Bainisteoir Forbartha á lorg ag Comhlacht Forbartha na nDéise Teo
January 22, 2013
Scléip – síneadh leis an dáta deiridh d’iontrálacha
January 22, 2013
Seven years of success for Réalt Uladh competition
January 22, 2013
One of the most successful Irish language competitions for national school students will be held once again this year at the LYIT premises in Letterkenny.
There is no doubt that, once again, hundreds of pre-school and national school students will apply for the much sought after trophies and medals that the competition has now become synonymous with.
Now enjoying its seventh consecutive year, Réalt Uladh will take place on Saturday March 2 and to date there has seen a fantastic turn out of schools from all across Donegal, Derry, Antrim and Tyrone in these competitions.
“Without a doubt, our acknowledgement, sincere thanks and congratulations must go to all of the parents, teachers etc who help prepare the children and young people, so magnificently, for their competitions. They are enriching our culture, music and heritage, by keeping spoken Irish alive” said Caitlín Conluain, Stiúrthóir Réalt Uladh.
Réalt Uladh, consists of thirty competitions, which cover the full spectrum of, poetry recitation, reading, writing, drama and singing. The competitions are through the medium of Irish, which are open to children and young people, of all abilities (bun-ghrád and ard-ghrád), from pre-school to sixth class. The aims of Réalt Uladh are to provide children with the opportunity to improve their Irish, give them the confidence to speak Irish, to obtain fluency in our national language and to experience the diverse aspects of Irish culture.
A certificate will be awarded to each competitor, a 1st, 2nd, 3rd place medal in solo and duet competitions, a trophy will be awarded to group performance. The perpetual cup will be awarded to the best performer in each category. A perpetual cup will be awarded to the Teacher/Leader who has the most entries in any one class in any one competition. A perpetual cup will also be awarded to the School/Group that has the most entries in Réalt Uladh 2013.
Our heartfelt thanks go to all of the sponsor’s for helping to make Réalt Uladh such a tremendous success.
For further information or to download a Réalt Uladh 2013 Entry Form log on to: www.realtuladh.com or contact Caitlín at: caitlin.conluain@lyit.ie or at 087-3232326.
The closing date is Saturday 2 February 2013 for all entries including postal and e-mail entries.
Réalt Uladh Office will also be open on Friday 1 Feb. 2013 from 3.00-7.00 pm in the LYIT to take entries or queries. The entry fee is €3.00 per competition to be paid with the entry form. Cheques should be made payable to Réalt Uladh. For group entry fees, please check www.realtuladh.com No late entries will be accepted.
Everybody is welcome to attend and listen to the competitors.
www.donegaldemocrat.ie
Quinn criticised over patronage
January 22, 2013
A leading Catholic educationalist has accused Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn of exaggerating the level of parental demand for a wider diversity of school patrons.
Prof Eamonn Conway, head of the department of theology and religious studies at Mary Immaculate College, Limerick, said the recent surveys in five pilot areas proved to be a “surprising endorsement of denominational education”.
He said: “If the pilot survey is indicative, then the demand is not as great as the Minister anticipated.’’ While the Government put a brave face on the survey results, the reality was that a large number of the parents who responded indicated they wished to have their children educated in Catholic schools.
“The actual number of parents who expressed an opinion in favour of change in each of the five areas polled in the pilot survey amounted to between 5 and 8 per cent, evidence of parental demand, certainly, but hardly of a “strong” or “clear” demand or “clear need” for greater choice, as the findings were reported in the press. “Moreover, a large majority of parents did not participate in the survey at all.”
The turnout ranged from 22 per cent to 44 per cent in the pilot survey in five areas last year. Parents in a further 38 areas are now being surveyed on their preferred choice of school patron. They have until February 8th to participate in the survey.
Prof Conway said t he church welcomed greater provision of alternative school patronage and “hopes that this will enable the schools that remain Catholic to get on with being so, without any expectation that their ethos will be diminished or diluted by the need to accommodate those of other faiths or none’’.
www.irishtimes.com
Church wants a state promise on ethos in schools
January 22, 2013
THE battle lines are being drawn between Catholic bishops and Education Minister Ruairi Quinn over the future of primary schools.
Moves to reduce the dominance of the Church in primary education will see the handover of some schools to other patron bodies. But the church is seeking guarantees about the protection of the ethos of schools that remain under Catholic control.
Last year the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism produced a blueprint on a process for divesting Catholic schools to other patrons, and on ways to ensure that denominational schools were more inclusive.
One strand involves the handover of Catholic schools to another patron body in areas where parents express a demand for greater choice. Following surveys late last year, the Catholic Church has been asked to divest a school in each of five towns and suburbs and the Department of Education is currently running similar surveys in a further 38 areas.
The other element of change is concerned with laying down new rules for the treatment of religion in all primary schools to ensure that they are inclusive. That is to be subject to a public consultation process that will get under way after the parental surveys are completed in February. That will mean an overlap between the two strands of the process and, while there is no formal link, a leading Catholic educationalist yesterday called for a trade-off.
Professor Eamonn Conway said that no Catholic primary schools should be handed over without firm guarantees that the ethos of the remaining schools would be respected. Prof Conway is head of the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at Mary Immaculate College, Limerick, and a priest of the Tuam archdiocese. He said that under one proposal, Catholic schools would be forced to display all religious symbols along with their own and to vet hymns and prayers to ensure they were sufficiently ‘inclusive’.
He also challenged the proposal to delete Rule 68, which obliges national schools to ensure that a religious spirit underpins all their work. He challenged proposals to weaken Section 37 of the Employment Equality Act, which protects the right of religious organisations, including schools, to employ only individuals who will respect the ethos of their employer.
Mandatory
Prof Conway also said a proposed new programme for primary schools, Education about Religion and Beliefs (ERB), should not be made mandatory because it “could teach pupils in a secularist view of religion”.
Catholic bishops also used the launch of Catholic Schools Week yesterday to insist that any change to the ethos must not undermine the faith of school-going children. Bishop Brendan Kelly of Achonry said it would be a “terrible travesty” for children “if a natural part of who they are is not acknowledged and nurtured in our schools”.
His concerns were echoed by Bishop Jones of Elphin who told the young congregation: “It is because of you that we are all concerned about Catholic education in our schools.”
www.independent.ie
Seiminéar: “Is ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine: Éire sa 21ú Aois idir Indibhidiúlacht agus Phobal”
January 22, 2013
Vroom Town
January 22, 2013
There is a new phenomenon about to be unleashed in the world of children’s literature! It is called Vroom-Town – a wonderful place where all types of trucks, with all types of personalities live, work, play and have exciting adventures. They are just waiting to be discovered to tell their stories and for children to fall in love with them!
Vroom-Town is a series of books which is also intrinsically linked with an interactive website, Vroom-Town.ie This has all the potential to rival household names such as Thomas the Tank Engine and Bob the Builder. There was a massive gap in the market for books that would capture the imagination of little boys aged 5-8.
Vroom-Town provides boys with a topic in which they have a real interest. The residents include BullyDozer, Screech, Tim the Tipper, Terry the Terrible Tractor Unit, Bill Byrne and many, many more! Children will fall in love with, empathise with, learn from and want to hear more about these amazing characters! They will encourage children to read but have heaps of fun whilst doing so!!
It’s something unique – there is nothing like it on the market! There will be many books about the lives of the Vroom-Town residents and their friends! There is always a moral in the story which will assist boys in learning life lessons and ‘right from wrong’.
Just to note, the books, website, etc have been printed and developed in IRELAND. I hope that the concept appeals to you and you will think it appropriate for your pupils. If you would like to purchase some of my books for your school library or would like further information, please contact me on T: 087 91 86 805. Also if you had a Book Week in your school, I would welcome the opportunity to read my story to the children. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Vroom-Town, 6 Park Villas, Dundalk, Co. Louth, Ireland | T: 087 91 86 805 | E: emer@Vroom-Town.ie | www.Vroom-Town.ie
Féile Raifteirí, 22-24 Márta, 2013 – Dáta don dialann
January 22, 2013
St. Brigid’s Eve Party
January 22, 2013
Venue: The Hungry Bookworm, Loughrea, Thursday, 31 January, 2013 @ 7.30pm
Fear an Tí (MC) & Chief storyteller: Dara Ó Conaola, writer, from Inis Oirr, Co. Galway
Storytelling, music by locals and a St. Brigid’s cross-making workshop. Local musicians Michael Fahy, Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, and other local musicians will be playing music. Celebrate Oíche na Féile Bríde (St. Brigid’s Eve) with Gaeilge Locha Riach.
Also launched on the night will be Féile Raifteirí and Seachtain na Gaeilge (Irish week) programmes; as well as updates plenty of other events, Slógadh Eachtaí (Aughty Gathering) amongst them. All welcome but please confirm by 30th Jan.
Info: Gaeilge Locha Riach, Ruth ar 091-870718
New Newsletter and a Box of Books to be Won
January 22, 2013
Cló Iar-Chonnacht are to begin a new newsletter for schools that will focus on books in the classroom.
The newsletter, which will be published every couple of months, will include information on the latest Irish language books that are suitable for classroom use as well as discounts on books for schools and prizes to give away.
We will be including information on the best use of books in the classroom and will answer teacher’s questions in the newsletter too. If you have suggestions for anything you would like to see featured in this newsletter, please do let us know by emailing poibliocht@cic.ie.
There will be a box of books to be won by a school and every email address that is registered will be entered into the draw. We will announce the winner in the first newsletter that will be published on Monday, 4th February.
If you’d like to register for this newsletter, just send us an email with the word ‘register’. Also, please let us know if you are with a primary or secondary school.
