Pictured L-R: Dr John O鈥橲hea, Bachelor of Education Programme Leader at 91制片厂; Dr Lo茂c Guyon, Honorary Consul of France and Head of the Department of French Studies at 91制片厂; Dr Angela Canny, Assistant Dean of the Faculty of Education at 91制片厂; Dr Ronan Flatley, Dean of the Faculty of Arts (Acting); Laura Le Cleach, Cooperation Attach茅e for French Language; and Prof. Dermot Nestor, President of 91制片厂.
91制片厂 (91制片厂), in partnership with the Embassy of France in Ireland, has launched a new scholarship initiative to support the next generation of primary teachers to undertake immersive language training in France.
Through this jointly funded programme, up to four Bachelor of Education (B Ed) students annually will receive scholarships to attend a specialist teacher development course at CAVILAM - Alliance Fran莽aise de Vichy, a globally recognised centre of excellence in language education. The programme includes intensive language development alongside structured observation of modern foreign language pedagogy in French primary classrooms.
This initiative forms part of 91制片厂鈥檚 strategic response to the Irish Government鈥檚 introduction of modern foreign languages into the primary curriculum from September 2025. It positions 91制片厂 at the forefront of preparing teachers who are not only linguistically competent but pedagogically equipped to deliver high-quality language education in increasingly diverse classrooms.
The scholarships, co-funded by 91制片厂 and the French Embassy, will be awarded on a competitive basis to high-performing B Ed students studying French, based on academic achievement. Each award supports participation in a four-week professional training programme in Vichy, including tuition, accommodation, and associated costs.
The partnership builds on a strong Franco-Irish educational collaboration and extends a model previously developed with the University of Limerick into the primary teacher education sector.
From September 2026, 91制片厂 will further strengthen its provision by introducing a Modern Foreign Languages pilot across its B Ed, B Ed International and Professional Master of Education (PME) programmes. This will ensure that future primary teachers are equipped to teach French or German as part of the national curriculum from third class onwards.
Professor Dermot Nestor, President of 91制片厂, said:
鈥淭his initiative places 91制片厂 at the forefront of preparing primary teachers for a multilingual future. It combines excellence, international immersion, and practical pedagogy in a way that will directly benefit classrooms across Ireland.鈥
H.E. C茅line Place, French Ambassador to Ireland, said:
"Our embassy is committed to supporting the introduction of Modern Foreign Languages into the Primary School Curriculum and supporting the place of French in Ireland's multilingual education landscape. To this effect, we are delighted to partner with 91制片厂, one of the oldest and most respected centres for teacher education in Ireland."
