Gaeilge éigeandála ar fáil do thuismitheoirí agus d’fheighlithe
September 7, 2011
Cumann na bhFiann
September 7, 2011
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
Cork communities to discuss the Irish language
September 6, 2011
One of the main objectives of the 20 Year Strategy for the Irish language is to increase the number of daily Irish speakers to 250,000, but how many of these will be based in Cork?
Comhdháil Náisiúnta na Gaeilge will host a public seminar in the Rebel City at the end of the month, to inform members of the public on the objectives of the Strategy, and to put together an action plan in conjunction with the local people, of how to obtain these objectives at a local level. The seminar, which will be held as part of the series; “Irish in Your Area: Your Language, Your Community, Your Choice”, will be held on 28 September, in Gaelcholáiste Choilm in Ballincollig, from 6.30pm-9pm.
A local speaker from UCC will discuss best practice in the area of language planning in urban settings, and a representative of the Department of Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht Affairss will discuss the language planning requirements in the Cork area as depicted in the 20 Year Strategy.
Chairperson of the GAA’s National Irish language committee Liam Ó Rinn, will be joined by Jerry Ahern the chairperson of the Niall Ó Cathasaigh branch of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, and together they will discuss the methods with which the GAA and Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann aim to promote the Irish language at a grassroots level.
Along with the above speakers, representatives of Cork city and county councils will partake in the seminar, and representatives of locally involved Irish language organisations such as Gael-Taca and Cumann na bhFiann will present their annual action plans for the coming years. Current projects which focus on implementation of the provisions of the Strategy will also be discussed.
Speaking about the seminar, Stiúrthóir of Comhdháil Náisiúnta na Gaeilge, Pádraig Mac Criostail said: “The aim of this series of seminars is to inform the public of the opportunities to promote the Irish language under the 20 year strategy, and to begin the process of building and developing Irish speaking networks in the urban areas”.
To achieve the goals set out in the Strategy, it will be necessary to encourage non-Irish speakers to use the language. Everyone is welcome to attend this seminar, whether they have no Irish at all, have rusty Irish from school, or wish to raise their own children through Irish, this fully bilingual seminar will cater for all.
Registration for the seminar is free, and people planning to attend should email their contact details to Cillian de Búrca, cillian@comhdhail.ie to receive further information. Two further seminars in this series will be held later in the year, in Limerick on 21 November, and in Dungarvan, Co. Waterford on 23 November.
©Foilsithe ar Gaelport.com 06 Méan Fómhair 2011
Gaeltacht Education Conference
September 6, 2011
Eagraíocht na Scoileanna Gaeltachta, the national representative for parents and teachers in all Gaeltacht areas, will host their annual conference on education matters, and their AGM, on Saturday, 1st October in the Ardilaun Hotel, Galway.
Among those speaking at the conference will be Deirbhile Nic Craith, (INTO) who will discuss the employment implications of merging small schools. Maolsheachlainn Ó Caollaí will discuss the Irish language at Leaving Certificate level, and Muireann Ní Mhóráin, (COGG) will speak on the topic of Gaeltacht pupils and the state exams. Special educational needs, and the current issues in this area as they relate to Gaeltacht schools will also be discussed on the day.
An election will be held as part of the AGM, to choose the General Directors of the organisation, and the Committee of Officers will be chosen from the elected directors, after the first meeting of the new board.
The aim of Eagraíocht na Scoileanna Gaeltachta is to strengthen Irish medium education in Gaeltacht schools. Further information about the organisation, or the conference is available from Treasa Ní Mhainín at oifig@esg.ie.
Foilsithe ar Gaelport.com 06 Meán Fómhair 2011
Gaelscoil na Mí
August 31, 2011
Immersion education commences in the Donegal Gaeltacht
August 31, 2011
Three Gaeltacht primary schools in the Donegal Gaeltacht have just commenced the introduction of immersion education in junior enfants this year; Scoil Rann na Feirste, Scoil Dhoire Chonaire and Scoil Chaiseal na gCorr. Basciallly under this system, the schools will delay the start of English language teaching until the senior enfants. We congratulate the parents, Boards of Managements and teaching staff of these schools for taking this very positive step for the Irish language.
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. Therefore, this system is to the benefit of all pupils and is recognised as international best practice for minority language medium schools such as Gaelscoileanna and Gaeltacht schools.
We thank Eagraíocht na Scoileanna Gaeltachta(Organisation of Gaeltacht Schools) and an Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta(the statutory advisory body for Gaeltacht schools and Gaelscoileanna) for organising a seminar on this topic for the teaching staff of Gaeltacht schools in Gaoth Dobhair earlier this Spring. They also organised an information session for the Boards of Management and a training course for teachers in Irish language phonetics. There are seven other primary schools in the Gaeltacht category A area in Donegal. Some of these schools have yet to make a decision on immersion education but we hope that they will make the same decision as these three schools.
It is of critical importance to us as one of the strongest Gaeltacht communities in Ireland that we are prepared to take positive steps to demonstrate our committment to the conservation and development of the Irish language. 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. The introduction of immersion education in Gaeltacht schools in not the answer to all of these problems but it is definitely a step in the right direction and is to be welcomed.
Ní neart go cur le chéile
Éamonn Mac Niallais
Urlabhraí
Guth na Gaeltachta
Guth na Gaeltachta is a non-political, cross-party campaign concerned with the Irish language and the Gaeltacht. This community campaign was founded in the Gaeltacht in August 2009. This campaign will focus wholly and completely on Irish language and Gaeltacht issues only.
Gaelscoil moves from prefabs to dreamland
August 30, 2011
STUDENTS who were previously educated in prefabs on the grounds of a rugby club yesterday moved to a state-of-the-art school at a former hotel in Dunkettle, Co Cork.
Gaelscoil Uí Drisceoil was set up in 2006 with a roll-book of 17 children and was based in Old Christians Rugby Club premises in Rathcooney. Numbers at the primary school subsequently rose to 240 pupils, who were taught in four prefabs and three internal classrooms at the rugby club. Principal Siobhán Ní Chatháin noted that the Ibis Hotel in Dunkettle had closed down and approached the developer with a view to refurbishing the premises to suit the needs of her pupils. Developer Seamus Geaney had intended to refurbish the Ibis and reopen it as a hotel, but decided it would not be feasible due to the economic climate. The school’s board of management approached the Department of Education, which agreed to lease the hotel from Mr Geaney for 10 years. Ms Ní Chatháin said the developer has invested about EUR1 million of his own money in refurbishing the premises.
“We are over the moon. We are very grateful to Seamus Geaney as he has bent over backwards for us. Parents are coming in this morning and they are just gobsmacked at the place. “This is a dream school for any principal – particularly coming from prefabs. We didn’t have an enclosed yard in our old school. There is no such thing as a nice prefab. They are too cold in the winter and too hot in the summer.” The building stands on a 4.5-acre site and has ample external and internal facilities to accommodate the needs of a developing school. It is fitted out with 16 92sq ft (about 8.5sq m) classrooms, four resource rooms, two music rooms, a drama room, a computer room, a large open-plan library area, a purpose-built cookery room and an open-plan assembly/PE hall with attached sports changing room. The school also has a tennis court and a GAA pitch. Close to the junior yard, eight enclosed raised beds have been laid down for the children to learn about gardening, while in the senior play area a basketball court and two tennis courts are provided. The school also has an elevator for disability access and a CCTV system. In recent months the school council raised over EUR30,000 to purchase equipment such as laptops and LCD screens.
Ms Ní Chatháin said the state would do well to take note of the transformation of an unused facility into a state-of-the-art school and rid itself of portable buildings or unsuitable learning buildings for children. “I would encourage the department to come down and take a look at this building,” said Ms Ní Chatháin. “It makes sense that they would buy it eventually. We are so happy. Only for this it would have been prefab after prefab while we waited for planning permission for a new premises. Every school should have its own building. “This is like a dream. “We won’t be coming in to school on a Monday with muck at the entrance because there was a rugby match at the weekend.”
Irish Examiner – Olivia Kelleher
Lascaine speisialta do scoileanna ag Cló Iar-Chonnacht don scoilbhliain nua!
August 26, 2011
Irish careers roadshow to visit North-West
August 24, 2011
The north-west is the destination of choice for the first round of the next series of the Irish language careers events seminars, ‘Buntáiste Breise na Gaeilge’ which focus on career and educational opporuntities in the Irish language sector.
The careers seminar which is aimed at senior students at second level will take place in Carrick-on-Shannon on October 11th and will visit Carickmacross on October 12th.
Up until now Comhdháil Náisiúnta na Gaeilge have organised many of these seminar all over the country. To date, An Chomhdháil has held these seminars in Killarney, Dublin, Galway, Cork, Castlebar, Belfast, Letterkenny, and Tullamore.
‘The Added Advantage of Irish’ is the theme of the seminar, and guest speakers and well-known personalities will speak on the advantages which the Irish language has afforded them in their chosen careers.
As part of the seminars, questions from the students are welcomed, which give rise to lively debate about such subjects as the future of the language, Gaeltacht status, Irish as a compulsory subject, Irish at third level, and the Government’s support for the language.
Representatives from third level institutions attend with exhibition stands to inform students of the various Irish language courses available to them after they leave school.
These seminars which have been organised since 2009 have proven to be a great success with over 86 secondary school schools and up to 2,680 students all over the Ireland attending.
Further information http://www.gaelport.com/bbnag.
©Foilsithe ar Gaelport.com 23 Lúnasa 2011
