Tacaíocht na Comhairle á lorg ar cheist na Gaelscoile
May 10, 2010
Tacaíocht do Ghaelscoil Ráth Tó
May 6, 2010
Parents to press ahead with Gaelscoil in Ratoath despite Department’s ‘no’
May 6, 2010
Jockeys Robbie Power, Barry Geraghty and Nina and Paul Carberry joined the parents and pupils of the planned new Irish primary school in Ratoath, for a launch at Fairyhouse Racecourse. The founding committee of Gaelscoil Ráth Tó has announced that it is to set up the school without Departmental recognition in September 2010.
Spokesperson Anita Sheppard said the group was being assisted in this endeavour by the parents and by a number of Irish language organisations which are also determined to see Gaelscoil Ráth Tó open. The organisations in question are An Foras Pátrúnachta, Glór na nGael, Comhluadar, Conradh na Gaeilge and Gaelscoileanna Teo. The collective campaign has been named Aitheantas (Irish for ‘recognition’).
It is anticipated that the school will take up residence in Ratoath GAA Centre on a temporary basis. “Despite the refusal of the Department of Education to recognise the school, even though new school provision is needed in Ratoath, we have decided to proceed with establishing the school on an unofficial basis with the generous support of the Irish language organisations mentioned,” Ms Sheppard said. “We aim to place heavy pressure on the Department to recognise this school. We are working with individuals in the Irish language organisations mentioned who have extensive professional experience in running Irish language schools and we are all confident of achieving the Department’s recognition,” she added.
“We have seen huge demand shown for this school in Ratoath, but the Department refuses to differentiate between new schools on the basis of the language of tuition in the school. This means that the Irish language rights of both parents and children are being disregarded and everyone involved in this campaign believes that this is a situation that cannot continue. Not only do we want to see Gaelscoil Ráth Tó recognised, but we wish to see the Department change their criteria for the recognition of new schools, which is currently stacked again new Irish language schools. The result of this is that no new Gaelscoil has been approved since 2008 and the Department have not indicated that this situation will change,”
Ms Sheppard went on. “This is as much a national issue as a local one for the Gaelscoileanna movement, which is one of the fastest-growing education sectors in Ireland. We would simply like to see a fairer approach by the Department regarding the setting up of schools that teach through the medium of the first language of the State, according to Article 8 of Bunreacht na hÉireann.”
The Meath Chronicle
5 Bealtaine 2010
‘Ní gá scoil nua’
May 5, 2010
Diúltaíonn an Roinn aitheantas a thabhairt do Ghaelscoileanna nua
May 5, 2010
Changes may be considered to Irish curriculum
May 5, 2010
Changes may be considered to a new Irish Leaving Certificate curriculum which places more emphasis on the spoken language because of anger in all-Irish schools, Education Minister Mary Coughlan has hinted.
The Tánaiste was responding to concerns raised by Cabinet colleague Pat Carey about a reduced level of literature and prose in the revised course, which will be taught from next autumn and examined at Leaving Certificate level from 2012. In an effort to boost student interest and oral proficiency in the native language, previous education minister Mary Hanafin announced in 2007 that marks for oral Irish in State exams would be increased to 40% of the overall result.
The oral tests are currently worth 25% of total marks at Leaving Certificate level and 20% for Junior Certificate students, although less than a dozen schools give the option of oral Irish for the earlier exam. But the changes have been strongly opposed by those in the Gaeltacht who fear it will not be fair to native speakers being unable to demonstrate their strong understanding of the language. They would prefer an option of a different curriculum that would allow daily users of the language to show their skills.
Mr Carey, a former primary school teacher, became community, equality and gaeltacht affairs minster in Taoiseach Brian Cowen’s reshuffled Cabinet in March. He was recently reported as saying that Gaeltacht communities are concerned that the course will not challenge students from Irish-speaking homes, and that the amount of literature required under the new syllabus could almost be memorised without being understood.
Ms Coughlan said she has already met the minister on the matter and plans to discuss it with him formally at a later stage.
“I’ve been briefed by a lot of people on the issue. Clearly the focus in any curricular development or change is that, at the end of the day, it’s fair to everyone as opposed to being [for] one side or the other,” she said. “I’d prefer not to say too much about it as of yet. I’m going to consider the views that have been expressed by Minister Pat Carey on that curriculum development and we need time ourselves [in the Department of Education] to assimilate those thoughts,” the Tánaiste said.
She suggested that members of the opposition, who she did not name, wished to water down the role of Irish in education but said this would not happen under Fianna Fáil.
She said her party’s 20-year strategy for the language, which aims to treble the numbers using Irish on a daily basis to 250,000 by 2030, considers many changes that need to take place.
The Irish Examiner – Niall Murray
5 Bealtaine 2010
Irish medium education under threat
May 4, 2010
The last twenty years has seen a rise in the number of gaelscoileanna across the country but now Irish language organisations are worried that the future development of the sector in under threat because of new criteria brought in by the Department of Education.
It’s an issue which was raised by President of Conradh na Gaeilge, Pádraig Mac Fheaghusa when he spoke at the Ardfheis of Conradh na Gaeilge two weeks ago in Limerick.
He believes that civil servants in the Department would happily remove the Irish language from the education system if given the chance.
Much of the issue thus far as focused on the case of one gaelscoil in particular in Rath Oath in Co, Meath which was denied official recognition by the Department earlier this year.
Mac Fhearghusa has criticised the decision and has called on the Irish speaking community to fight the threat posed to the future expansion of the sector.
The new criteria focus on the degree of demand for primary education in the location generally. Gaelscoileanna have argued that they don’t factor in a need for Irish medium education as well as English medium education in various areas.
Five Irish organisations have come together last week for launch a campaign ‘Aitheantas’ to secure official recognition for the Rath Oath gaelscoil. The campaign is also calling on the Department to introduce provision for Irish medium education in particular areas as a criterion when recognising new schools.
Seán Ó Buachalla is the Chair of the School Committee in Rath Oath and he has welcomed the support received from Irish organisations on the matter.
He said that the local committee would be working hard to raise funds for the school which is due to open its doors in September 2010, albeit without official recognition and funding.
The next step for the organisations is to lobby the Department and politicians on the matter and some support has been given by local councillors.
The local committee has spoken to other gaelscoil committees who faced similar issues in the past but who eventually received full recognition from the Department.
They are hopeful that the school will get official recognition in the near future but will continue with their plans to establish the school in the meantime.
©www.gaelport.com 4 Bealtaine 2010
