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(Gaeilge) Folúntas: Gaelscoil Chionn tSáile, Corcaigh

January 23, 2015

Sorry, this entry is only available in Irish.

(Gaeilge) Folúntas: Coláiste Chroí Mhuire, Co. na Gaillimhe

January 23, 2015

Sorry, this entry is only available in Irish.

UUP fury as vote bid over new Irish school is stymied

January 23, 2015

The UUP has accused Sinn Fein and the SDLP of politicising the Irish language after 40 MLAs forced a cross-community recorded vote in a forthcoming debate over a new Irish school.
Education Minister John O’Dowd last month announced his department would be funding a new Irish-medium secondary school in Dungiven for just 14 pupils, against advice from his own officials and the Western Education and Library Board.

It is set to cost £600,000.

Coláiste Dhoire, to be located in Owenbeg on the outskirts of Dungiven, Co Londonderry, will be only the second State-funded Irish-medium secondary school in Northern Ireland.

The other is Coláiste Feirste in Belfast.

Mr O’Dowd defended his decision, saying he takes “very seriously” his statutory duty to encourage and facilitate education through the medium of Irish

“While I note the advice of officials, I am the minister and it is my role to make the final decision on all development proposals,” he said.

Ulster Unionist MLAs Danny Kinahan and Sandra Overend secured a debate in the Assembly on Monday expressing their concern at the decision. They have urged the Assembly to back their call for a review of the decision.

However, 40 MLAs from Sinn Fein and the SDLP – including Mr O’Dowd and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness – signed a petition of concern.

This means that any vote taken by the Assembly can be made dependent on cross-community support.

UUP chief whip Robin Swann slammed the move as “shameful”.

“The use of a petition of concern indicates that those two parties regard the Irish language as belonging solely to the nationalist and republican tradition, thereby politicising it still further,” he said.

Sinn Fein’s Westminster candidate for Foyle, Gearoid O hEara, hit back, pointing out that it was the UUP that was bringing the matter to the Assembly.

“There is only one post-primary school for the entire north of Ireland, which is based in Belfast. In order to provide access for countless primary school children to be taught through the medium of the Irish language, this project falls within the duty of the Department of Education to encourage and facilitate Irish-medium education,” he said.

“The UUP needs to get real and realise the right and entitlements of the Irish-speaking community across the north, instead of seeking to close down access to educational opportunities.”

Factfile

There are currently 29 Irish-medium schools in Northern Ireland and a further 10 Irish language units attached to mainstream schools which teach around 4,633 children through the the language.

In addition to these, Gaelscoil na Daróige in Derry is an independent school teaching through the medium of the Irish language.

www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk

23 Eanáir 2015

Limerick school principal describes strike action as ‘absolute disgrace’

January 23, 2015

Limerick secondary school principal has described strike action as a “draconian measure” as schools around the country remain closed for the second time in two months.

Donncha Ó Treasaigh of Gaelcholáiste Luimnigh said pupils, who will have no experience of the new Junior Cert cycle, are suffering the loss of school days because of the strike action.

Teachers say they are protesting over Department plans to make teachers assess 40 per cent of the work of their own students.

“Strike action is a very draconian measure. Closing a school is a really serious issue for parents and for school bodies and for management organisations, and the teachers themselves because they are losing a day’s pay.”

“I believe fundamentally that strike days are an absolute disgrace really in this current climate,” Mr O’Treasaigh said.

Teachers at many of the picket lines in Limerick were reluctant to talk today however their union spokesman Peter Quinn insisted his colleagues do not wish to inconvenience parents and students, in particular leaving cert pupils.

“This is all about reform of the Junior Cert. It’s for the long run, we don’t wish to inconvenience anyone. Teachers are adamant they do not wish to assess their own students for state exams,” said Mr Quinn, who teaches at St Flannan’s Secondary School in Ennis.

Sean Kelly, the TUI rep for Limerick and Kerry, insisted today’s action would not delay the Leaving Cert as feared by some parents.

“This action does not affect the Leaving cert whatsoever. The dedicated Leaving Cert Students are taking advantage of the day to do some revision at home and many of them are happy to do that.

“The real issue here is in protecting the Junior Cert and that there is a Junior Cert of integrity and quality going forward and unfortunately the Minister is trying to undermine that Junior Cert and damage its reliability as an assessment of a students ability at that time in their education.”

At Sacred Heart Secondary School in Clonakilty, teachers have been on the picket line since 8.30am.

Wrapped in hats, scarves and gloves, the teachers, who are losing a day’s pay in order to protest, clutch cups of warm coffee and wave as cars pass by, signalling support with a beep of the horn.

Between 30 and 40 staff members teach a student population of 539 at the west Corkschool.

Science and Biology teacher Liz O’Sullivan said transparency is key in the assessment process.

“We need independent assessment because this is a very small country. Beyond Dublin, we live in a small community. The way it is, the system is absolutely fair and independently assessed, there is no question or doubt in anybody’s mind.

“I think for the students as they get older, to be independently assessed is far more fair,” she said.

Helen Shanahan teaches Maths and Biology at the school. She says the problem is not continuous assessment, it’s about teachers assessing students whom they have built up relationships with.

“It’s the person that they have a relationship with that is now going to be giving them the grade, the A, B, C or D. That’s my problem with it. I just think it will be so different if I am the one grading them and giving them a state cert.

“I enjoy teaching the students and I think that will suffer and that is to the detriment of the students. We are in a way, a kind of role model to them. You want to teach them values. You are teaching them a subject but it’s holistic, you teach them far beyond just the subject,” she said.

www.irishtimes.com

22 Eanáir 2015

Clon Gaelscoil says “Go raibh maith agat” for iPads

January 23, 2015

GAELSCOIL Mhichíl Uí Choileáin in Clonakilty has expressed a “Go raibh maith agat” mór to school families, businesses and the general public following a successful old mobile phone collection which has resulted in the provision of two iPads for ASD pupils in the school from Irish Autism Action.

Last March, the school launched a public appeal to the general public to donate old mobile phones. 10 businesses and the local County Council Recycling staff placed collection boxes on their premises to which the general public placed their old phones. There was also a great response from the general school community.?As a result of these combined efforts, nearly 400 phones were collected and Autism Ireland donated two iPads to ASD Unit at the school recently as a result.?The initial ASD class was set up in the Gaelscoil in September 2011, and there are now 13 pupils ranging from three to 11 years attending three classes.

Teachers and SNA’s have found that iPads are a vital tool of communication for the pupils. Many children with autism have communication difficulties, with some being non-verbal, and iPads loaded with specific language and communication apps open up the world of communication.

Pupils can construct sentences allowing them to express their opinions, wishes and needs which their fellow pupils and adults can easily understand.?School Principal Carmel Nic Airt explained that the school has been providing a full Primary school placement for Children with diagnosed ASD – the only service of its kind in the West Cork area, since last September.

“We have marvellous facilities, including a €43,000 purpose-built Multi-Sensory room, an Occupational Therapy Hall and dedicated Speech and Language rooms along with teachers and SNA’s in the school who together bring out the best in our pupils with autism. We have seen the advantages that iPads bring to the children over the last couple of years but unfortunately we don’t have enough for all the pupils at present.

“We are very thankful to the local businesses and workplaces that accepted collection boxes in their premises and collected the old phones for us, as well as the families of the school who bring in their old phones to us. We want to especially thank the staff at the Council Recycling Centre who have been putting old phones aside for us and these meant that we got our iPads sooner than we expected. This however is an ongoing campaign and we again appeal to the good people of Clonakilty and beyond to please drop their old phones to us so we can continue to purchase more IPads for our very special pupils,” she said.

The phones can be dropped off at O’ Donovan’s Hotel, Clonakilty Library, Quality Hotel, Park Leisure Centre, Harte’s Spar, Scally’s SuperValu, Technology Park, Carbery Milk Products, Irish Yogurts, the Vodafone Shop and Clonakilty Recycling Centre.

www.westcorktimes.com

22 Eanáir 2015

‘C2k Newsroom’ launched in Bunscoil an Iúir

January 23, 2015

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(Gaeilge) “Níl aon chall leis an stailc agus tá sé iomarcach” dar leis an Aire Oideachais agus Scileanna

January 22, 2015

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(Gaeilge) Gairm ar pháipéir don Chéad Chomhdháil Taighde Uile-Oileánda ar an Tumoideachas

January 22, 2015

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(Gaeilge) Folúntas: Scoil Chrónáin, Baile Átha Cliath

January 22, 2015

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(Gaeilge) Leanaí dátheangacha níos tuisceanaí faoi éagsúlacht daoine eile

January 22, 2015

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