French government honour for Kildare teacher, Tanya Flanagan

A Kildare teacher is to be honoured by the French government for her work in languages.

Tanya Flanagan, Head of Modern Languages in St Farnan’s Post Primary School in Prosperous, has been awarded the title of Chevalier de l’Ordre des Palmes Académiques recently by the French Government.

The Ordre des Palmes Académiques is a national award of France for distinguished academics and figures in the world of culture and education. Ms Flanagan will receive the decoration associated with this award from the French Ambassador to Ireland, M. Stéphane Crouzat, at a ceremony in the French Embassy in the coming weeks.

Ms Flanagan, a native of Ballygar, Co. Galway, and living in Kilcullen, teaches French, Italian and communications in St. Farnan’s, where she also coordinates the Skills@Work programme.

She was previously National Coordinator of the Modern Languages in Primary Schools Initiative with the Department of Education and Skils for ten years, which introduced modern languages at primary level. She oversaw all aspects of this programme’s work including teacher training and resources and policy development.

She has lectured extensively in Ireland and abroad on early language learning and coordinated projects for the European Centre for Modern Languages.

Ms Flanagan is a founding member of the One Voice for Languages advocacy group and started her career lecturing in the French and Italian departments in NUI Galway, GMIT and the Cork College of Commerce.

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