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The Factors Motivating Parents to Choose Irish Immersion Education for their Child
with Special Educational Needs
Sinéad Nic Aindriú, Dublin City University, Pádraig Ó Duibhir, Dublin City University, Joe
Travers, Dublin City University
Abstract
A dearth of research exists internationally as to why parents choose immersion education for
their child with special educational needs (SEN). The literature available on why parents
choose immersion education for the child without SEN states that bilingualism, the parent’s
own personal experiences, social networks, and their love of languages are motivating
factors. Research on the factors that influence how parents select any school for their child
with SEN states that an inclusive school environment and access to additional services are the
primary motivators. Through semi-structured interviews, this study investigated the reasons
why parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (N=3) and specific speech and
language disorder (N=2) chose to send their child to an Irish immersion primary school when
they had the option of educating their child through the majority language of the community,
English. This article presents a discussion on the parents’ motivations to send their child to an
Irish immersion school in terms of them wanting their child to attend the same school as their
other children, their love for the Irish language and culture, and the positive inclusive school
culture of an Irish immersion school. The findings of this research will enable Irish
immersion schools to identify the needs of the parents and families and further develop as
inclusive learning environments.
Key words: Irish immersion education, immersion education, special educational needs,
enrollment, parental choice.
Introduction
The present study focuses on why parents chose Irish immersion primary schools for their
children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and specific speech and language disorders
(SSLDs) in the Republic of Ireland (RoI) and Northern Ireland (NI). All these children were
being raised with English as their home language except for one child (SSLD) who was being
raised with both Irish and English at home. In the RoI, students with ASD can be educated in
mainstream primary schools, special classes, or in special schools, depending on their needs
108
(National Council for Special Education, 2016). Within the RoI, the Department of Education
uses the term SSLD in circulars that outline the provision of additional support for children
with speech and language difficulties, these children have the option to attend a special
school or class in order to meet their educational needs (Department of Education and Skills
(DES), 2021). When there is no place available in a special class it is recommended that
additional teaching support should be provided for these children in a mainstream setting
(DES, 2021; DES, 2017). In Northern Ireland (NI), if a child has a statement of SEN, they
generally attend a mainstream primary school if this is a suitable option (NI Direct, 2022).
Those who cannot attend a mainstream school due to their SEN can attend a special class or
special school. Special schools were developed to meet the more severe SEN of students for
example, those with severe and moderate learning difficulties (European Agency, 2022).
Special classes are available within the mainstream education system for students whose
learning difficulties include speech and language difficulties and ASD (European Agency,
2022; SCoTENS, 2022). In NI, the term Speech and Language Difficulties (SLD) is used
within the Code of Practice (Department of Education Northern Ireland, 2005) for the
allocation of additional educational support. Another option available when educating
children with SEN in the RoI and NI is immersion education.
There are 184 Irish immersion primary schools throughout the island of Ireland. Most
students in Irish immersion schools come from homes where English is the dominant home
language (McAdory & Janmaat, 2015; Ní Thuairisg & Ó Duibhir, 2016). It is suggested that
pupils enrol in these schools with similar limited levels of Irish language proficiency and that
their exposure to the Irish language mostly occurs in the classroom (McAdory & Janmaat,
2015; Ní Thuairisg & Ó Duibhir, 2016). The curriculum, which mirrors that of the majority
language community, is taught through the medium of Irish, except for English literacy. In
Irish immersion schools, in the RoI (n=149), students receive up to two school years’
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immersion in the Irish language, before they commence English as a curriculum subject
(DES, 2019a). Early total immersion programmes are provided by these schools to those
living outside of Gaeltacht heartland areas (Údarás na Gaeltachta, 2022). In the RoI, the
Gaeltacht can be found in areas of counties Donegal, Mayo, Kerry, Cork, Waterford, and
Meath. The term Gaeltacht is used to describe the regions in Ireland in which the Irish
language is, or was until recently, the primary spoken language of the majority of the
community (Údarás na Gaeltachta, 2022). In Irish immersion primary schools in NI (n=35),
students receive up to three years’ total immersion in the Irish language before they undertake
the formal English curriculum in Key Stage 1, Year 3/4 (age 6-7) (McKendry, 2006; Ní
Chinnéide, 2009).
For some families of children with SEN, bilingualism is a way of life. In these
households, families mostly speak a home language which is not the majority language of the
community (Jegathessan, 2011). Families often do this to promote and maintain their culture,
traditions, heritage, and values. Other families choose bilingualism for their child with SEN
even when their home language is the majority language of their community (Kay-Raining
Bird et al., 2012). This study investigates the research question, why do parents choose to
send their child with SEN to an Irish immersion primary school rather than an English-
medium one given that English is the majority language of the community?
Special Educational Needs in Irish Immersion Schools
9.4% (n=705) of students in Irish immersion primary schools present with a range of SEN
(Nic Aindriú et al., 2020). When the number of students with SEN receiving additional
teaching support in Irish immersion schools (16.57%) is compared with the figures for
English-medium schools (17%), it is clear that similar numbers of students in both school
types present with SEN (Nic Aindriú et al., 2020). Within Irish immersion primary schools,
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dyslexia, ASD, dyspraxia, emotional and/or behavioural difficulties, and SSLD are the five
most frequently reported categories of SEN (Barrett et al., 2020; Nic Aindriú et al., 2020).
Parents of children with these categories of SEN may apply for an exemption from the study
of Irish and are likely to be granted one (DES, 2019b, 2019c). In the school year 2020-2021,
2,117 primary and 11,100 post-primary students were granted an exemption from the study of
Irish (DES, 2018). Nevertheless, the limited research available suggests that students with
SEN in Irish-immersion primary schools can experience benefits in terms of bilingualism,
academic benefits for post-primary school, and increased self-esteem/self-confidence (Nic
Aindriú, 2021, 2022; Nic Aindriú et al., 2020). However, even though there are potential
benefits for these children, parents have chosen to transfer their child with SEN from Irish-
immersion to English-medium schools (Ní Chinnéide, 2009; Nic Aindriú, 2022). In mixed
methods study on the reasons why parents chose to transfer their child with SEN from an
Irish immersion school, the main reasons cited were; (1) parental anxiety and concern that
learning through a L2 was too difficult for the child, (2) recommendations to transfer the
child to an English-medium school by educational professionals (e.g. educational
psychologists and speech therapists), and (3) the child having difficulties learning through
Irish (Nic Aindriú, 2022).
ASD and SSLD
Children with these two categories of SEN were selected for this study as they experience
language and communication difficulties. Also, these two categories are in the top five most
frequently reported categories of SEN in Irish immersion schools in the RoI (Barrett et al.,
2020; Nic Aindriú et al., 2020). They were also chosen as the international research suggests
that parents of children with ASD are often advised by educational professionals (e.g.,
educational psychologists and speech therapists) against bilingual education for their children
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(Kay-Raining et al., 2012; Kremer-Sadlik, 2005; Yu, 2013, 2016). This advice is given on the
basis that bilingual education and learning through a second language (L2) can confuse a
child with language/communication difficulties, place an added burden on them, and slow
their rate of language acquisition (Beauchamp & MacLeod, 2017; Hampton et al., 2017;
Jegathessan, 2011; Kay-Raining Bird et al., 2012; Kay-Raining Bird et al., 2016; Yu, 2013,
2016). The research also suggests that sequential bilingual children with SSLD can take
longer to catch up with their monolingual peers with the same category of SEN (Kay-Raining
Bird et al., 2016). These negative opinions have caused fear and anxiety amongst parents
regarding the suitability of immersion education/bilingualism for their children (Andrews,
2020; Kay-Raining Bird et al., 2012; Ní Chinnéide, 2009; Yu, 2013, 2016). The findings of
this study provide insights into why some parents continue to choose Irish immersion
education for their child with SEN despite the fact that bilingualism and immersion are often
not recommended.
Factors influencing parental choice of school for their child with SEN
The limited research available states that there are several factors that influence parents when
choosing a school for their child with SEN (Mawene & Bal, 2018). In a meta-analysis of
studies on the factors that influence parents when choosing a school for a child with SEN, it
was found that 14 of the 15 studies suggested that these parents sought schools that had the
appropriate education programs, facilities, and staff to meet the needs of their child (Mawene
& Bal, 2018). Other factors include class size, natural progression/social continuity, and
socio-economic factors (e.g., race and income) (Mawene & Bal, 2018). Social continuity can
be defined as the desire to maintain the children’s existing supporting system such as peers,
siblings, or care providers (Mawene & Bal, 2018, p. 323). Studies found that parents wanted
their children with SEN to attend the same school as their siblings without SEN due to the
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ease of school collections/drop offs and so that they could support each other (Jessen, 2013;
Mawene & Bal, 2018). Parents also reported choosing schools that had an inclusive school
culture and that did not limit their child’s opportunities to learn (Jenkinson, 1998; McNerney
et al., 2015). When the factors that influence parents of children without SEN are compared
with the factors that influence parents of children with SEN it is clear that parents of children
without SEN are more likely to choose a school based on academic achievement and location
(Mawene & Bal., 2018). For the parents of children with SEN it was found that the SEN
provision and availability of services to meet the needs of their child was more important for
them (Mawene & Bal, 2018).
Parental Motivations for Enrolling their Children in Immersion Education
Limited research exists as to why parents choose to enrol their child in one-way immersion
education programmes and the findings of these studies fail to make particular reference to
children with SEN. The literature reviewed in this section relates to immersion education
schools and does not differentiate on the basis of whether the parents studied had children
with or without SEN. Therefore, it is not possible to report on the number of parents of
children with SEN included in each study.
In a one-way French immersion programme in Canada, where parents spoke two
other languages at home that were not the instructional language of the school (French), their
primary reported reason for choosing this form of education for their child was the benefits of
multilingualism (Dagenais & Moore, 2008). Wesley & Baig (2012) also studied the primary
reasons why parents (n=131) enrolled their children in one-way French or Spanish immersion
programmes using parental interviews. Parents (19%) spoke about how their own personal
experiences, social networks, ‘love of languages,’ and the positive experiences of others in
immersion programmes influenced their decision. The academic ability of their child was
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also a motivating factor, with 15% of parents stating that their child was high achieving and
they felt that they needed a challenge. Other factors listed in the study were bilingualism
(40%), the development of their child’s global and cultural awareness (23%), aspects of
school unrelated to immersion (22%), and future opportunities for their child (21%). In a
more recent study on the reasons why parents of children with SEN choose French immersion
education in Canada for their child, it was found that the primary motivating factors were the
benefits of bilingualism, being part of a local community, and attending the same school as a
sibling (Selvachandran et al., 2020). Some of the parents also discussed how they wanted to
further challenge their child who had good language and communication skills. In the RoI,
the limited research available shows that these factors also motivate parents to choose Irish
immersion education for their child. It is important to recognise that these studies did not
focus specifically on parents of children with SEN. Ní Thuairisg & Ó Duibhir (2016) studied
why parents chose Irish immersion primary education for their child and Mhic Mhathúna &
Nic Fhionnlaoich (2021) studied the reasons why Irish immersion preschools were chosen by
parents. In both studies, most parents (77%, 80%) wanted their child to have Irish as a second
language. Over half of parents (54%) in the study by Ní Thuairisg & Ó Duibhir (2016) and
almost three quarters (73%) in the study by Mhic Mhathúna & Nic Fhionnlaoich (2021) had
an interest in the Irish language, and this influenced their decision. Equal numbers of parents
in both studies (62%) cited bilingualism as a reason, and the school’s positive reputation was
a factor listed in both studies (47%).
Materials and Methods
Participants
Parents of children with ASD (n=3) and SSLD (n=2) were interviewed for this study. The
criteria used to select parents for this study were: (1) having a child with an official diagnosis
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of ASD or SSLD who attended an Irish immersion primary school in the RoI/NI, and (2) their
child’s learning difficulties being identified, and the formal assessment/diagnosis process
being started or completed before they chose to enrol them in an Irish immersion primary
school. Two of the children were still undergoing the formal assessment process when they
enrolled in an Irish-immersion primary school. Nevertheless, their learning difficulties had
been identified before enrolment in an Irish immersion school. The other children had a
formal diagnosis when they started primary school. Table 1 displays the SEN of the children
whose parents participated in the present study, the class level of the child at the time of the
study, the geographical location of the school which the child attended, the home language of
the family, and details regarding the child’s diagnosis of SEN. At the time of the study, four
of the students were enrolled in an Irish immersion primary school and the fifth, who had
attended an Irish immersion primary school, was attending an English medium post-primary
school. Those enrolled in the Irish immersion primary schools were attending three different
schools. Four of the children had attended an Irish-immersion preschool. All the parents felt
that their child was well able for the academic challenge of Irish immersion primary school.
Similar to previous studies on the home language of students in Irish immersion schools, it
was found that all of the children came from homes where English was the dominant
language except for one child who was being raised bilingually through Irish and English
(McAdory & Janmaat, 2015; Ní Thuairisg & Ó Duibhir, 2016). The participants in this study
were recruited through schools which participated in a larger PhD study on the additional
supports required by students with SEN in Irish immersion schools (Andrews, 2020). Parents
were given information letters (plain language statements) about the nature of the study and
consent forms in both Irish and English. These documents informed the participants of their
right to withdraw from the study at any time. This research was granted ethical approval by
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the Research Ethics Committee in Dublin City University. All the data gathered was
anonymised and identifying details of participants are not presented in the findings.
Table 1
Class Level, Home Language, Diagnosis, and Location of the
Irish Immersion School for the Children of Parents Participating in the Study
Class
Level
Home
Language
Form of
Assessment
Class
Level
at which
Diagnosed
Had it
been
suggested
pupil
should
transfer
due to
SEN?
Location
Parent of
Child 1:
ASD
6th Class
(Age 11-
12)
English
Private
Before
primary
school
(Before
age
4)
Yes
RoI
Parent of
Child 2:
ASD
3rd Class
(Age 8-
9)
English
Irish
immersion
School
Junior
Infants
(Age 4-5)
No
NI
Parent of
Child 3:
SSLD
2nd Class
(Age 7-
8)
English
Public
(local
health
board)
Before
primary
school
No
RoI
Parent of
Child 4:
ASD
5th Year
Post-
Primary
(Age 16-
17)
English
Public
(local
health
board)
Junior
Infants
(Age 4-5)
Yes
RoI
Parent of
Child 5:
SSLD
Senior
Infants
(Age 5-
6)
Irish/Englis
h
Public
(local
health
board)
Before
primary
school
(Before
age
4)
Yes
NI
Method
This study investigated why parents choose to send their child with SEN to an Irish
immersion primary school rather than an English-medium one given that English is the
majority language of the community. Semi-structured face-to face interviews of
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approximately 30 minutes duration were conducted with the parents. The questions posed in
these interviews were adapted from previous research in this area (Ní Chinnéide, 2009;
Travers et al., 2010):
a) Tell me about your child with SEN who is attending an Irish immersion school?
b) What languages are spoken in your home?
c) What age was your child when these needs were identified/diagnosed and how were
they identified/diagnosed?
d) Why did you choose to send your child to an Irish immersion school?
e) Has it been suggested that you might consider transferring to an English-medium
school due to their SEN? If so, what was the reasoning for this?
f) Can you list the benefits your child gets from attending an Irish immersion school?
g) Have you any other comments you wish to make regarding your experiences of Irish
immersion education for children with SEN?
Four of the interviews were conducted through the medium of English and one interview
through Irish. Direct quotes from the interview conducted through Irish are presented below
using an English language translation. All interviews were transcribed and analysed using
Braun and Clarke’s (2006) framework of thematic analysis. Analysis was undertaken on a
semantic level, where each participant’s contribution was analysed for ‘surface meaning’ and
on a latent level, where ideas, assumptions, and ideologies were identified and examined
(Braun & Clarke, 2006). The data management software Nvivo (QSR international PTY Ltd,
2018) was used to organise the data in a meaningful and systematic way.
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Results
In this section of the paper the results of the thematic analysis of the data are presented using
the following themes: siblings or family attending an Irish immersion school, Irish language
and culture, inclusive school culture, Irish language proficiency, and the challenges faced by
parents when educating their children with SEN through the medium of Irish.
Siblings or Family attending an Irish Immersion School
In line with the findings of other national research into the reasons why parents choose Irish
immersion education for their child, parents in this study were motivated to send their child
with a SEN to an Irish immersion school because their child had a sibling attending the
school (Mhic Mhathúna & Nic Fhionnlaoich, 2021; Ní Thuairisg & Ó Duibhir, 2016). Three
of the children (1 SSLD, 2 ASD) had siblings or family enrolled in the Irish immersion
school they attended. The parents of these children described how their child with SEN also
attending an Irish immersion school was a natural progression/social continuity. “A local
Gaelscoil opened when our first daughter was due to start school, so I sent the two girls to
Irish school, so it was just a natural thing that he followed” (Parent, Child 4).
The parent of Child 1, saw the benefits of this form of education that their nieces and
nephews had received and they decided that they wanted their child to have the same
opportunities regardless of their SEN. Particularly in relation to them being immersed in the
Irish language and learning it naturally.
My older sister’s children had been educated through Irish….I saw the difference that
it made, not just to their language or their use of it but more so to their love of it, and
that’s what impressed me most, and that’s what I wanted, and that’s what we wanted
for our children (Parent, Child 1).
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This finding corresponds with international research that found that parents wanted their
children with SEN to attend the same school as their siblings without SEN due to the ease of
school collections/drop offs and so that they could support each other (Jessen, 2013; Mawene
& Bal, 2018).
Irish Language and Culture
All parents spoke about the importance of the Irish language and the Irish culture of the
school in their decision to send their child to an Irish immersion school (Mhic Mhathúna &
Nic Fhionnlaoich, 2021; Ní Thuairisg & Ó Duibhir (2016). In this context, Irish culture
relates to the Irish language, music, art, folklore, and sport (e.g., GAA). “It is a good thing in
terms of culture, and he plays Gaelic football and hurling and things like that. There are a lot
of Irish language speakers on his team” (Parent, Child 5).
Similar to the findings of other studies, some spoke about their love for the Irish
language and culture (Mhic Mhathúna & Nic Fhionnlaoich, 2021; Ní Thuairisg & Ó Duibhir,
2016). A love for the language of the school was also reported as a motivating factor by
parents in other forms of immersion education (Wesley & Baig, 2012). Parents (1 SSLD, 2
ASD) who were past pupils of Irish immersion education spoke of/about their love for the
Irish language and how it was ‘natural progression’ for their child with SEN to attend this
form of education and to have a similar educational experience to them. Two parents spoke
in-depth about how they wanted their children to have the same positive experiences that they
did in school, such as a supportive school community and the benefit of bilingualism. “I was
always passionate about my language and culture” (Parent, Child 4). Like international
studies, the school culture and benefit of bilingualism was referred to by all the parents
(Dagenais & Moore, 2008; Selvachandran et al., 2020; Wesley & Baig, 2012).
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Inclusive School Culture
One of the parents spoke about the benefits of learning through a L2 for their child in terms
of teaching pedagogy and language development. This parent felt that the cross linguistic
transfer of skills and the repetition that happens in terms of teaching language and literacy
skills in both Irish and English in an Irish immersion school would be of benefit for their
child. This finding is similar to that of international studies who state that parents of children
with SEN are looking for schools with inclusive school cultures and adequate teaching
support to meet the needs of their child (Mawene & Bal, 2018). This parent chose Irish
immersion education for their child even though their child would be entitled to speech and
language therapy support for their child daily if they attended an English-medium school.
This is due to the fact that there are no special classes for children with SSLD available
through the medium of Irish in the RoI or NI.
There are no better speech models than Irish-medium education, because of things
like repetition, things like that and revising concepts (through two languages). These
are the things that they (educational professionals) were recommending for primary
school (Parent Child 5).
Irish Language Proficiency
All parents spoke about how their child may not have had the opportunity to learn Irish as a
L2 if they attended an English-medium school. This is because Irish language exemptions can
be obtained by students with SEN in English-medium schools if the parents and school agree
(DES, 2019a, b). At the time of the study, one of the children was attending an English-
medium post-primary school. This child transferred to an English-medium special class in
3rd class (discussed further in the next section). When the child transferred, they did not have
the opportunity to learn Irish because it was not taught in the special class. However, their
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parent fought hard for their child to continue to learn Irish and the child has obtained a high
level of proficiency.
They didn't do Irish as a subject and from that September until December he actually
didn't do any Irish at all and I had to write to the principal to request that he be put
into a mainstream class for the Irish lesson (Parent, Child 4).
One parent who worked in an English-medium school as a Special Needs Assistant spoke of
their professional and personal experience of the benefit of their child being immersed in the
Irish language. “So, for us, for Gerry, that’s never been a problem, because he’s been
immersed in it. Because it’s not the language that’s the main problem, it’s the way it’s being
taught, you know” (Parent, Child 1).
Another parent (SSLD) spoke about how they chose this form of education for their
child because they felt that it would challenge them more than attending an English-medium
school and also, it would help in terms of further language acquisition in the future.
It's why I want to keep him in the Irish school, because I think it would be another
bonus to him. Even if he does have learning difficulties, it will be a door that's open to
him. If he was in an English-speaking school, I feel that door would be closed (Parent,
Child 3).
It is interesting that this parent wanted to challenge their child by them learning through Irish
as a L2 even though they present with language and communication difficulties. The
challenge of immersion education was also noted as a motivating factor for parents in other
immersion education studies, e.g., Wesley & Baig (2012) and Selvachandran et al. (2020).
Also, parents of children with SEN in international studies wanted their children to have the
ability to reach their potential (Mawene & Bal, 2018).
Within the interviews, the parents were asked what benefits they felt their child had
received through attending an Irish-immersion school. All the parents interviewed discussed
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the benefit of their child being bilingual. “He will have two languages at a young age and that
will help when he is older and trying to learn another language” (Parent, Child 5). However,
two of the three parents of children with ASD said that whilst their children could understand
and speak Irish, they often refused to speak it.
He was very oppositional. That was part of his Asperger’s. Anxiety brought on this
oppositional behaviour so he refused to speak Irish. I don't think... his learning wasn't
really affected because he was making all his targets and able to learn but he just
refused to speak (Parent, Child 4).
The second parent mentioned that their child did not speak much Irish, but they were unsure
what the reason for this was.
I don't know if he finds it hard, but he just refuses to, because... I don't know if it's
because he feels it's being pushed on him, or because everything he says as Béarla
(English), they repeat as Gaeilge (Irish). So, it's like, oh, I know, but he sort of gets
mad (Parent, Child 2).
Nevertheless, all the parents stated that their child could understand and speak Irish on some
level and as mentioned above this was a motivation for them sending their child to an Irish
immersion school like parents of children in other forms of immersion education (Kay-Raining
Bird et al., 2016; Mhic Mhathúna & Nic Fhionnlaoich, 2021; Ní Thuairisg & Ó Duibhir, 2016;
Wesley & Baig, 2012). This factor has also been identified when children are learning a
language that is not the majority language of society. It has often been identified in heritage
speakers and therefore it might not necessarily be related to the child’s SEN (De Houwer,
2020).
Challenges faced by Parents when Educating their Children with SEN through the
Medium of Irish
In the interviews, parents identified a range of challenges that they encountered because of
their child with SEN attending an Irish immersion school. Three of the parents experienced
feelings of anxiety and concern around whether they had made the right educational choice for
their child (Ní Chinnéide, 2009). The first parent spoke about how they found it hard to accept
that their child would receive more additional support if they attended an English-medium
122
school than they do attending an Irish immersion primary school (Ní Chinnéide, 2009). This
made them question whether they had made the right choice for their child.
I think because I know that he would be getting that (extra) help and support if he was
attending an English-medium school and at the start I was in doubt as to whether I had
made the right choice to send him here (Irish immersion school) (Parent, Child 5).
The second parent was also worried about the additional support that their child would receive
in the Irish immersion primary school (Ní Chinnéide, 2009). This particularly focused around
the allocation of a Special Needs Assistant.
The biggest challenge would have been, especially for a child like Tim
who is very intelligent but had autism, is that the worry was that the SENO
1
would
look at his educational kind of scores and maybe even come in and look at him and he
seems to be doing absolutely fine. But he really needed support (Parent, Child 1).
The third parent also had concerns about whether they had made the right choice, they
wondered if it would be easier for their child to learn through English. They also discussed
how they found the fact that they did not have Irish as a challenge in terms of helping their
child with schoolwork at home (Kavanagh, 2013). This parent said that they often relied on
their older children who had attended Irish immersion school to help them translate or that they
used Google Translate for this also. “I did question whether or not to keep him in the primary
school he's in” (Parent, Child 3).
At the time in which this study was conducted, all of the children with the exception of
one (Child 4) were still attending an Irish-immersion school. This student had transferred to an
English-medium special class for children with ASD in third class. The parent decided to
transfer their child from an Irish immersion primary school due to the fact that they felt the
school lacked an inclusive school culture. This was a challenge for them that they
could not ignore.
We always felt that the school, the Gaelscoil (Irish immersion primary school)
that he was in, they didn't really want him…..almost every day there'd be
somebody coming out to us to say he'd done this, that or whatever
(Parent, Child 4).
1
A special educational needs officer (SENO) has the responsibility for specific schools, primary, post primary
and special, within their area. They ensure that a child with SEN receives the support they are entitled to.
(NCSE, 2022)
123
This experience of a lack of inclusive school culture contrasts with another parent from the
group whose child has had a positive experience in an Irish immersion primary school. The
advice they have for parents is:
You need to go in. You need to talk to them; you need to see the environment that
they're in. Once you see it, it's not so scary anymore. And the fact that the
kids are able to communicate, and they're not just left there totally oblivious
because the múinteoir (teacher) is talking as Gaeilge (Irish), it's not like that at all. So,
I would say, be open minded and definitely give it a try, because we have no regrets
(Parent, Child 2).
These findings demonstrate that each school has a different school culture and that this should
be considered by parents when choosing a school for their child with SEN as the inclusive
culture of the school is an important motivating factor (Mawene & Bal, 2018).
Discussion
The findings of the present study are significant as they suggest that parents of children with
SEN choose immersion education for their child for the same reasons as parents of children
without SEN such as the positive reputation of immersion education, positive reports from
friends and family in relation to immersion education, and their love for the language of
instruction of the school (Dagenais & Moore, 2008; Mhic Mhathúna & Nic Fhionnlaoich,
2021; Ní Thuairisg & Ó Duibhir 2016; Wesley & Baig, 2012). Interestingly, many of the
parents in this study had attended Irish immersion education themselves and they wanted
their child to have the same positive educational experience as they had regardless of whether
they had SEN. This finding relates to social continuity as identified in other international
studies (Jessen, 2013; Mawene & Bal, 2018). This might suggest that parents who attended
Irish immersion education themselves have a better understanding of the ethos of Irish
immersion education and thus have fewer concerns about the suitability of this form of
education for their child. One of the parents in the study wanted to challenge their child so
they chose this form of education for them (Selvachandran et al., 2020).
124
Findings also suggests that it is important for parents to send their children with SEN
to the same school as their children without SEN (Mhic Mhathúna & Nic Fhionnlaoich, 2021;
Ní Thuairisg & Ó Duibhir, 2016; Selvachandran et al., 2020). The fact that parents wanted
their child to be educated with their siblings demonstrates that parents want their children
with SEN to have the opportunity to belong in the local school community (Jenkinson, 1998;
Mawene & Bal, 2018; McNerney et al., 2015). However, there are fewer Irish immersion
schools with special classes for students with ASD than English-medium schools and this is
not always possible. Also, there are no special classes for children with SSLD available
through Irish. This finding may be of importance in terms of demonstrating the need for more
special classes to be offered in Irish immersion schools to allow for siblings to attend the
same school and/or a school in their local community. Particularly as internationally it has
also been found that parents of children with SEN are most likely to choose a school that can
appropriately educate and challenge their child (Jenkinson, 1998; McNerney et al., 2015;
Mawene & Bal, 2018).
Within the study, three parents described how they questioned whether they had made
the right educational choice for their child (Andrews, 2020; Ní Chinnéide, 2009; Nic Aindriú
et al., 2020). They often wondered if it would be easier for their child to learn through
English. Nevertheless, they continued with their choice of educating their child through Irish
due to their love of the Irish language and culture and also the benefit of bilingualism that it
afforded their child (Nic Aindriú, 2021). This is interesting considering that parental
anxiety/concern about the suitability of Irish immersion education for children with SEN has
been cited as one of the primary reasons why these students transfer to English medium
schools (Ní Chinnéide, 2009; Nic Aindriú et al., 2020). One parent in the study decided to
transfer their child from an Irish immersion primary school to an English-medium special
class because they felt that the school lacked an inclusive school culture. These findings
125
suggest that more information may be required by parents of children with SEN around the
benefits and challenges of educating their child through Irish (Ní Chinnéide, 2009). It also
suggests that they parents need additional support from Irish immersion schools when their
child with SEN is enrolled in the school. Furthermore, it demonstrates that all schools have a
different ethos and culture, this is a factor that should be considered when parents are
choosing an Irish immersion school for their child.
The findings also show that these parents want their children to have the opportunity
to learn Irish and that they feel that this is achievable for them (Kay-Raining Bird et al.,
2016). This in turn raises further questions about the debate surrounding the suitability and
necessity of Irish language exemptions for students with SEN in English-medium schools
(DES 2019a, b). One parent’s experience demonstrated that providing an Irish language
exemption is not always necessary. When their child transferred to an English-medium
special class, they had to request that their child could continue to learn Irish, and they were
due to sit a higher-level Irish leaving certificate paper. This corresponds with the
international research which demonstrates that children with SEN can acquire a L2 (Kay-
Raining Bird et al., 2016).
While the sample size is small, this study gives insights into why some parents choose
bilingualism/immersion education for their child when it is not compulsory and in some
cases, not recommended, and is important from that perspective to help ensure the inclusivity
of immersion programmes. It is difficult to conduct research with parents of children with
these categories of SEN due to the low numbers of these students enrolled in Irish immersion
schools. However, the findings of this study are important and add to the limited international
research on the reasons why parents of children with SEN decide to send their child to
immersion education schools, particularly when they have often been advised against it (Kay-
Raining et al., 2012; Kremer-Sadlik, 2005; Yu, 2013, 2016). The findings of the present
126
study may be transferable to other immersion education contexts throughout the world such
as Canada, Spain, Scotland, Wales, and New Zealand. We echo the call of Selvachandran et
al. (2020) for more research in this area so that we can create inclusive immersion schools
and help educational professionals to make evidence-based decisions.
Acknowledgements
We would like to express our gratitude to all the participants of this study and to An
Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta for funding this research.
Declaration of Interest Statement
The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare that are relevant to the content of this
article.
Funding
This study was funded by An Chomhairle um Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta.
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