THE Manx language has seen a revival in schools across the Isle of Man thanks to more opportunities for young people who wish to learn the native language.
More than 1,000 pupils now learn Manx in primary schools and around 100 are studying it at secondary level.
Pupils can now sit GCSE and A-level exams on the Manx Language and two secondary schools – Ballakermeen and Queen Elizabeth II – have even established the language as a timetabled subject at Key Stage 3.
The two year A-level qualification which has been developed is based on Irish Gaelic exams and will replace the previous modular qualification which was designed for distance learning. This qualification will be more comparable to other language A-levels.
This summer a 13 year old pupil from Ballakermeen High School will sit the AS level exam. The pupil who is in year nine attended the Manx language primary school Bunscoill Ghaelgagh in St Johns until the age of 11.
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| Peripatetic Manx language teacher Rob Teare with a group of pupils from QE11 who are learning Manx |
They will sit the exam alongside a number of adult learners including an 18 year old student from Ramsey Grammar School who will sit the A2 part of the qualification.
Also this summer a number of ex Bunscoill Ghaelgagh pupils, who are now 11 and 12 and in year seven, will sit the Teisht Chadjin Ghaelgagh – the equivalent of a GCSE and based on the GCSE French qualification.
This exam will also be taken by older students from secondary schools and the Isle of Man College who have been taught by Dr Brian Stowell.
Dr Stowell was the Island’s first Manx language officer and led a team of three in teaching Manx to a small number of primary and secondary school pupils in 1992.
