(English) Two Irish language schools being lined up to join state controlled sector
Deireadh Fómhair 17, 2016
Gaelscoil Uí Chéadaigh presents €630 to CF Ireland
Deireadh Fómhair 17, 2016
They raised the money in the final term of school last year.
John Coleman of CF Ireland came to accept the cheque with his son Christian Coleman, who is a past pupil of the school. Christian has now gone on to secondary school but was present for the fundraising. He has CF himself.
Principal Gearóidín Ní Bhaoill said that Cystic Fibrosis sent them a range of items to sell, including roses, pins, biros, bags and more.
Parents, staff and people connected with neighbouring schools all gave very generously. They had a collection day in April, selling the items in school and at the gates.
Then they left the box out for the rest of the school year, raising the fantastic total of €630. Cystic Fibrosis is a genetically inherited disease that primarily affects the lungs and the digestive system. Ireland has the highest incidence of Cystic Fibrosis in the world – approximately 1 in 19 Irish people are said to ‘carry’ one copy of the altered gene that causes Cystic Fibrosis.
Polasaí oideachais Gaeltachta pléite leis an Taoiseach, ach níl aon phingin dá fheidhmú sa Bhuiséad
Deireadh Fómhair 17, 2016
Tá sé deimhnithe ag Tuairisc.ie nach bhfuil aon phingin curtha ar leataobh sa Bhuiséad chun tús a chur an bhliain seo chugainn leis an bPolasaí Oideachais nua don Ghaeltacht atá le foilsiú roimh dheireadh na bliana seo. Fágann an scéal seo go bhfuil amhras anois ann faoi cé acu an dtosófar nó nach dtosófar ar fheidhm a thabhairt don pholasaí i dtús na chéad scoilbhliana eile i mí Mheán Fómhair 2017.
Idir an dá linn, pléadh an polasaí oideachais Gaeltachta tráthnóna inné ag cruinniú den Choiste Rialtais don Ghaeilge, coiste a bhfuil an Taoiseach ina Chathaoirleach air.
Rinne an Roinn Oideachais costasú ar chur i bhfeidhm an pholasaí nua agus meastar go mbeadh costas idir €2 milliún agus €3 milliún in aghaidh na bliana ar an bpolasaí nua dá gcuirfí i bhfeidhm na moltaí ar fad atá ann. Ní fios go fóill, áfach, cé na moltaí a nglacfar nó nach nglacfar leo sa pholasaí féin.
Thug urlabhraí ón Roinn Oideachais le fios do Tuairisc.ie inné nach raibh aon tagairt do mhaoiniú don pholasaí Gaeltachta i mbuiséad na Roinne don bhliain seo chugainn.
“Tá [an tAire] tiomanta an Polasaí Oideachais Gaeltachta a fhoilsiú roimh dheireadh na bliana. Sonraítear sa phlean Aicsin freisin go gcuirfear an polasaí i bhfeidhm ar bhonn céimnithe, de réir mar a cheadaíonn acmhainní,” a dúirt an t-urlabhraí.
Dúirt Dónal Ó hAiniféin, Cathaoirleach COGG, le Tuairisc.ie go bhfuil “díomá” air nach luaitear maoiniú don pholasaí oideachais Gaeltachta go sonrach i mBuiséad 2017 agus gur “údar imní” dó an easpa maoinithe sin toisc go bhféadfadh sé nach gcuirfear an polasaí i bhfeidhm an bhliain seo chugainn mar a bhíothas ag súil.
“Bhí díomá orm Dé Máirt nach raibh aon líne faoi leith ann sna cáipéisí faoi chur i bhfeidhm an pholasaí. Cosnóidh sé seo roinnt milliún. Rinneadh meastacháin cheana ach níl a fhios againn cé na hathruithe atá déanta air ó shin, tá os cionn bliana anois ann ó bhíomar ag plé leis.
“Táimid ag caint ar naíonraí, bunscoileanna, meánscoileanna, acmhainní agus tacaíochtaí múinteoireachta agus araile. Beidh costas roinnt milliún in aghaidh na bliana leis sin agus mura bhfuil sé luaite go sonrach sa Bhuiséad cé as a thiocfaidh an t-airgead? Nó an mbeidh an t-airgead ann lena chur i bhfeidhm ar chor ar bith? Ní bheidh an deis atá againn anois ag an gcéad ghlúin eile, tá sé ríthábhachtach go gcuirfear an polasaí i bhfeidhm a luaithe agus is féidir,” a dúirt Cathaoirleach COGG.
I mBealtaine 2015 a foilsíodh na moltaí don pholasaí nua Gaeltachta, agus ba i nDeireadh Fómhair na bliana seo caite a bhí an cruinniú deireanach sa phróiseas comhairliúcháin a lean foilsiú na moltaí sin.
Cuireadh fáilte roimh na moltaí don pholasaí nuair a foilsíodh anuraidh iad toisc gur measadh go dtugann siad aghaidh ar chuid de na dúshláin is mó atá roimh theagasc na Gaeilge sna ceantair ina bhfuil sí fós in uachtar mar theanga phobail.
Dúirt an tAire Bruton níos túisce i mbliana go raibh an polasaí nua ina dhlúthchuid d’obair a Roinne ar an Straitéis 20 Bliain don Ghaeilge agus go raibh na moltaí oideachais i gceist chomh maith sa gheallúint a tugadh i gClár an Rialtais nua maidir le tacaíocht bhreise a thabhairt don Ghaeilge.
Bhíothas ag súil go mbeadh an polasaí nua foilsithe roimh thús na scoilbhliana seo ach táthar anois ag maíomh gur roimh dheireadh na bliana a fhoilseofar é.
Déantar moltaí ar leith don chainteoir dúchais sa dréachtpholasaí agus moltar ann freisin go dtabharfaí tacaíocht do scoileanna Gaeltachta atá ag teagasc i mBéarla tosú ag teagasc trí Ghaeilge.
Irish language school in legal action against minister after building plan put on hold
Deireadh Fómhair 17, 2016
Gaelcholaiste Dhoire in Dungiven opened in 2015 with just 15 pupils, but since then its enrolment has increased to 48.
The school wants specialist accommodation on a council site close to Dungiven Castle, where it is based.
The news emerged following an Assembly Question asked by the Sinn Fein MLA Caoimhe Archibald.
She asked Education Minister Peter Weir, whose department is progressing plans for additional classrooms to meet the critical accommodation needs of Gaelcholaiste Dhoire.
Mr Weir responded by saying he asked his department officials to “explore alternative options”, because he did not believe the proposal “represented best value for public money”.
“Initial plans for the provision of specialist accommodation on the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council site, adjacent to Dungiven Castle, have been put on hold as I have asked officials to explore alternative options for provision of accommodation for the school,” Mr Weir said in his written answer.
“This action has been taken as I don’t believe that the current option represents best value for public money.”
Mr Weir went on to reveal that the matter was now subject to a possible judicial review.
“The department has received a pre-proceedings letter regarding potential judicial review proceedings and I would not therefore propose to make further comment,” he added.
It is understood that a final decision has not been made on the matter while further options are being explored.
St Patrick’s College, located less than half a mile away, has fewer pupils than its approved enrolment.
Gaelcholaiste Dhoire currently shares specialist accommodation with St Patrick’s College including home Economics, science and IT classrooms.
Gaelcholaiste Dhoire is only the second publicly funded Irish language post-primary school in Northern Ireland, along with Coleiste Feirste in Belfast.
Gaelcholaiste Dhoire opened in 2015 with 15 pupils, all in Year 8, and the equivalent of 3.6 teachers. Some 14 of the 15 were Catholic, with one describing themselves as “other” according to the department’s website.
The Belfast Telegraph revealed in 2014 that former Education Minister John O’Dowd had disregarded advice when he approved the creation of the school.
Ulster Unionist MLA Danny Kinahan said at the time: “The Western Education and Library Board, the Education and Training Inspectorate and the Department of Education itself have all said that the proposal is neither affordable nor viable.”
Unionists criticised Mr O’Dowd’s decision to open the school at a time when his department was faced with making cuts of £198m to its budget.
However, Mr O’Dowd stood by his decision, and said he made it following careful consideration.
BUDGET FAILS EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND CARE
Deireadh Fómhair 12, 2016
Tuesday 11 October 2016
Press Release of the Association of Childhood Professionals
Budget 2017 was a missed opportunity to avert the funding crisis that is currently stalking early childhood education and care provision.
The key priority in Budget 2017 should have been investment in frontline services to enable them to deliver high quality supports to young children and parents. In this respect the budget measures revealed today were a complete failure.
The government’s vision for Ireland to be one of the best small countries in the world in which to grow up and raise a family was not evident as required investment failed to materialise.
Current regulatory requirements mean that it is really expensive to provide high quality early education and care. Parents cannot afford this high cost but in the absence of substantial investment the shortfall is being supplemented through the poor pay and conditions of both early childhood providers and their employees.
With an average wage of little more than €10 per hour many in the early years workforce exist in relative poverty. There is a staffing crisis that is beginning to impact on the level of provision that is available to parents as the poor pay and conditions provide little incentive for the workforce to remain or to attract new entrants
The failure of the government to increase capitation levels means that the poor conditions within the profession remain and centres will continue to close. Obviously this will impact on the government’s capacity to deliver on promises made in Budget 2017.
The 1.4 weeks of non-contact time is a welcome development as it is a recognition that 15 hours of delivery requires additional time to plan, implement, review, document; engage with parents, multidisciplinary teams, inspectorates, mentors, compliance audits; cleaning and maintenance; administration; staff meetings; CPD; etc. However in the absence of substantial investment this gesture smacks of tokenism to a profession that has long been neglected and exploited.
The inclusion of the Affordable Childcare Scheme is a welcome measure for parents and children however members of the early years profession have little confidence that the funds allocated for this will be sufficient to cover the full costs of provision and remove them from relative poverty
Further information: Marian Quinn, Chairperson, Association of Childhood Professionals: The professional body representing practitioners in early years and school age care and education
086 1984431
‘Dearcadh úr’ ag teastáil ón Roinn Oideachais maidir le maoiniú Gaelscoileanna – an tAire Oideachais
Deireadh Fómhair 6, 2016
D’admhaigh an tAire Oideachais Richard Bruton go bhfuil “dearcadh úr” ag teastáil ón Roinn Oideachais maidir leis na comórtais a reáchtáiltear le maoiniú a cheadú do scoileanna nuabhunaithe, agus aird a thabhairt ar an éileamh réasúnta mór atá ann do scoileanna lánGhaeilge.
Bhí an tAire Bruton ag freagairt ceiste ón Seanadóir de chuid Shinn Féin Trevor Ó Clochartaigh ag cruinniú de chuid an Choiste Oideachais le deireanas.
Dúirt Ó Clochartaigh go “bhfuiltear den tuairim go bhfuil bac á chur ar Ghaelscoileanna” tríd an gcóras atá i bhfeidhm ag an Roinn Oideachais le hairgead do thograí caipitil a dháileadh.
“Léirítear sna figiúirí ón ESRI don bhliain 2015 go roghnódh 23% an Ghaelscolaíocht dá gcuid gasúr ach níl ina ngaelscoileanna ach 6.7% de líon iomlán na scoileanna in Éirinn. Táthar ann den tuairim go bhfuil bac á chur ar ghaelscoileanna tríd an gcóras atá agaibh do dháileadh an airgid do chaipiteal tograí. “An dtabharfá freagra air sin? D’fhéadfadh scoil lánGhaeilge a bheith ina Educate Together nó ina scoil Chaitliceach. Ní bhaineann ceist na pátrúnachta le ceist na ngaelscoileanna. Is léir go bhfuil éileamh mór orthu ach nach bhfuilimid ag cur maoiniú ar fáil le freastal ar an éileamh sin,” a dúirt Ó Clochartaigh.
Dúirt an tAire Bruton go “nglacann” sé leis na pointí a luaigh an Seanadóir Ó Clochartaigh agus d’admhaigh gur gá “dearcadh úr” a bheith ag a Roinn i leith na ceiste.
“I take your point about the Gaelscoileanna in the competitions for selection and in those areas we do need to have a fresh look at how those competitions are put in place. Of course we would hope that some of the transfer of patronage would go to Gaelscoileanna to reflect the demand,” a dúirt sé.
Dúirt sé freisin go bhfuil a n-aird á díriú anois ag oifigigh na Roinne ar cheist na pátrúnachta agus go bhfuiltear ag déanamh iarrachta “cur leis an rogha” atá ar fáil do thuismitheoirí agus go bhfuil an obair sin “an-tábhachtach”.
Dúirt Muireann Ní Mhóráin, Príomhfheidhmeannach COGG, le Tuairisc.ie go mbíonn “míthuiscint” ann maidir le gaelscoileanna nuabhunaithe agus cúrsaí creidimh.
“Is scoileanna iad a fhreastalaíonn ar pháistí de gach creideamh nó gan aon chreideamh, díreach mar a dhéanann scoileanna Educate Together. Tugtar le fios go bhfuil rogha le déanamh idir an teanga theagaisc agus an cur chuige i leith an reiligiúin. Is trua sin mar cuireann sé tuismitheoirí ar strae, tuismitheoirí gur mian leo oideachas ilchreidmheach agus lán-Ghaeilge a bheith ar fáil dá gclann,” a dúirt sí.
Gaelscoil pupils in Cork take Mandarin Chinese lessons
Deireadh Fómhair 3, 2016
A groundbreaking language programme launched yesterday in a Cork school will see Mandarin Chinese being taught formally to senior students.
Aimed at fifth and sixth- class pupils of Gaelscoil Pheig Sayers in Farranferris, on the city’s northside, it is the first formal Chinese language pilot programme of its kind in an Irish primary school.
A second Cork Gaelscoil, on the southside of the city, is expected to be included in the programme within a few weeks.
Spanish — the second- most spoken language in the world — is already being taught to its fifth- and sixth- class pupils.
The school’s board of management approached UCC — home to a Confucius Institute and an Irish Institute of Chinese Studies — to devise a Chinese language programme.
The course launched yesterday will be taught at the Gaelscoil over the next two years by up to 12 visiting Chinese students who are studying for their Masters degree in UCC.
The Gaelscoil children will be taught to speak a language used by more than 1bn people, plus some of the basics of the complex written language. They will each receive certificates at the end of the course.
“As a Gaelscoil we are great believers in languages and immersion education,” said school principal Adrian Breathnach.
“We made this decision as a board of management because Mandarin is now the number-one most spoken language in the world, with over 1bn people speaking it.
“Our Government has also recognised China as a strong emerging economy and greater trade links between the two countries have been forged.
“We see it as a language of the future.”
Mandarin Chinese grammar is considered relatively simple, with no verb conjugation and the tenses expressed by using time phrases such as ‘tomorrow, yesterday, in the future’.
There are also no gender- specific nouns and no need to distinguish between singular and plural nouns.
See video here
Naíolann ceadaithe i nGaelscoil Éanna
Meán Fómhair 20, 2016
Plean £2.3 milliúin do Ghaelscoil nua
Meán Fómhair 20, 2016
Seoladh Leabhair: Ceol Leat! Amhráin agus rannta do pháistí óga.
Meán Fómhair 20, 2016
