More cuts for Irish medium education
November 28, 2012
The Department of Education and Skills announced today that the Irish language council COGG is to merge with the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment.
A representative of the Department made the announcement to delegates of this year’s Irish medium education conference, organised by Gaelscoileanna and by Eagraíocht na Scoileanna Gaeltachta, held in Glaway.
COGG provides support services to Irish medium schools and post-primary Irish medium schools as well as Irish language resources and research in the area.
The body currently only employs two staff as the Department had ruled out filling internal vacancies in the organisation.
COGG was established under Article 31 of the Education Act 1998, after a long campaign by Irish language organisations
Comhdháil Náisiúnta na Gaeilge, Gaelscoileanna and Eagraíocht na Scoileanna Gaeltachta.
Speaking at the conference today, Seán Ó Foghlú, Secretary General of the Department of Education and Skills stated: “These new arrangements will allow COGG to concentrate its resources on its core functions of providing teaching resources to support the teaching of Irish in tandem with the NCCA’s work on revising the curriculum. The general administrative functions, which are a considerable burden on a small staff, will now be provided by the NCCA,”
“In this new arrangement, COGG will retain a separate identity under the aegis of the NCCA. The move will strengthen its ability to support Irish-medium education and the teaching of Irish generally”, he said.
Foilsithe ar Gaelport.com
An Caifé Craosach – fís chluiche nua aimseartha ar fáil saor in aisce go hiomlán i nGaeilge
November 27, 2012
Leabhrán/CD nua “An tAifreann Naofa”
November 27, 2012
Peter Pan sa Taibhdhearc
November 27, 2012
Turning of sod for Coláiste Ailigh
November 27, 2012
A new building for an all-Irish second level school which caters for 350 pupils in the heart of Letterkenny is due to be completed by 2014 under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model.
The turning of the sod ceremony for the new Coláiste Ailigh building took place at Knocknamona/Carnamuggagh, Letterkenny on Friday, last. Construction on the new school building will begin immediately on the 8.8 acre site.
Coláiste Ailigh was established in 2000. The school falls under the remit of County Donegal VEC and is currently located in temporary rented accommodation at High Road, Letterkenny.
The chairperson of the VEC, Martin Farren said that Coláiste Ailigh has gone from strength to strength in Letterkenny and that he envisaged the college to be a centre of excellence for Irish language education in Letterkenny.
www.donegaldemocrat.ie
TV advert ideas sought by ‘Foinse’
November 27, 2012
STUDENTS are being encouraged to get their creative juices flowing and come up with ideas for a television advert to promote Bliain na Gaeilge, a yearlong festival in 2013 to celebrate the Irish language.
The competition, being run by TG4 and Irish language newspaper ‘Foinse’, which is published with the Irish Independent on Wednesdays, is open to students at both second and third-level. The deadline for entries is Friday.
www.independent.ie
Seán Ó Foghlú, Secretary General of the Department of Education and Skills, addresses Annual Conference of Gaelscoileanna and Eagraíocht na Scoileanna Gaeltachta
November 27, 2012
Major changes for Irish and Irish-medium education signalled
Changes to the curriculum in Irish in Irish-medium and mainstream schools, compulsory oral Irish tests at junior cycle, the expansion of Irish-medium schooling, and improvements in Irish in teacher education are among the major developments signalled by Sean Ó Foghlú, Secretary General of the Department of Education and Skills today.
In a wide-ranging speech to the joint annual conference of Gaelscoileanna and Eagraíocht na Scoileanna Gaeltachta in Galway, Mr Ó Foghlú said that the Department of Education and Skills was fully committed to implementing the ambitious actions in the 20 Year Strategy for the Irish Language.
The Department has prioritised key areas for action, including steps to increase the supply of Irish-medium schooling and the provision of better curricula for Irish in Irish-medium and mainstream schools.
Mr Ó Foghlú said, “The Department of Education and Skills will strive, over the life-time of the Strategy, to make Irish-medium education available to all students whose parents wish to avail of it.”
He cited the current process of divesting primary schools in areas of stable populations as an opportunity which could see more schools to operate as gaelscoileanna, should there be parental demand.
At post-primary level he said, “We will continue to identify areas where there is a need for a new gaelcholáiste in accordance with a threshold of demand of 400 pupils which is considerably lower than the equivalent 800 for English medium schools. We are also conscious of the need to explore the potential of other options such as Irish language units and Irish language streams.”
Mr Ó Foghlú also noted that substantial change was underway in initial teacher education. The changes are intended to strengthen the teaching of Irish in colleges and to ensure that teachers’ standards of Irish and their ability to teach the language are enhanced.
The Secretary General said that the Literacy and Numeracy strategy of the Department had recognised the need to revise the curriculum at primary and post-primary level and that this work was underway at the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment.
“We expect that the oral language test will be a compulsory part of the new syllabus and assessment requirements for Irish, in accordance with the implementation of the Framework for Junior Cycle launched last month by Minister Quinn,” he said.
In parallel at junior cycle, an optional additional short course in advanced Irish would be made available to use by students in Irish-medium and Gaeltacht schools; this has been a long-standing demand of Irish-medium education interests.
“Such a short course would allow students in Irish-medium schools to study and gain credit for an ability in the language at a significantly advanced level,” he said.
Mr Ó Foghlú also announced that the Department had decided to integrate An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta (COGG) under the aegis of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA).
“These new arrangements will allow COGG to concentrate its resources on its core functions of providing teaching resources to support the teaching of Irish in tandem with the NCCA’s work on revising the curriculum. The general administrative functions, which are a considerable burden on a small staff, will now be provided by the NCCA,” he stated.
In this new arrangement, COGG will retain a separate identity under the aegis of the NCCA. The move will strengthen its ability to support Irish-medium education and the teaching of Irish generally.
€661,071 sanctioned for the promotion of the Irish Language in November 2012
November 21, 2012
The Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht has sanctioned the collective value of €661,071 to bodies, groups and clubs based both within and outside the Gaeltacht.
This funding will go towards projects which are currently in development in the Gaeltacht areas of Co. Kerry, Co. Galway, Co. Donegal and Co. Waterford. The highest quantity of grants went to youth organisations and Summer Colleges with a value of €61,634 going to 11 Irish colleges across the country and €18,787 of that going to Coláiste Chiaráin in An Cheathrú Rua.
Minister of State Dinny McGinley sanctioned €5,000 to support the development of the Rugby Training Scheme in Corca Dhuibhne for the 2012/13 school year and €6,965 to the Gaoth Dobhair Scouts Club to buy camping equipment.
Among the larger grants which were sanctioned this month was a sum of €74,738 to Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta in Galway to found a new archive at Áras Shorcha Uí Ghuairim, Carna, Galway of material broadcast by RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta since its inception in 1971. It is hoped that the newly developed archive will comprise material which has national and international value.
A further €470,000 was awarded to aid the development of www.abair.ie, a research project at Trinity College Dublin. Watch this video to learn more about this project: Gaelport.com
In terms of Arts funding, the Minister of State sanctioned €4,475 to Scoil Cheoil Shliabh Liag to enable the committee to pay the costs of children’s music classes in the area. As well as that, €8,000 went to ‘Crann Óg’, na Doirí Beaga, Donegal to help promote the arts in the local area and €750 went to the committee of Machaire’s Junior Band in order to buy new instruments.
Among the other grants announced were €9,471 to the committee of Ionad Pobail Charraig Uí Bhaoill to buy a lawn mower and €6,082 which went to Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne to buy a photocopier and two projectors.
Foilsithe ar Gaelport
Comhaltaí nua bhord UnaG
November 21, 2012
Gaeilge chun tosaigh i bhforógra na nÓg
November 21, 2012
