A private primary school in Co Wicklow has said it will not re-admit two of its pupils in September because they have refused to learn Irish.
The parents of Troy (9) and Hadley (6) Higgins say the children should not be compelled to learn Irish and they should have "ultimate control" over what they are taught.
The board of Tigh na nOg Montessori school in Blessington has told the parents there would be no places for the boys because they refused to pursue the "full school curriculum".
The dispute between the school and the parents is highly unusual and could end up in the courts. The parents, Mr Tom Higgins and Ms Theresa Dunne, are planning a campaign to have the children re-admitted. They have taken out a full-page advertisement in their local paper, the Wicklow People, asking for the support of other parents.
Schools such as Tigh na nOg receive no State funds and have the right to devise their own curriculum. In practice, most copy the national school curriculum, which includes Irish. However the school is legally entitled to offer whatever subjects it wants.
In a letter in early June, the school's chairman, Mr Brian Dowling, said the decision not to re-admit the pupils was taken with "considerable regret and much thought".
Mr Higgins told The Irish Times last night that the boys did not want to learn Irish and it was "of no benefit to them". "There is a wider principle about the rights of parents to decide what their children should learn or not learn. Parents should have the right to let their children opt out of certain subjects," he said. A spokesman for the school said he had no comment to make.
The boys, who have been at the school for several years, have been attending Irish classes in recent months but not participating in lessons. Mr Higgins, a company director, said he had taken legal advice and believed the school had the power to exempt children from Irish if their parents wanted this.
He said he did not favour taking legal action but it was a possibility. He said the boys came to him and his wife asking if they could opt out of Irish. After talking it over, they decided to support the children in their choice.