Annual Report 2025 Entire Book - Flipbook - Page 55
Languages Provision
Junior Cycle
In the 2025 to 2026 academic year, Junior Cycle language provision supported by PPLI remained stable,
continuing to provide early access to a range of recently introduced and lesser taught languages. Provision
was maintained across nine post primary schools, with 457 students studying Japanese, Mandarin Chinese
and Polish at Junior Cycle level. This includes an increase of 58 students in Polish compared to the previous
academic year. The continued delivery of Junior Cycle provision renects consolidation within participating
schools and sustained demand for language learning at this stage.
Transition Year
During the 2025 to 2026 academic year, PPLI facilitated Transition Year language classes across 107 schools,
ofering 5,794 Transition Year students the opportunity to engage with a new language. Transition Year
continues to represent a key access point for more recently introduced and lesser taught languages, with
some schools ofering more than one language option at this stage.
The languages provided through PPLI-supported Transition Year provision are outlined in the table below.
Language
TY students (female)
TY students (male)
Schools
Japanese
1,141
670
27
Korean
251
245
9
Lithuanian
62
82
1
Mandarin Chinese
1,250
1,134
43
Polish
278
263
19
Portuguese
66
183
5
Russian
87
82
3
Total (5,794 students)
3,135
2,659
107
Leaving Certificate (In-School Provision)
PPLI facilitates diversiocation of languages provision in schools by ofering the opportunity to add additional
languages to their curriculum without having to use regular school allocation. Schools are therefore enabled
to trial a new language before committing to longer-term provision. Students are ofered more choice of
languages which caters for diverse interests and aptitudes and an imbalance in provision of languages is
addressed.
There are few teachers on staf in schools that have capacity to teach the recently introduced curricular
languages and provision in schools is therefore reliant on this external provision, at least in the early years
while the language is being embedded and established.
PPLI also supports the provision of Romanian as a non-curricular Leaving Certiocate language to encourage
students to maintain and develop literacy in their heritage language. In the 2025 to 2026 academic year,
funding was provided to two post-primary schools, enabling them to deliver classes to 64 students and to
acquire relevant materials.
- PPLI ANNUAL REPORT 2025 -
55
