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
