Cá bhfuil an Obair?

May 29, 2012

Cá bhfuil an obair or Where is the work is the theme of a new radio series examining employment opportunities within the Irish language sector.

Transition year students from Coláiste Cillian in Clondalkin and from Saint Dominic’s secondary school in Ballyfermot took their first steps as novice radio reporters earlier this Spring as they produced a new careers documentary ‘Cá bhfuil an Obair’ ( where is the work) to be broadcast this week.

The series will broadcast on community radio station West Dublin Access Radio and the first of four half hour shows will commence on Tuesday May 29th at 10.30am. Listeners in Dublin can tune into 96Fm with those outside Dublin able to livestream from www.wdar.ie

The bilingual radio series will focus on career opportunities in the Irish language field and will examine different professions such as interpretation, education, communication and Irish language promotion. .

Foilsithe ar Gaelport.com

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Roma – ‘you’re the best’ teacher

May 29, 2012

Gaelscoil na Daroige teacher Roma Rudd has been named winner of the first Derry Journal ‘Teacher – You’re The Best’ competition.

The 24 year-old munteoir was “humbled” this week when she discovered that she had received the most votes in the inaugural competition. Delighted Roma received a prize of £200 in vouchers to spend at Foyleside Shopping Centre, which sponsored the award.

Speaking to the ‘Journal’, Roma – who has been teaching for just two years – said: “It’s great to win the award both for me and the school. The parents and the pupils have been very good to me here, I couldn’t have dreamed of such thoughtful support.”

Roma teaches a class made up of Primary 1 and 2 pupils as the young Ballymagroarty school – which was founded in 2005 – continues to grow. She has taught eight P2 pupils since they first began their primary education at the school and admits she’s made quite a “connection” with them.

“I love them to bits but I know they’ll only be moving next door when the new school year starts.”

Roma simply loves teaching at “close knit” Gaelscoil Na Daroige, where everyone knows each other. She is quick to point out the close working relationship of staff in the school to ensure everything runs smoothly and efficiently and in the best interests of the pupils. She said; “The staff are all great here and work very well to make sure the children are given the best education.”

In particular, Roma said she could never accept an award without paying tribute to her classroom assistant Caitlin Ni Dhochartaigh, who started working at the school at the same time she did. “I’d be lost without Caitlin,” she added.

Roma, who doesn’t come from an Irish speaking background, fell in love with Gaeilge when she studied at Lumen Christi College under Mrs Bronach O’Hare, who she rates as “great teacher and influence”. She also spent time studying in the Donegal Gaeltacht area of Loch An Iuir and later completed a Bachelor of Education Degree through the medium of Irish at St Mary’s University College in Belfast. “Surprisingly there is no teaching background in my family or Irish speakers, although some family members have the odd focal,” she explained.

Getting a full-time teaching post has been exciting for Roma and her joy during the first two years as a teacher has been capped by the accolade of being voted the best teacher in the area. However, the excitement won’t stop there for Miss Rudd, who will once again be celebrating next year, although by then she’ll be a Mrs as she’s due to wed fiance Kevin McKenna in 2013.

Competition winner Roma was nominated by Primary 2 pupil Jake Campbell-McLaughlin, who said his teacher “tells the best stories” among many other things.

The six-year old pupil is looking forward to moving on to P3 in September but admits that he’ll miss his teacher of two years. And the youngster didn’t mince his words when voicing his admiration for Miss Rudd: “She’s the best teacher in the world,” he exclaimed..

In his nomination, Jake stated: “Munteoir Roma gives us a reward at the end of the week if we have good behaviour and share and take turns with friends and listen when our munteoir speaks as it helps us learn more. She is the best teacher in our school and she is the best at science, I really love doing science.”

Geraldine Gallagher, Derry Journal Marketing Executive, said there had been a “magnificent response” to the competition. She said; “There has been a fantastic number of entries for the first ever ‘Teacher – You’re The Best’ competition. We’ve been busy sifting through the nominations and it’s great to see that teachers are so well thought of by their pupils for their hard work and dedication to education.”

Congratulating Roma on being named the first winner of the Derry Journal ‘Teacher – You’re The Best’ title, Geraldine said: “Roma Rudd was a clear winner, securing a large number of votes and is a very worthy recipient of the fantastic prize of £200 in vouchers for Foyleside Shopping Centre.”

Geraldine also congratulated the 46 teachers who received the most nominations and competed for the title in the final wave of public voting.

Foyleside Shopping Centre Manager, Fergal Rafferty added: “Foyleside Shopping Centre is delighted to sponsor the Derry Journal’s ‘Teacher – You’re the Best’ award. We all know the importance of the education of our children and the extremely high teaching standards expected from our teachers .

“It is fitting that the dedication and commitment of all of our teachers is recognised and we congratulate the lucky winning teacher Roma Rudd of Gaelscoil na Daroige and wish her lots of enjoyment and some retail therapy spending her Foyleside gift vouchers.”

www.derryjournal.com

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School’s girl power still going strong at 85

May 29, 2012

The country’s last remaining all-Irish girls’ boarding school has celebrated its 85th aniversary.

Colaiste Ide outside Dingle, Co Kerry, is also the only seven-day boarding school where all teaching is done through the medium of Irish.

Over the weekend, former GAA commentator and chairman of the board of directors at the school, Miceal O Muircheartaigh, joined in the celebrations that included the blessing of a new extension that replaces prefab classrooms.

The school was open three years before Micheal was born in Dun Sion on the other side of Dingle town.

There are now 142 full-time students at the school, which is one of the biggest employers in the Dingle area.

Apart from a teaching staff of 14, the school also employs an additional 40 people who make up the supervisors, kitchen and maintenance staff.

The school building is housed in the former Burnham Manor, which was the residence of Lord Ventry, the local landlord.

The Sisters of Mercy opened the house as a preparatory college for teachers in 1927 and it became a secondary boarding school for girls in 1961. The last nuns left the school in 1996.

Aine Ni Chearbhaill became principal in 2008 and is herself a past-pupil of the school and its former home economics teacher.

“I did my Leaving Cert here in 1996 which was also the last year there were nuns in the school,” she told the Irish Independent.

“After that numbers dropped and there was a question mark over its viability without the nuns.

“Then a group of parents set up Cairde Cholaiste Ide and they launched a strong campaign to ensure it stayed open. Since then, thankfully, numbers have been on the rise,” she added.

www.irishtimes.com

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Minister Sherlock announces new course for teachers of maths

May 28, 2012

The Minister of State for Research and Innovation, Seán Sherlock, TD, today officially launched the Professional Diploma in Mathematics for Teaching, which is aimed at ‘out-of-field’ teachers of maths.

The programme is aimed at improving the skills of maths teachers at post- primary level.

It covers mathematical content and knowledge, and teaching and learning strategies/approaches relevant to the Project Maths syllabi, which are being rolled out in schools.

Next month, all Leaving Certificate students in mainstream schools will be examined in elements of the Project Maths curriculum, whilst next year’s Junior Certificate maths paper will have elements of the new syllabus.

Last September, Minister Sherlock’s announced the intention to tender for course providers to up-skill teachers.

Following this tendering process, contracts have now been signed with a consortium led by the National Centre for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching & Learning (NCE-MSTL), based in the University of Limerick (UL).

The course will be a blended learning programme based on a part-time (2 year) university accredited professional diploma, delivered locally and through online modules.

The course will be available nationwide free of charge, with specific provision for teachers in Irish-medium schools.

It will be accredited jointly by the UL and NUI Galway through their strategic alliance, and the NCE-MSTL will be responsible for all aspects of course design, delivery and administration.

Approximately 400 teachers will begin the course this autumn.

Commenting on the launch, Minister for Education and Skills Ruairí Quinn T.D said “The provision of this course provides further evidence of my personal commitment, and that of my Government colleagues, to supporting maths teaching in post primary schools.

“We are providing over €2million to fund this course, and are making it available at locations across the country and free of change, to maximise accessibility and participation.”

Minister Sherlock said “The teaching community has shown significant interest in this course since my announcement last September.

“I am pleased that the course will facilitate teachers who are working during the day, with convenient local and online access.”

Professor Paul McCutcheon, Vice President Academic & Registrar at the University of Limerick said “UL has a proud record in teacher education and this award is a vital development for Ireland’s long-term growth in the fields of mathematics, science and associated knowledge-based economic development.

“The NCE-MSTL, as the lead partner in this initiative, offers a unique combination of teaching expertise through its national network of collaborators to ensure the success of this critically important professional development programme for mathematics teachers over the next three years.”

John Herlihy, VP and Head of Google in Ireland said “Government, industry and academia all agree on the need for more students to study Maths, Science and Engineering subjects at third level and on the need to produce graduates with strong analytical and problem solving skills. The introduction of a Professional Diploma in Mathematics for Teaching is an important step in augmenting how we teach maths in our secondary schools. I believe that providing ‘out of field’ teachers with the specialised skills to teach maths in an enthusiastic and knowledgeable way will be a catalyst for more students pursuing maths based subjects at third level.”

The provision of this course addresses the recommendation of the Project Maths Implementation Support Group which identified in 2010 that “The Department of Education and Skills should work towards ensuring that all post primary students at all levels are taught mathematics solely by teachers who hold a qualification in mathematics by 2018. Post graduate courses for existing teachers should be provided on a scale and level commensurate with this objective.”

Provision will be made nationwide, at the following venues:

University of Limerick (UL)
NUI Galway
University College Dublin (UCD)
St Patricks’ College, Thurles
Institute of Technology, Sligo
Institute of Technology, Tallaght
Institute of Technology, Tralee
Institute of Technology, Carlow
Cork Institute of Technology
Dundalk Institute of Technology
Letterkenny Institute of Technology
Waterford Institute of Technology
Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge, Gaillimh
Education Support Centre Network

www.education.ie

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‘Childish political point scoring’ – SF hit back at Overend Irish school remarks

May 28, 2012

COOKSTOWN Sinn Féin Councillor Ciarán McElhone has hit out at Ulster Unionist Assembly Member Sandra Overend regarding her recent comments about Gaelscoil Eoghain, Cookstown’s soon-to-be opened Irish medium primary school.

Last week the UPP MLA lambasted the Education Minister’s decision to award grant-aided status to the new primary school, which will open its doors in September. Reacting negatively to the decision Mrs Overend said she “cannot accept” the need for the Irish language school in the town and accused Minister John O’Dowd of wasting resources.

Responding to the MLA’s statement, councillor McElhone described Mrs Overend’s comments as “childish political point scoring”.

“I believe that the statement from Ms Overend demonstrates a great misunderstanding about Irish medium education on her part and is extremely disingenuous to the parents and committee members of Naíscoil Eoghain who have worked tirelessly over the past number of years.

“Within department guidelines an application for grant aided status can be awarded once it can be demonstrated that such a project can proceed successfully.

“It is not merely an agenda to promote the Irish language as Ms Overend states,” said the Sinn Fein councillor.

“Regarding her statement that she cannot accept the need for such a facility in Cookstown demonstrates her own lack of knowledge on this issue.

“Irish medium education is the fastest growing sector within her own constituency which includes Cookstown. In Cookstown Naíscoil Eoghain has experienced significant growth year on year since its opening in 2008”.

Councillor McElhone continued: “Ms Overend has also deliberately tried to confuse two separate issues and try to interlink them as the same to justify her position however the Department of Education has stated that it has a duty to provide Irish medium education once the criteria has been met. It is not a matter of taking money out of other budgets as she suggests”.

“Ms Overend has also stated that people should learn Irish in existing facilities and while I agree with much of this I must highlight that such provision only exists in an adult sphere. This doesn’t account for children who are being taught in this medium hence the need for this proposal”.

“I believe Ms Overend’s comments are an attempt to politicise a proposal that is being offered for the benefit of all in our community regardless of class, colour or creed,” he said.

“Ms. Overend should focus on the more pressing day to day issues that affect Mid Ulster rather than involving herself in childish political point scoring”.

www.midulstermail.co.uk

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