The Irish Times: This week it emerged that several thousand students are opting not to sit the Leaving Cert Irish exam each year.
So why are so many students opting not to sit it? And are they shooting themselves in the foot by shutting off access to third-level colleges or professions where Irish is mandatory?
While the study of Irish is compulsory at second level (with some exemptions), and schools are legally required to teach the subject up to the end of sixth year, there is no obligation on students to sit the actual exam. Read article