Comhairliúchán Poiblí ar Oideachas sna Luathbhlianta seolta ag an Aire Oideachais Scileanna
Márta 2, 2015
Comhairliúchán Poiblí ar Oideachas sna Luathbhlianta
Tá comhairliúchán poiblí á stiúradh ag an Roinn Oideachais agus Scileanna ar oiliúint agus ar cháilíochtaí in oideachas sna luathbhlianta. Tá an comhairliúchán mar chuid de mhór-athbhreithniú atá á dhéanamh ar chláir oideachais agus oiliúna as a dtagann cáilíochtaí i gcúram agus oideachas na luath-óige. Is é is cuspóir don athbhreithniú a chinntiú go soláthraíonn na cláir oideachais agus oiliúna sin inniúlachtaí, eolas agus scileanna cuí do chleachtóirí cúram leanaí chun tacú le forbairt oideachasúil na leanaí i seirbhísí luathbhlianta, lena n-áirítear cúram lánaimseartha agus páirtaimseartha, seirbhísí seisiúnacha agus feighlithe leanaí.
Tá do thuairimí ríthábhachtach maidir le heolas a thabhairt don athbhreithniú agus táthar ag iarraidh ort páirt a ghlacadh sa phróiseas comhairliúcháin.
Tá sonraí maidir le haiseolas a thabhairt ar fáil ar an leathanach seo: www.education.ie
Comhdháil Chomhairle na Gaelscolaíochta
Márta 2, 2015
Beidh Comhdháil Chomhairle na Gaelscolaíochta ar siúl ar 16ú Márta 2015 i gColáiste Feirste, Béal Feirste. Tá clár na comhdhála le fáil anseo http://www.comhairle.org/gaeilge/2015/02/clar-chomhdhail-na-gaelscolaiochta-16u-marta-2015/
Parents, not priests, driving segregation
Márta 2, 2015
The Irish Times blames religion for segregating Irish children. What about Gaelscoileanna
The movie about Stephen Hawking, for which Eddie Redmayne won an Oscar, is called The Theory of Everything. That’s because Hawking solved a big problem in physics by unifying the theory of big things (space) and the theory of small things (atoms) into one single theory. In physics, this was apparently, a very good thing.
Sadly, when theories of everything are applied to society’s big problems, they aren’t such a good thing. The Irish Times’ theory of everything sees religion as the unifying rot behind Ireland’s ills. This is a terrible theory. Religion has been the cause of many problems, but when religion is all you can see it becomes a black hole into which all complex problems disappear, and from which no solutions can emerge.
The resulting blind spot was exposed spectacularly last week in a major profile regarding the segregation of Irish primary school children. A survey showed that four-fifths of immigrant children are being educated in just over a fifth of our schools. This means there are many schools with no or very few immigrant children, while others have huge numbers. Apart from the sadness of having children so starkly segregated, this presents significant challenges for those schools trying to shoulder the burden of educating children who might need extra support. What’s behind this segregation?
Geography is a rather obvious cause, since immigrant populations settle in particular urban areas and indeed the Irish Times analysis referred to this. But there’s more to it than that, because an Educate Together principal Tom Moriarty was quoted as saying that: “There are schools in Dublin existing side by side where one is almost completely international in nature and the other is exclusively Irish.”
So what’s going on there? The analysis quickly zeroed in on religion. Schools use religion as a method by which immigrants could be discouraged from attending. When they run out of places, only Catholics need apply. What’s the solution? Catholic schools need to “divest” themselves of their patronage of so many schools. Thus, free from the stifling control of priests, schools could open their gates to the Nirvana of multi-culturalism. We were reminded that this divestment process has crawled along without much progress for years.
The astonishing thing was that nowhere, no matter how many times I read Pamela Duncan’s article, could I find the word “Gaelscoil”. How could any credible analysis of segregation in primary schools be conducted without even mentioning the most substantial barrier to entry for immigrants – the Irish language? Parents have many legitimate reasons for sending their children to Gaelscoileannna, but motive is irrelevant if it’s the net effect that concerns us. The reality is that in many towns and urban centres, the immigrant kids are at the local national school under the benign patronage of the much maligned Catholic church, while up at the Gaelscoil, free from the critical eye of the Irish Times or anyone else, you’ll struggle to find a black child.
So in one Dublin national school they have a huge cross-section of children from Europe, Africa and Asia. Just 35pc of the pupils are Irish. A short distance away at a Gaelscoil 99pc of the pupils are Irish. But the commentariat can’t takes its eyes off those infernal priests and their discriminating schools, while under the radar, the self-selecting families in the Gaelscoileanna sail along blissfully free of moral challenge.
I’m not saying those families are doing anything wrong – they’re entitled to their choice – but why don’t they merit a mention? Yet of the 14 schools in the survey with more than 66pc of pupils from a non-Irish origin, the majority – eight – were old-fashioned national schools under Catholic patronage. The rest were Educate Together, many newly built in new suburbs like Adamstown.
Since the analysis is flawed, so is the suggested solution. If religion is the problem then wresting schools away from the Church is the answer. In fact, the real problem is the obsession of Irish parents with the choice to which they believe themselves so entitled. They’d have heart failure if they were presented with a system like Finland’s.
In the 1990s Finland experienced a deep recession. With a similar population size and distribution to Ireland, they made massive education cuts, closing 1,000 out of 4,000 primary schools. They funnelled all pupils into one school in each town. It saved them a pile of money, but by channelling resources into those single schools, they ended up with high standards which are the envy of Europe. (They did other stuff too but, alas, space prevents me from elaborating).
Could you imagine if you took those Gaeilscoils, two-teacher rural schools, private and religious schools away from Irish parents? The revolt would make the water charges protest look like a teddy bears’ picnic.
I think a single-school policy is the correct one; morally, socially and economically. But it’s parents not priests who are the major obstacle. If you’re going to fight a war over segregation in schools, identifying the real problem is a good start.
Sunday Independent
Folúntas: Múinteoir Ionaid i nGaelscoil Bhríde, Durlas
Márta 2, 2015
Spriocdháta: 16ú Márta 2015
Sonraí ar www.educationposts.ie.
Meabhrúchán faoin Spriocdháta do Chlár Gaeilge ICUF
Feabhra 27, 2015
Gach bliain, le tacaíocht ón Roinn Ealaíon, Oidhreachta & Gaeltachta, ceaptar méid áirithe teagascóirí chun teagasc inár n-ollscoileanna comhpháirtíochta i gCeanada.
Is é príomhaidhm an chláir seo ná tacú le fás agus forbairt na Gaeilge i gCeanada. Cuirtear teagascóirí ar fáil chun an Ghaeilge a mhúineadh taobh istigh den ollscoil, agus chun cuidiú le dul chun cinn na teanga i mbéal an phobail.
Ba chóir an iarratais a sheoladh go ICUF roimh 5in ar an Aoine, 6ú Márta 2015
Chun tuilleadh eolais a fháil, cliceáil anseo.
Comhdháil Chomhairle na Gaelscolaíochta 16 Márta
Feabhra 27, 2015
Reáchtálfar Comhdháil CHomhairle na Gaelscolaíochta ar 16 Márta 2015 i gColáiste Feirste, Béal Feirste
Póstaer le sonraí na comhdhála ar fáil anseo: Postaer-Comhdhail
Comhairleoirí ag tacú le feachtas iarbhunscoil lán-Ghaeilge a bhunú i bPort Laoise
Feabhra 27, 2015
Scéal iomlán ag: www.leinsterexpress.ie
Sraith cruinnithe poiblí fud fad an tuaiscirt le Comhairle na Gaelscolaíochta
Feabhra 27, 2015
Chuir Comhairle na Gaelscolaíochta tús lena phróiseas chomhairliúcháin d’earnáil na gaelscolaíochta le linn mí na Nollag 2014. Leanfaidh an comhairliúchán ar aghaidh go lár mhí an Mhárta 2015 le sraith cruinnithe poiblí fud fad an tuaiscirt.
Beidh cruinniú poiblí in Ionad Acmhainne Dún Uladh, ar an Ómaigh ar an 2ú Márta, 2015 ar 7.30in.
Is é is cúis leis an chomhairliúchán ná barúlacha, dearcaí, buarthaí agus súilíochtaí an phobail Gaelscolaíochta a chluinstin faoi mar is féidir dul chun cinn a dhéanamh sna blianta atá romhainn.
Tá an comhairliúchán lárnach maidir le pleanáil cheantair agus imreoidh sé tionchar nach beag ar phlean straitéiseach forbartha Chomhairle na Gaelscolaíochta i dtaca le soláthar na gaelscolaíochta ag leibhéal na réamhscolaíochta, na bunscolaíochta agus na hiar-bhunscolaíochta, mar a deir An Dr Mícheál Ó Duibh, Príomhfheidhmeannach:
“Tá Comhairle na Gaelscolaíochta ag súil le teacht amach maith ag na cruinnithe poiblí seo agus ag súil go mór le dearcadh dearfach eolach ó phobal na gaelscolaíochta faoi cheist an ghaeloideachais dár gcuid páistí sna blianta atá romhainn”.
Tá an comhairliúchán seo ina chéad chéim eile ag Comhairle na Gaelscolaíochta ar fhorbairt leanúnach dár n-earnáil. Tá breis is 5000 dalta i n-earnáil na gaelscolaíochta ó thuaidh.
Leagan Gaeilge de Spongebob á chur ar fáil i bpictiúrlanna ar fud na tíre
Feabhra 26, 2015
Paramount Pictures Ireland, in association with TG4, have announced that ‘The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water’ will be available for the first time through the Irish language in Irish cinemas nationwide.
Dubbing production has begun in Dublin on this local project by Macalla Teoranta, the team who dub the popular ‘SpongeBob Squarepants’ TV series that is broadcast on TG4. The first-of-its-kind movie will be released in both Irish and English on March 27th.
Based on the highly acclaimed Nickelodeon TV series, ‘The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water’, from Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies, sees SpongeBob Squarepants, come ashore for his most super-heroic adventure yet. The movie, which has already grossed over $125m in the US, stars Antonio Banderas, Tom Kenny, Clancy Brown, Rodger Bumpass, Bill Fagerbakke, Carolyn Lawrence and Mr. Lawrence. It is produced by Paul Tibbitt and Mary Parent.
Speaking about the unique project, Niamh McCaul the General Manager of Paramount Pictures in Ireland said: ‘We are delighted to have this opportunity to work with TG4 and release ‘The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water’ in our national language. A first for a Hollywood studio, I hope Irish audiences will support this initiative in March when we celebrate all things Irish.’
The TV series ‘SpongeBob Squarepants’ has been broadcast in English since 1999 and on TG4 through the Irish language since 2000. The timing of the movie release through Irish is particularly appropriate. March is a fantastic period of national celebration, with St.Patrick’s Festival and Seachtain na Gaeilge both taking place during the month.
Lís Ní Dhálaigh Acquisitions & Output Director in TG4 said: ‘TG4 has been SpongeBob’s home in Ireland since 2000 and the series has been a prominent element of our kids’ schedule since then. For thousands of young people in Ireland, the characters in SpongeBob are Irish speakers! This first-ever nationwide theatrical release of a major kids’ movie in the Irish language illustrates TG4’s mission to provide an entertaining, engaging point of contact with the Irish language for kids everywhere. Tá muid ag súil go mór leis.’
Jane Farley from Macalla Teoranta adds: ‘We’re delighted to be giving SpongeBob and his gang a voice ‘as gaeilge’ on the big screen. We have a well-established and experienced cast of actors who have voiced many hours of SpongeBob and are relishing this project. We’ve had fun dubbing the television series over the years but a cinema release in 3D is a new dimension!’
‘Spongebob an Scannán: Spúinse as Uisce will be released in participating cinemas on March 27th.
http://www.iftn.ie/news/?act1=record&only=1&aid=73&rid=4288052&tpl=archnews&force=1
Folúntas: Cúntóir Riachtanas Speisialta i nGaelscoil na gCeithhre Maol, Béal an Átha
Feabhra 26, 2015
Spriocdháta: 12ú Márta 2015
Sonraí ar www.educationposts.ie
