(Gaeilge) Folúntas: Scoil Santain Tamhlacht, B.Á.C. 24
October 24, 2016
(Gaeilge) Cúram Leanaí Bheal An Átha Móir Teo
October 24, 2016
(Gaeilge) An bhfuil an téarma ‘Gaelscoilis’ maslach?
October 24, 2016
(Gaeilge) Iris Shruth na Gaeilge, Coláiste Chaitríona, Ard Mhacha, ar fáil ar líne
October 24, 2016
Meeting on gaelscoil site
October 24, 2016
A public meeting will be held on Thursday to discuss Gaelscoil Chill Mhantáin’s search for a permanent home.
The school is currently located on the grounds of the old Abbey Community College in Wicklow town.
The Department of Education have ear-marked a site in Merrymeeting for a brand new school, but some parents believe the site is too small and would prefer to remain at the school’s current location.
The public meeting is open to all parents for their feedback and takes place tomorrow (Thursday, October 20) at St Patrick’s GAA Clubhouse at 8 p.m.
Govt’s Gaeltacht area education policy to be announced
October 21, 2016
The Department of Education has confirmed that the policy for educational provision in Gaeltacht areas will be launched next week.
Policy proposals for educational provision in Gaeltacht areas were published in May 2015, followed by a lengthy consultation process.
Many language, education and Gaeltacht organisations have expressed their disappointment about the delay in publishing the policy, but it is now expected to be implemented in September 2017.
The policy was discussed at a meeting of the Cabinet committee on arts, Irish and the Gaeltacht last week.
It is understood Taoiseach Enda Kenny will launch the policy next week in Conamara.
(Gaeilge) Nuachtlitir an CNCM
October 21, 2016
Department ‘to consider Irish language’ in patronage process
October 21, 2016
A move to incorporate language preference in the process used by the Department of Education when awarding school patronage has been criticised by Irish language body An Foras Pátrúnachta.
The change means it is open to all prospective patron applicants to propose a preference for Irish- or English-medium education in their application in the case of nine new post-primary schools due to open by September 2018.
Mr Caoimhín Ó hEaghra, general secretary of the Irish language patron, said the change does not address the needs of the community it is supposed to serve.
“As the vast majority of people speak English they would choose English-medium education,” Mr Ó hEaghra said.
While the department has said it will take “existing Irish-medium provision in the adjacent school planning areas” into account in its assessment, Mr Ó hEaghra said: “A fairer way would be to ascertain if there was Irish-medium provision in place. If not, it should be”, he added.
Campaigners have long argued the school selection process is skewed against those who wish to have their children educated through Irish on the basis that they cannot numerically compete with English-language schools in strictly-defined catchment areas.
The result is that children who attend such schools often have to travel from school districts where Irish language schooling is not available to them.
Study
Citing a 2015 ESRI study on attitudes towards the Irish language on the island of Ireland, Mr Ó hEaghra said: “Twenty-three per cent of parents stated they would send their children to Irish-medium education if it was available.”
In an effort to satisfy the department’s geographical criteria, An Foras Pátrúnachta recently submitted a joint application with the Laois-Offaly Education and Training Board for a multi-denominational community college in Portlaoise – one of the nine schools due to open by 2018.
If the application is successful, the new school will incorporate an all-Irish unit, or aonad lán-Ghaeilge, which will eventually evolve into a fully independent Gael Choláiste.
Mr Ó hEaghra said if it was “to implement its stated support for the Irish language and Irish-medium education then it must engage in an active policy of supporting their development as opposed to a passive one.”
“This would require ensuring that they had the resources to provide subject choice, etc, until such a time as the number of pupils in the school has grown to a sustainable level,” he added.
Planning areas
Six of the schools outlined by the department are due to open next September and will serve the following school planning areas:
– Carpenterstown and Castleknock, Dublin 15
– Limerick city and environs (south-west)
– Lucan, Co Dublin
– Malahide and Portmarnock, Co Dublin
– Portlaoise, Co Laois
– Swords, Co Dublin
The remaining three schools are due to open in September 2018 and will serve the following school planning areas:
– Limerick city and environs (east)
– Dublin south city centre (Dublin 2,4,6 and 8)
– Firhouse, Dublin 24
Death of Gaeltacht likely in next 10 years, warns expert
October 21, 2016
A leading academic has warned of the death of the Gaeltacht within the next decade due to current Government strategy.
Dr Brian Ó Curnáin of the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies said a new approach was required for the language and that the status quo was no longer an option.
The Gaeltacht in its current state was in crisis and unsustainable, he said.
Academic reports had shown the number of Irish speakers in Gaeltacht areas was decreasing and young people’s ability in the language was declining, mainly because of their socialisation through English, he said.
Addressing the Committee on the Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Islands, Dr Ó Curnáin criticised what he called the State’s inaction on the Irish language and said the only area where there had been some action was in relation to primary education.
However, even there the recommendations of the Department of Education had yet to be implemented, he said.
Dr Ó Curnáin said the geographical areas of the Gaeltacht should be redefined where new support structures would be put in place including the creation of a strategy research body, a trust to manage socio-economic resources, and the promotion of community use of Irish.
Strategy
Another academic also criticised the Government’s 20-year strategy for the Irish language and said it was aimed at non-Gaeltacht areas.
Prof Conchúr Ó Giollagáin of the University of the Highlands and Islands in Scotland said there was a need for a separate strategy for Gaeltacht areas.
He said the needs of Irish speakers were very different from those of Irish learners but they were treated as if they were the same.
Prof Ó Giollagáin cited the common curriculum in all schools, which focused on Irish as a second language and not a mother tongue, which it was for those from the Gaeltacht.
Prof Ó Giollagáin told the committee that the 20-year strategy had achieved very little and would do little more in the remaining years of the policy.
He condemned Government cuts to Irish language funding and the Gaeltacht budget since 2008.
He said this proved that the strategy was a “status quo” approach because it only got half the funding it should have.
He also said too many State bodies had responsibility for the Irish language which meant language preservation ended up being dealt with ineffectively.
Drop-in centre for young Irish speakers set to open
October 21, 2016
By Brónach Ní Thuama
YOUNG Irish speakers will have a new meeting place from this week with the opening of Tearmann Óige Aoine in Glór na Móna’s new state-of-the-art Gael-Ionad Mhic Goill.
Tearmann Óige Aoine is an Irish medium youth ‘drop-in’ facility which will open every Friday night between 7.00 pm and 11.00 pm and is open to all young Irish speakers aged between 11 and 18.
It’s a unique partnership between the Upper Springfield Youth Team and Irish language youth and community organisation Glór na Mona and will be supported in year one with funding from the Terry Enright Foundation Legacy Project.
A delighted Conchúr Ó Muadaigh from Glór na Móna said: “Friday nights launch of Tearmann Óige Aoine is a demonstration of the perpetual growth of Irish medium youth work in recent years.
“This is the first Friday night youth drop-in project through the medium of Irish in the north of Ireland and in this sense it groundbreaking. This is a massive stride forward for Irish medium youth practice and an enormous development for both Glór na Móna and the young people who engage in our programmes, who now have access to an additional service at the weekend.
“Until now we have opened for two nights per week, courtesy of Education Authority funding in the Upper Springfield, and we will now have the capacity to extend this to include a third night on Friday in the new purpose built community hub Gael Ionad Mhic Goill and we owe a special thanks to both Upper Springfield Youth Team and the Terry Enright Foundation for helping us with this new development.”
Conchúr added that it is also “heart-warming” that three former volunteers of Glór na Móna are now in paid capacity working within the club.
“This shows the organic growth of Irish medium youth work and how a new generation of Gaelgoirs are taking charge and spearheading this new programme who are all under the age of 21.”
