Cóisír Clanna Gaeilge an Eachréidh
December 3, 2013
Gaeilge Locha Riach – Féilire Imeachtaí
December 3, 2013
Trinity College launches new language scheme
December 3, 2013
Minister of State for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Dinny McGinley TD officially launched Trinity College Dublin’s second Irish language scheme on 27 November 2013.
The new language scheme describes the services to be developed and improved to better cater for members of the public and members of staff wishing to do business with TCD through Irish and will build upon the provision established in the First Language Scheme which was in place from 2010-2012.
The language scheme arises from the Official Languages Act 2003 that gives practical effect to the constitutional status of Irish as the first official language of the State. The scheme will be in place for three years or until the Minister of State for the Gaeltacht ratifies a third scheme under Section 15 of the Act.
Launching the new scheme, Minister of State McGinley said “Trinity College has long been renowned for the excellence of its Irish language learning and scholarship and the achievements of the college in protecting, nurturing and sustaining the language must be acknowledged”.
While implementing the second scheme, TCD authorities will focus on improvements to bilingual services in the following areas: Direct Customer Services; Interactive services; Websites; Communications and Media; Forms, publications and printed material; Information Technology; Staff recruitment, induction and Irish language training; Irish Language Residency Schemes and Seomra na Gaeilge. There are also commitments to the development of an Irish Language Policy and the instituting of Irish Language Awards.
TCD Secretary said that “Trinity College is proud to be among the first of the universities to launch a second scheme”, and Irish Language Officer Aonghus Dwane, added that the scheme “is the result of cooperation with a wide range of areas across the College community. This Scheme will ensure the embedding and strengthening of the central place of Irish in College life in the years ahead”.
Trinity College Dublin’s second language scheme can be read here.
Foilsithe ar Gaelport.com
Tenth anniversary of Gaelscoil na Daróige
December 2, 2013
Derry Irish language primary school, Gaelscoil na Daróige, is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year and has plans for continued growth.
The school opened its doors in 2003 with a handful of pupils but has grown and developed over the last decade and now has almost 80 children between the gaelscoil and naiscoil. Brian Mac Neachtain, manager of the gaelscoil said; “This year Naíscoil na Daróige celebrates its tenth year offering a bilingual education. This has given the parents the opportunity to give their child the gift of the Irish language in a part of Derry which formally had no Irish medium education facilities.”
Mr Mac Neachtain said the decade of Irish medium education has helped the development of the Irish language in the city. “Naíscoil and Gaelscoil na Daróige have been an enormous benefit to the development of the Irish language in this area. “From humble beginnings in terms of children attending the naíscoil and gaelscoil we have almost eighty children attending our school and a growing list of parents who desire a bilingual education for their children,” he said. As well as primary education through Irish, the school also offers preschool education services. “The children now start at our naíscoil at the age of three and then move up to our gaelscoil becoming fully bilingual in Irish and English by the age of eleven.
“Recent research has indicated that children attending Irish medium schools achieve higher results in mathematics and English than children attending English medium schools. “This type of research has increased demand and lead to our Irish speaking community expanding and developing with our facilities now being used every evening after school and even at the weekend for activities and events for the community. “We always see ourselves as a community school and have a great relationship with parents, whom we know on a first name basis. We try to involve whole families in the life of the school, from the younger brothers and sisters of pupils to the parents.
“They are all part of the wider school community,” he explained. The gaelscoil manager also said the school, which received official recognition from the Department of Education in 2009, will continue to grow work on a new permanent building expected to begin next summer. “We are looking forward to the future as the school continues to grow by year and the new preschool will be holding their annual open day on Wednesday December 4th from 4pm to 6pm. “New parents are welcome to come along and meet the staff and parents of children attending the naíscoil to view our facilities and get further information on bilingual education,” he said. Gaelscoil na Daróige currently employs four staff in its naíscoil and four teaching staff and two classroom assistants in its gaelscoil.
www.derryjournal.com
Foilsithe ar Gaelport.com 02 Nollaig 2013
Schools celebrate after 20-year wait for upgrade ends with new build plans
December 2, 2013
SCHOOLS waiting for up to 20 years for a decent home are among those celebrating the Department of Education’s building programme for next year.
Almost 40 new primary- and post-primary schools will be built and many others will get extensions. Overwhelmingly, the focus of the programme is on new schools to cater for the rise in enrolments in areas that have experienced a large rise in population in recent years. Some projects will involve the replacement of old and dilapidated schools or the construction of permanent accommodation to replace pre-fabs. Education Minister Ruairi Quinn has announced a total of 70 major school building projects – either new schools or extensions – at both primary- and post-primary level. In one case, a Dublin primary school housed on the grounds of a GAA club is finally getting a permanent home.
By the time Gaelscoil Bharra in Cabra, Dublin, opens the doors of its new building in September 2015, it will have been waiting for 20 years. The school has been operating out of Naomh Fionnbarra GAA Club and principal Sean O Donghaile said he was “delighted” that its campaign was over. And, at an overcrowded primary school in Co Kerry, a 17-year campaign for a new building also comes to an end. Blennerville Primary School, outside Tralee, submitted an application for a new building in 1996. The 70 projects listed for construction are 22 new schools and 12 extensions at primary level, 12 new schools and 20 extensions at second-level and three new special schools and one extension. Overall, they will deliver over 27,500 permanent school places, of which about 21,000 will cater for rising enrolments.
Mr Quinn said his “primary aim is to ensure that every child growing up in Ireland can access a place in a classroom when they go to school”. Together with the school projects already announced in July and other ongoing projects from 2013, it means that a total of 168 major school projects will be on site next year.
EXPENDITURE
In addition, Mr Quinn said that a total of 44 major school projects had now reached substantial completion in 2013. As the population boom that started in the late 1990s works its way through the education system, enrolments at second-level will continue to grow up to at least 2024. Mr Quinn said €470m would be spent on primary- and post-primary infrastructure next year, with a projected expenditure on large-scale projects of over €320m. Total enrolment in both primary- and post-primary schools is expected to grow by over 70,000 between now and 2017 – over 45,000 at primary 25,000 at post-primary. It will be a boost for the construction industry and will support 3,200 direct jobs and 640 indirect jobs in 2014.
It is part of a €2bn five-year capital investment programme, launched March 2012 covering 275 new major school building projects to begin up to 2016. The Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) welcomed the announcement but called on the department to ringfence 7.5pc of all future capital funding for the maintenance of existing buildings. INTO general secretary Sheila Nunan said it did not make economic sense to build new schools and extensions while at the same time allowing others to deteriorate.
www.independent.ie
Foilsithe ar Gaelport.com 02 Nollaig 2013
Irish Independent – Katherine Donnelly
Closing date for NCCA consultation approaching
November 29, 2013
The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) will accept submissions regarding the background paper for the review of Irish on the Junior Certificate until 20 December 2013.
Major reform for the Junior Certificate was announced by the Department of Education last October and it is planned that the new structure will be implemented on a phased basis from 2014 and the reformed examination will be taken for the first time in 2017.
Under the new system, students will take between 8 and 10 subjects from a wide range of traditional exam subjects and ‘short courses’ including subjects such as Chinese, Physical Education and Digital Media Literacy. Individual schools will devise a program of subjects from which students will choose.
Schools will be expected to put together a program that will develop the ability and thinking of students with subjects that meet the needs of that particular school body. It is hoped that the new Junior Certificate will see students rather than examinations at the centre of the new approach to assessment.
Irish, English and Mathematics will remain core subjects and 2016 will see Science introduced to this group.
Irish is one of the Phase 2 subjects, along with Business Studies and Science, to be introduced to first year students in the autumn of 2015 as part of the junior cycle developments.
English, the only Phase 1 subject, will have been introduced the previous year. The new specification for Irish will be published in autumn, 2014, a year in advance of its introduction.
Participants are asked to send submissions to consultation@ncca.ie or to take part in the process by filling in either a short survey or a full survey on the NCCA website by 20 December 2013.
All documents relating to the consultation process are available here.
Foilsithe ar Gaelport.com
Minister Quinn announces 70 major school building projects as part of €2bn five year plan
November 29, 2013
Projects to provide over 27,500 permanent school places and 3,800 jobs
The Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn, T.D., is announcing the 70 school projects which are scheduled for construction in 2014.
A €2 billion five-year capital investment programme, launched by Minister Quinn in March 2012, gave details of 275 new major school building projects to begin over the period 2012-2016.
The new school buildings and major extensions which are being announced today are part of the five year plan.
Some €470 million will be spent on primary and post-primary infrastructure next year, with a projected expenditure on large scale projects of over €320 million.
The 70 major projects scheduled to proceed to construction in 2014 are:
22 new schools at primary level
12 extensions at primary level
12 new schools at second-level
20 extensions at second-level
3 new special schools and 1 major special school extension
These school projects will deliver over 27,500 permanent school places and of these over 21,000 are additional places. The remainder will be the replacement of temporary or unsatisfactory accommodation.
Together with the school projects already announced in July last under the “Jobs and Investment” package and other ongoing projects from 2013, this means that a total of 168 major school projects will be on site next year.
In addition, the Minister confirmed that a total of 44 major school projects have now reached substantial completion in 2013.
Announcing details of the 2014 building programme Minister Quinn said, “I am delighted to confirm today the major school projects which will be built next year.”
“Not only will quality permanent school places be built for 27,500 pupils across the country, but this significant investment will support 3,200 direct jobs and 640 indirect jobs in 2014.”
Minister Quinn continued, “Despite our economic difficulties, we have a pressing need to provide new schools and major extensions to continue to meet the accommodation requirements of our growing school going population.
“We are facing massive increases in the number of school going children in the coming years. Total enrolment in both primary and post-primary schools is expected to grow by over 70,000 between now and 2017 – over 45,000 at primary level and 25,000 at post primary – and will continue to grow up to at least 2024 at second level.”
“My primary aim is to ensure that every child growing up in Ireland can access a place in a classroom when they go to school,” Minister Quinn concluded.
Today’s announcement is part of the Government’s plan to provide more than 100,000 permanent school places over the course of the five year plan.
As 2014 progresses, projects scheduled to begin building in 2015/16 will be assessed to see if they are ready to go to construction earlier than planned, and if there is financial scope to do so.
Details of the progress of all major projects listed in the Five Year Plan will continue to be maintained and updated on the Department’s website, www.education.ie
Three new schools for Cork
November 29, 2013
TWO of Cork’s biggest boom towns will get three new secondary schools by 2016 — with two schools planned for Carrigaline and one for Midleton/Carrigtwohill.
Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn has just confirmed patronage for the schools, which will cater for 1,200 students in Carrigaline and 1,000 students in the Midleton/Carrigtwohill area. Rapid population growth in these towns during the boom period has left the existing school structures creaking at the seams.
Carrigaline is to get a 600-student “Catholic school” modelled along the ethos of the historic Christian Brothers College in thecity, but it will be a non-fee paying and co-educational. The satellite town will also get a new multi-denominational Educate Together school, catering for a further 600 students.
These school developments will be entirely separate to an existing plan in Carrigaline for a 24-classroom Gaelscoil, a 500-pupil Gaelcholáiste and a seven classroom Sonas Special School. In the Midleton area, the Cork Education and Training Board, along with the Bishop of Cloyne, will oversee a new 1,000-student secondary school.
Minister Simon Coveney said the discussion now would be on the selection of sites.
“We hope to see this process fast tracked as quickly as possible. This is a real investment in education but also an investment in choice and diversity in education.”
Minister for State in the Department of Education and Skills, Seán Sherlock, said:
“These are schools that have been requested by the parents of the area, and the Department is responding to the needs and demands of the parents.”
“I look forward to the next step in the process, which includes securing specific sites.”
East Cork TD David Stanton welcomed the new schools for the Midleton area, saying:
“There has been significant population growth in the Midleton/Carrigtohill area in recent years, meaning this new school is badly needed. It will provide a high quality and modern education setting for thousands of teenagers in the years ahead.”
www.eveningecho.ie
Gaeltachtaí Mhaigh Eo: Bás nó Fás?
November 28, 2013
Request for submissions
November 28, 2013
Galway and Roscommon Education and Training Board (GRETB)is seeking public opinion in relation to the services provided to customers through Irish.
GRETB now wishes to invite representations from any interested parties in relation to the preparation of the first draft language scheme in accordance with the Official Languages Act 2003 (Section 11). The primary objective of the Act is to ensure better availability and a higher standard of public services through Irish.
Submissions can be made electronically by email: fiosruithe@gretb.ie or by post:
‘Scéim Teanga’
Galway and Roscommon Education and Training Board
An Coiléar Bán
Athenry
Co. Galway.
The latest date for receipt of submissions is 5.00 p.m. on Friday, 20 December 2013.
Information in relation to the and services provided to the public by Galway and Roscommon Education and Training Board is available on www.countygalwayvec.ie, www.cgvec.ie and www.roscommonvec.ie.
Submissions
The consultation process is of utmost importance to ensuring that public companies meet the public’s expectations in relation services provided to the public bilingually. Should you wish to recommend way in which to improve services through Irish from public companies, you can send your views to eolas@gaelport.com or send a submission to the public company in question during the consultation process. The most common recommendations made to public companies are the following:
• Current bilingual ability of the public body
• Active availability/offer and maintaining demand of services through Irish
• Recruitment policy
• Access to documentation/Application Form
• Irish language signs
• Public Meetings
• Language requirements of An Ghaeltacht
• Company Website
• Evaluating/Assessing the language scheme’s aims
• Monitoring and documenting developments made
• Publicising/Advertising the Language Scheme and its contents
Foilsithe ar Gaelport.com
