Nuachtlitir Ráth Chairn
October 4, 2012
Raidió Rí Rá
October 4, 2012
Comórtas HP do bhunscoileanna – fáilte roimh iarratais i nGaeilge!
October 4, 2012
Junior Cert changes will be most radical reform of exam system
October 4, 2012
Proposals will aim to tackle the problem of male students disengaging from school during the Junior Cert cycle and lift standards in literacy
TRENCHANT CRITICISM of the Junior Cert exam has been a feature of the education debate for over a decade.
The exam – designed in 1989 to be radical and different – quickly became a mirror image of the Leaving Cert, with the same, familiar failings. It was too high stakes, too dominated by rote learning and it forced teachers to teach to the test.
The progressive new proposals tabled by Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn have the potential to liberate both students and their teachers. They are arguably the most radical reform of the exam system in the history of the State.
In essence, the Junior Cert is being transformed from a high-stakes exam to essentially a “house exam’’ run by the schools themselves.
Schools and their students can mix and match from a menu of traditional subjects and new “short courses” ( in areas like digital technology and Chinese culture).
They can be chosen from a new syllabus designed by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment.
The State Exams Commission will still set exam papers in traditional subjects but schools will be free to mix these with their own choice of short courses.
The plan is that the junior cycle will move out of the current straitjacket – schools and teachers will have the elbow room to encourage critical thinking and to provide more creative teaching.
The new Junior Cert is broadly in line with the practice in high performing education systems like Finland and New Zealand.
There is widespread agreement in education circles that the Junior Cert needs radical change.
Last year, Mr Quinn told a conference on exam reform: “It is clear that the Junior Certificate examination has a serious, negative backwash effect on students’ learning and is out of line with international practice.”
Research by the Economic and Social Research Institute indicates that high numbers of male students – particularly those from a disadvantaged background – tend to disengage from school during the Junior Cert cycle. Many teenagers, it concluded, are ill-suited to an education system built around one terminal exam.
The Department of Education hopes the new exam will also help to lift standards in literacy and numeracy.
The most recent OECD/Pisa study in 2009 reported an alarming fall in the performance of Irish 15 year olds in reading and maths. The ranking of Irish teenagers slumped from 5th to 17th since 2000, the sharpest decline among any developed country. In maths, Ireland dropped from 16th to 25th, below the average.
Junior Cert results in the past decade have failed to reflect this worrying drop in standards. Last year, an Irish Times analysis of Junior Cert results indicated persistent grade inflation in both maths and English over the past decade. It also shows grade inflation in science – even though the OECD reported no major change in overall standards.
The most controversial feature of the new exam is the proposals for teachers to assess their own pupils. This could be opposed by the ASTI, although the low-stakes nature of the new exam may soften opposition .
In a significant move last month, Clive Byrne, director of the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals suggested teachers should be willing to correct their own students’ Junior Cert exam papers.
“If we’re in the middle of reforming it to ensure it’s not a high-stakes exam any more, why not be a bit more courageous?”
http://www.irishtimes.com/
Eagrais na Gaeilge ag iomrascáil le múnla nua maoinithe
October 3, 2012
Cumann na bhFiann Youth Clubs 2012-2013
October 2, 2012
Cumann an bhFiann Youth Clubs are up and running again across the country! Irish-medium school pupils (classes 4-6 and post-primary pupils) are always welcome to attend these clubs. It gives the pupils an opportunity to use Irish socially outside of school hours, which enriches the relevance of the language in the pupil’s life.
The list of clubs is available to view here: Cumann na bhFiann 2012-2013
Catalóg 2012-13 Futa Fata
October 2, 2012
Fun in the classroom with Foinse Óg
October 2, 2012
A new series of online learning resources for teachers has recently been made available free of charge on www.foinse.ie.
The new learning material adds to the educational support that Foinse has provided for a number of years. The newest resources have been developed in association with COGG, by primary school teachers for primary school teachers and are entirely based on the primary school curriculum.
Hundreds of new resources have been added to the website and many cater for all levels of Irish. Multi-coloured based on curriculum themes are designed to be used interactively on a white board or a projector and can also be printed to use in the classroom. Interactive games, crosswords, jigsaws and exercises are also available allowing teachers to attend to students of varying levels of learning within the one lesson. The website is also a great resource for parents.
The newspaper Foinse also provides parents and teachers with learning resources every Wednesday with the Irish Independent. A new lesson plan will be printed in Foinse every Wednesday as a constant resource for teachers and parents who wish to make Irish exciting and engaging for their children.
Foilsithe ar Gaelport.com
DUP blasts TV ad in Irish as waste of public’s money
October 2, 2012
The DUP has accused the Education Minister of wasting money on a new television advertisement broadcast solely in Irish.
The ‘Get Involved’ advert aired during the UTV news at 5.45pm, and was swiftly condemned by East Londonderry MP Gregory Campbell. Mr Campbell said the Sinn Fein minister, John O’Dowd, was “potentially acting illegally” and was more concerned with a party political agenda than the education of young people. “At a time when all government budgets are under pressure and schools are seeing budgets cut it is entirely inappropriate for the Education Minister to sanction a politically motivated television advert in Irish,” Mr Campbell said.
“The last census figures we have available highlight that around 90% of the population of Northern Ireland have absolutely no knowledge or use of the Irish language. “Of those who do speak, write or understand the Irish language in Northern Ireland, there are none who are unable to speak English. “This therefore is an example of public money being spent on a party political promotion of the Irish language with no benefit either to the education of our young people or to society as a whole.” Mr Campbell claimed the DUP Finance Minister, Sammy Wilson, had withdrawn the Department of Education’s ability to spend money in this way. He called the decision to proceed with the advert a “petty stunt” and said he believed the broadcast could be in breach of the Communications Act (2003). But Mr O’Dowd said he was “disappointed with the criticism” of the campaign, which is also being broadcast on radio and online.
The Education Minister said the advertisement was in keeping with his department’s statutory duty to encourage and facilitate Irish-medium education. “Not only did I go through all the due processes to procure this campaign, but it is one that is of vital importance to our society,” he said. “It is aimed at raising the value we, as a society, place on education.” Meanwhile, at a Belfast City Council meeting last night the DUP failed in its attempt to prevent the erection of a ‘Nollaig Shona Duit’ (Merry Christmas) sign being erected in the grounds of City Hall again this year.
www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk
Sir E Scott pupils visit Irish Gaelic School
October 1, 2012
Pupils from Sir E. Scott School in Harris are taking part in a school exchange with Pobalscoil Ghaoth Dobhair in Donegal this week.
The group set off on Friday and will spend five days in Gweedore in County Donegal in the first pupil exchange between the two schools. Pupils have already written to their peers and they will take part in a range of activities together over the five days.
Pobalscoil Ghaoth Dobhair is a 300 pupil High School in the Irish Gaeltacht area of Donegal where all subjects are taught through the medium of Gaelic. The Donegal dialect of Gaelic is very close to Scottish Gaelic. Both schools have a very strong Gaelic music tradition.
The Gaelic Department at Sir E Scott School began this link project in November 2011 and staff from the Harris school visited the Pobalscoil in February 2012 to establish the link. The project has received support from Colmcille and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar.
www.stornowaygazette.co.uk
