Gaeltacht Education Conference
October 5, 2011
Eagraíocht na Scoileanna Gaeltachta will host their annual conference on education matters, and their AGM, on Friday, 14 October in the Ardilaun Hotel, Galway.
The aim of Eagraíocht na Scoileanna Gaeltachta is to strengthen Irish-medium education in Gaeltacht schools.
Many speakers will attend the conference including 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.
Further information about the organisation, or the conference is available from Treasa Ní Mhainín at oifig@esg.ie.
Teacht le chéile lucht na Naíonraí Gaelacha
October 5, 2011
Samhail nua mhaoinithe le hathrú ó bhonn a dhéanamh
October 5, 2011
Public Meeting to discuss new Gaelscoileanna in Dublin, Cork and Galway
October 4, 2011
An Foras Pátrúnachta is holding public meetings on Tuesday, 4th of October to discuss the potential opening of new Irish-medium primary schools in Ballinteer and Stepside in Dublin, Douglas in Cork, and Knocknacarra in Galway. All welcome.
These public meetings have been organised by An Foras Pátrúnachta, the national patron body for Irish-medium schools, with the help of the campaign group Aitheantas, to inform the communities in these areas about the opening of new Gaelscoileanna in September 2012 and 2013. All parents and individuals interested in education through the medium of Irish are very welcome. This is a great opportunity for the communities to express a demand and interest in the opening of the new Gaelscoileanna. Parents and guardians will also have the chance to pre-enrol their children.
Caoimhín Ó hEaghra, the General Secretary of An Foras Pátrúnachta, will be speaking at the meetings about the benefits and strengths of An Foras Pátrúnachta as a patron to Irish-medium schools. Speaking of the importance regarding the opening of the new Gaelscoileanna, Ó hEaghra said, “There has been a huge demand for new Gaelscoileanna in these developing areas and throughout the country. Research shows that there has also been a significant growth in Irish speakers in these areas along with an increasing demand of places in other Gaelscoileanna locally.” An Foras Pátrúnachta recently held three public meetings in Carpenterstown(Dublin), Tallaght(Dublin) and Kildare Town which saw many interested parents attend and pre-enrol their children for these new Gaelscoileanna. Ó hEaghra continued, “We are delighted with the support we have received so far in Dublin and Kildare and we hope we will secure further support in these other areas to encourage and strengthen Irish-medium education by opening new Gaelscoileanna.”
Principals of local Gaelscoileanna will also be speaking at the meetings about the benefits of education through Irish and the highly effective Irish language immersion system in junior and senior infants. These speakers will be available to assist with any queries after the meeting.
The 2006 Census showed a substantial increase in the number of Irish speakers in these counties, with Cork’s Irish speaking community growing from 200,657(Census, 2002) to 209,950(Census 2006), Dublin saw an increase from 394,240(Census 2002) to 410,669(Census 2006), and in Galway, there are 139,277(Census 2006) Irish speakers compared to 102,529 according to the 2002 Census. This indicates that there is a huge interest in the language and that there is a market for new Gaelscoileanna.
An Foras Pátrúnachta received confirmation from The Department of Education that 20 new primary schools will be opening in the next six years. It is certain that Ballinteer, Stepaside, Douglas and Knocknacarra will open new primary schools as part of this plan in the coming years. An Foras Pátrúnachta are hoping to secure sufficient support from the local communities before masking applications to the government, due on October 7th, 2011.
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.
Foilsithe ar Gaelport.com
Comhdháil Na Naíonraí Gaelacha
October 3, 2011
