An Tomoideachas/ Immersion Education

Immersion education is a system which helps children to become fluent in Irish naturally, by giving them daily experience of an Irish-speaking environment. This means that all subjects, apart from English, are taught through the medium of Irish right up until 6th class. It also means that Irish is the language of communication in the school, both inside and outside the classroom and in the playground. In this way, children’s fluency in the language is supported. Over 53,000 students attend Irish-medium schools at present and they are a testament to the benefits of the immersion education model for all students, regardless of their level of ability, their socio-economic status, or their religious, cultural or linguistic background.

Immersion education leads to greater cognitive flexibility and divergent thinking; this means that students become more creative thinkers, with the ability to provide a range of valid solutions to a problem. All Irish and international research shows that the sooner a child becomes bilingual, the greater the cognitive benefits.