in our curriculum.”
“We want to give our
students a still-rare insight into
Chinese culture and language.
Numbers in the classes are small, but the
fact that the teacher is provided ex-quota by
PPLI means that we can run with classes
smaller than the usual minimum of 10. “
Colm Dooley, Principal, Our Lady’s
Grove Secondary School
Niall Hare, Principal, Kishoge
Community College
- PPLI ANNUAL REPORT 2021 -