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Cearta teanga

September 30, 2011

Sorry, this entry is only available in Irish.

Athruithe móra ar an siollabas Gaeilge

September 30, 2011

Sorry, this entry is only available in Irish.

Cruinniú in Ionad Chill Dara

September 30, 2011

Sorry, this entry is only available in Irish.

Irish language pack for schools stresses rights

September 30, 2011

STUDENTS FROM Coláiste na Coiribe in Galway were told yesterday by the official Irish Language Commissioner that they were “guardians of an important and endangered aspect of world heritage”.

The students were present at the launch of a new information pack which is to be presented to every second-level school in the country by An Coimisinéir Teanga Seán Ó Cuirreáin. The multimedia educational initiative developed by his office in An Spidéal, Co Galway, aims to give students an insight into language rights in the overall context of universal civil and human rights. Bilingual lessons and projects on the theme will be taught as part of the Junior Certificate course in civil, social and political education, Mr Ó Cuirreáin said yesterday. The initiative was also endorsed by Minister of State for the Gaeltacht Dinny McGinley. The Junior Cert module will address the advantages and challenges of multilingualism, and explore the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The pack for classes includes an award-winning short film, Yu Ming Is Ainm Dom (My Name Is Yu Ming) , about a young Chinese man who learns Irish before visiting Ireland. He experiences communications difficulties at first, until he finds himself a job as a barman in the Gaeltacht. Images of Irish national identity compiled by Nuacht TG4/RTÉ with a soundtrack from The Coronas will form part of a lesson on culture and nationality. A novel element is the inclusion of a set of task cards that will ask students to explain elements of Irish society to a visiting Martian. Another lesson involves developing bilingual stationery and signage. Mr Ó Cuirreáin said that the initiative had been tested in 15 schools on a pilot basis last year. He explained that the module can be taught through Irish, through English or bilingually. “More than anything else, this project should ensure that students are given a context for their learning of Irish in schools and that they understand and respect the concept of language rights,” he said.

Mr Ó Cuirreáín forecast that it could be “potentially the most important initiative undertaken by this office since its establishment, if it sees significant numbers of students each year being taught the importance of language rights”.

The Irish Times

Cearta teanga do dhéagóirí

September 30, 2011

Sorry, this entry is only available in Irish.

Public Meetings – Foras Pátrúnachta

September 30, 2011

An Foras Pátrúnachta is organising public meetings for potential new Gaelscoileanna in the following areas:

20.00 04/10/2011

Gaelscoil for Douglas

Venue: Rochestown Park Hotel, Rochestown Road, Douglas

20.00 04/10/2011

Gaelsoil for Knocknacarra

Venue: Clybaun Hotel, Clybawn Road, Knocknacarra

20.00 04/10/2011

Gaelscoil for Stepaside / Ballinteer

Venue: St. John’s GAA Club Ballinteer, Grange Road, Rathfarnham

Public meeting on new Douglas Gaelscoil

September 30, 2011

There will be a public meeting in Douglas this week to discuss the potential opening of a new Gaelscoil in the area in 2013.

An Foras Pátrúnachta is holding a public meeting at the Rochestown Park Hotel on Tuesday, 4 October at 8pm to discuss the potential opening of a Gaelscoil. An Foras Pátrúnachta is the patron body for Irish-medium schools. Parents and guardians will also have the chance to pre-enrol their children.

Siobhán Seoighe, Executive of An Foras Pátrúnachta will be speaking on the night about the patronage offered to Gaelscoileanna. Speaking of the importance regarding the opening of a new Gaelscoil in the Douglas area, Ms Seoighe said: “The need for a new Gaelscoil in the Douglas area has been illustrated by the growing demand of places in other Gaelscoileanna locally.

“We hope to see a new Gaelscoil opening in the next two years to meet these high demands that we anticipate increasing over time.”

The 2006 census showed that the number of Irish speakers in the Cork has grown from 200,657 in 2002 to 209,950, indicating that there is interest in the language and that there may be a market for new Gaelscoileanna in Cork.

An Foras Pátrúnachta has received confirmation from the Department of Education that 20 new primary schools will be opened in the next six years. One of these primary schools will be opening in the area of Knocknacarra.

An Foras Pátrúnachta are hoping to secure sufficient support from the local community before making an application to the government, due on 7 October.

A variety of studies have shown that pupils of Irish-medium schools have achieved a higher academic standard, find it easier to learn a third language, develop an understanding and openness to other cultures and improve cognitive functioning in creativity and communication.

Cork Independent

Tionscnamh Oideachais ar chearta teanga

September 30, 2011

Sorry, this entry is only available in Irish.

Gaelscoil to set up home in former swimming pool

September 27, 2011

THE notion of total immersion in the Irish language is being taken to new lengths by a Gaelscoil which will move to a former swimming pool next year.

The 105 pupils of Gaelscoil Dhroichead na Banndan are already looking forward to the move from the Charlie Hurley Park GAA grounds in Bandon, where the school has operated since it opened in 1995. With the help of the owner of a leisure centre that closed in 2008, it is hoped the clubhouse and prefabs will be left behind before the next summer holidays. “We’ve been really grateful for the use of the GAA club over the years and we’ll be keeping up links with the facilities here. But everyone’s delighted at the idea of being in a more suitable building designed specifically as a school,” said principal Seán Ó Láimhín. The luxury of having daily access to an 18-metre pool will not, however, be part of the deal. But although the pool is being filled in, it is being turned into a large sports hall that should make the Gaelscoil the envy of hundreds of primary schools.

The refurbishment works at the former leisure centre have just been granted permission by An Bord Pleanála and are expected to ready the premises for leasing to the school in November. The changes include the addition of first and second floors, and the provision of six classrooms, a learning support room, resource teaching room, principal’s office, staff room and other facilities.  “We already have pupils coming from seven miles and it’s the only Catholic primary school in the town for girls and boys around but this has great potential for us to attract more pupils and we already have a lot of prospective enrolments for next year,” said Mr Ó Láimhín. The move will not be the first unorthodox premises either for a Cork gaelscoil, with pupils from Gaelscoil Uí Drisceoil moving into a disused hotel building near Glanmire a few weeks ago after a number of years at a rugby club grounds. The staff and children at Gaelscoil Chloch na gCoillte, meanwhile, have been working out of a building originally planned as a bank since 2009 after years of operating from prefabs. However, they are hoping for a purpose-built home of their own on foot of a recent application to Clonakilty Town Council to build a 12-classroom school.

Irish Examiner – Niall Murray

Teachers oppose assessing own junior pupils

September 27, 2011

TEACHER group leaders have said they oppose members marking their own students as part of the new Junior Certificate testing -even though hundreds are already doing so.

The Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) said it favours reforms of the exam system but the introduction of assessment of students by their own teachers is not acceptable. As part of an overhaul of the three-year junior cycle, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) has proposed that 40% of marks in all subjects would be based on portfolios of students learning. But the projects and other studies that make up those portfolios would be marked within each school, subject to samples being checked by the State Examinations Commission to ensure fairness and the maintenance of standards. The Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) says teachers should be paid for any assessment of students. But ASTI objected on the bass that any move that places teachers in the role of judge rather than advocate of students will distort the professional relationship between them, and with parents. General secretary Pat King said the question of payment has never arisen for his members. “It’s a matter of the fairness and objectivity of the exam system,” he said. “All the teachers we consult don’t want to change that relationship with their students and they never mention money.”

The Irish Examiner reported this month that students at 94 of the 730 second-level schools had marks in the optional Junior Cert Irish submitted by their schools for this year’s results. The SEC does not pay external examiners to visit schools for Junior Cert oral tests but the number of schools doing the Irish oral exam has risen from fewer than 12 since plans were announced in 2007 to double the marks awarded for the exam to 40%. The use of local arrangements, where teachers would test students from neighbouring schools in oral Irish, is being discussed by unions, school management groups and the SEC. It is believed that an agreement on this might open the door for compromise on the wider issue and addresses teacher concerns about assessing their own pupils without major costs arising. The ASTI also said Education Minister Ruairi Quinn needs to ringfence funding for teacher development and technology investment if he approves the junior cycle reforms. They are concerned, too, at plans to limit pupils starting second level from next year to eight exam subjects, as there is uncertainty over who will decide which subjects they take, and when the decision will be made. The Department of Education said last night that Mr Quinn has yet to consider the NCCA proposals. They include plans to introduce short courses in areas such as active citizenship, participation in school performances and practical skills such as web design, personal finance and debating. The grading system would be replaced by awards of distinction, merit or pass, written exams would be reduced to two hours or less and higher and ordinary level would be replaced by a common qualification for all subjects except English, Irish and maths. A second new qualification is proposed for students with special educational needs.

Irish Examiner – Niall Murray

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