4,300 pupils took oral Irish despite ban
September 14, 2011
ALMOST 4,300 students at one in eight second-level schools did a Junior Certificate Irish oral exam this year despite union bans on teachers conducting the tests.
The State Examinations Commission (SEC) does not pay for teachers to visit other schools to conduct oral tests for the Junior Certificate, unlike at Leaving Certificate level where the spoken exam is compulsory for Irish and a number of languages. However, although the oral exam is optional at Junior Certificate, the number of schools where students are being examined has soared since the marks for the oral test doubled from 20% of the overall grade to 40% last year. Between 2007, when the changes were announced, and 2009, the number of students who took the optional oral test more than doubled from 339 to 725 at 24 schools. But they rose last year to 1,687 students, 3.6% of all who took Junior Certificate Irish, at 54 schools. The SEC will issue results today to 4,276 students (8.9%) who were examined in oral Irish this year at 94 of the country’s 730 second-level schools in June.
The increase comes in spite of bans by the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) and Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) on their members doing school-based assessments outside those paid for by the SEC. The Department of Education puts the increase down to pressure from parents on schools to have their children assessed, as they consider it “an important dry run for the high-stakes Leaving Certificate”. Schools notify the SEC on marks for optional oral Irish exams, which are added to those received for the written and listening exams in June. From next summer, the proportion of marks in Leaving Certificate Irish will also rise, from 25% to 40%. It is understood that while some schools pay teachers from other schools or retired staff to conduct the tests teachers at some schools have been assessing their own students. ASTI assistant general secretary Moira Leydon said she understands members have not been assessing their own students, but the union is concerned about teachers assessing students in other schools on an ad-hoc basis, which the union directed them not to do.
She said: “There needs to be a standardised measure applied to all elements of the state exams, whether it’s a practical test for woodwork, singing for music or the written German exam. “But it is also reasonable to expect that the same remuneration given to teachers who take part in other state exam assessments would apply to those who assess oral Irish in the Junior Certificate.” TUI told members not to conduct oral tests until arrangements acceptable to teachers and adequate resources are agreed, including payment and training. The union said it understands that in schools where its members work examiners are recruited from outside or paid by the school or vocational education committee.
Irish Examiner – Niall Murray
14 Meán Fómhair 2011
Gaelchultúr Classes
September 13, 2011
Gaelchultúr’s Irish language evening classes for adults will commence next week (19–22 September 2011). Classes will take place in Dublin, Belfast, Cork, Carlow, Dundalk, Limerick, Naas, Sligo and Mullingar. Some places are still available. To view all courses and venues, and to book a place, please go to www.gaelchultur.com.
Eolas/Information: www.gaelchultur.com | eolas@gaelchultur.com | (01) 484 5220 | 1890 252 900
Pacáiste nua POBAL dírithe ar pháistí
September 9, 2011
Seoladh leabhráin nua An Traein
September 9, 2011
Ciorcal Comhrá Iarscoile i gCeatharlach
September 8, 2011
Gaeilge éigeandála ar fáil do thuismitheoirí agus d’fheighlithe
September 7, 2011
Cumann na bhFiann
September 7, 2011
New immersion education project for Donegal schools
September 6, 2011
A new school year and a new policy-three Gaeltacht primary schools in Donegal have embarked on a new teaching policy which will mean that only Irish will be used in junior classes.
This will mean that children attending junior classes in Scoil Rann na Feirste, Scoil Dhoire Chonaire and Scoil Chaiseal na gCorr will not receive instruction in the English language until senior infants.
Éamonn Mac Niallais, spokesperson for community group Guth na Gaeltachta, believes that this policy not only benefits the Irish language in the area but that it will be of educational benefit for children as well.
“It is very clear from international and national research on immersion education that not only does this system improve the acquisition of the minority language, in this case Irish, but also that it improves standards in both languages in senior classes”, he says.
The policy follows a seminar on immersion education practice for teachers which was held by Eagraíocht na scoileanna Gaeltachta and An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta. Training sessions for the board of management and for teachers on Irish language phonetics were also held in recent weeks.
It is is hoped that the new initiative will also take off in seven other Gaeltacht schools in Donegal.
“We have to acknowledge that there is a crisis in even the strongest Gaeltacht areas in terms of the lack of usage by young people of the Irish language in their normal everyday social interactions” says Mac Niallais
©Foilsithe ar Gaelport.com 06 Meán Fómhair 2011
Cork communities to discuss the Irish language
September 6, 2011
One of the main objectives of the 20 Year Strategy for the Irish language is to increase the number of daily Irish speakers to 250,000, but how many of these will be based in Cork?
Comhdháil Náisiúnta na Gaeilge will host a public seminar in the Rebel City at the end of the month, to inform members of the public on the objectives of the Strategy, and to put together an action plan in conjunction with the local people, of how to obtain these objectives at a local level. The seminar, which will be held as part of the series; “Irish in Your Area: Your Language, Your Community, Your Choice”, will be held on 28 September, in Gaelcholáiste Choilm in Ballincollig, from 6.30pm-9pm.
A local speaker from UCC will discuss best practice in the area of language planning in urban settings, and a representative of the Department of Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht Affairss will discuss the language planning requirements in the Cork area as depicted in the 20 Year Strategy.
Chairperson of the GAA’s National Irish language committee Liam Ó Rinn, will be joined by Jerry Ahern the chairperson of the Niall Ó Cathasaigh branch of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, and together they will discuss the methods with which the GAA and Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann aim to promote the Irish language at a grassroots level.
Along with the above speakers, representatives of Cork city and county councils will partake in the seminar, and representatives of locally involved Irish language organisations such as Gael-Taca and Cumann na bhFiann will present their annual action plans for the coming years. Current projects which focus on implementation of the provisions of the Strategy will also be discussed.
Speaking about the seminar, Stiúrthóir of Comhdháil Náisiúnta na Gaeilge, Pádraig Mac Criostail said: “The aim of this series of seminars is to inform the public of the opportunities to promote the Irish language under the 20 year strategy, and to begin the process of building and developing Irish speaking networks in the urban areas”.
To achieve the goals set out in the Strategy, it will be necessary to encourage non-Irish speakers to use the language. Everyone is welcome to attend this seminar, whether they have no Irish at all, have rusty Irish from school, or wish to raise their own children through Irish, this fully bilingual seminar will cater for all.
Registration for the seminar is free, and people planning to attend should email their contact details to Cillian de Búrca, cillian@comhdhail.ie to receive further information. Two further seminars in this series will be held later in the year, in Limerick on 21 November, and in Dungarvan, Co. Waterford on 23 November.
©Foilsithe ar Gaelport.com 06 Méan Fómhair 2011
Gaeltacht Education Conference
September 6, 2011
Eagraíocht na Scoileanna Gaeltachta, the national representative for parents and teachers in all Gaeltacht areas, will host their annual conference on education matters, and their AGM, on Saturday, 1st October in the Ardilaun Hotel, Galway.
Among those speaking at the conference will be Deirbhile Nic Craith, (INTO) who will discuss the employment implications of merging small schools. Maolsheachlainn Ó Caollaí will discuss the Irish language at Leaving Certificate level, and Muireann Ní Mhóráin, (COGG) will speak on the topic of Gaeltacht pupils and the state exams. Special educational needs, and the current issues in this area as they relate to Gaeltacht schools will also be discussed on the day.
An election will be held as part of the AGM, to choose the General Directors of the organisation, and the Committee of Officers will be chosen from the elected directors, after the first meeting of the new board.
The aim of Eagraíocht na Scoileanna Gaeltachta is to strengthen Irish medium education in Gaeltacht schools. Further information about the organisation, or the conference is available from Treasa Ní Mhainín at oifig@esg.ie.
Foilsithe ar Gaelport.com 06 Meán Fómhair 2011
