Language Planning Guidelines published
January 17, 2014
The publication of the guidelines regarding the language planning process was announced today by The Minister of State at the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Dinny McGinley, T.D.
The guidelines give a view of the language planning process in in accordance with the implementation of the Gaeltacht Act 2012.
Announcing the guidelines, Minister of State McGinley said that the guidelines focus primarily on the community and the organisations that will be responsible for the preparation and implementation of the language plans under the Gaeltacht Act 2012. He also stated that the guidelines will assist the voluntary and the public and private sectors in their role to support the process.
The first notices regarding the 26 Limistéir Pleanála Teanga were announced by the Department in December, they are:
- Ciarraí Thiar
- Cois Fharraige
- Gaoth Dobhair, Rann a Feirste, Anagaire and Loch an Iúir
Organisations and community groups which are located in the named Limistéir Pleanála Teanga, or adjoining regions, now have until 14 March 2014 to apply to Údarás na Gaeltachta. The language planning criteria must be included in the drafting of any language plan in the Limistéir Pleanála Teanga. Following an assessment by Údarás na Gaeltachta which will take up to two months, a lead-organisation will be selected to prepare language plan for that particular region.
Language plans will be prepared over a two year period and following Department approval, plans will be implemented, with assistance from Údarás na Gaeltachta, over a seven year period. Lead-organisations will be representative of the community, community groups, committees and voluntary and language associations in the region.
Click here for more information on the language process.
Foilsithe ar Gaelport.com
Rith 2014 approaching
January 17, 2014
In less than two months Rith 2014 will be upon us.
Rith 2014 is a national Irish language festival that will take place this year between the 7-15 March 2014 during Seachtain na Gaeilge.
On March 7th 2014, the run will commence around the island of Ireland, with the specially designed baton being passed to a different runner and group at the end of each kilometre.
Thousands of people are expected to take part in this nine-day event which will run from morning to night, travel through over 200 towns and 14 counties between Munster, Leinster and Ulster. Rith promotes the Irish language and is also a fundraising event used to promote the development of Irish in the community.
Following on from the success of Rith 2010, in which over 20,000 people took part, and Rith 2012 which was just as successful, Rith 2014 organisers are urging the public to come out and participate in this year. A hand carved baton with a concealed message hidden inside will be carried during the Rith 2014, from start to finish.
From Baile Bhuirne the run will head towards Youghal, the Waterford Gaeltacht of Rinn Ó gCuanach, Waterford city, New Ross Wexford and Arklow. From Dublin the run will continue on to Navan, Kells, Cavan, Clones in Co. Monaghan, Enniskillen in Co. Fermanagh, Omagh, Strabane and onto the town of Lifford in east Co. Donegal.
From there the run will continue onto Maghera in Derry, Armagh, Newry, Downpatrick and on 15 March Rith 2014 will finish in the heart of Belfast where a the special message in the baton will be read out at the closing ceremony.
Rith 2014 is an enjoyable and innovative way for communities to celebrate the Irish language and culture all across Ireland.
To take part in Rith 2014 just visit www.rith.ie.
Foilsithe ar Gaelport.com
Minister Quinn announces JCSA as the new name for the reformed Junior Cycle
January 17, 2014
The Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn T.D., has today announced that the new name for the reformed Junior Certificate will be the JCSA or Junior Cycle Student Award.
Minister Quinn said, “The overhaul of junior cycle is long over-due and much needed. The new JCSA will put students, rather than exams, at the centre of the three year cycle.
Minister Quinn continued, “Most parents and teachers that I meet are supportive of the need to overhaul junior cycle – for the good of students. However, I do acknowledge that many teachers have legitimate concerns about how these new changes will be introduced in schools.
“A new Working Group on Junior Cycle Reform will meet for the first time this Friday, 17th of January. This working group will be a forum where the concerns of the partners can be heard and addressed over the next number of months and years. The group is made up of representatives from the teacher unions, the ASTI and TUI, management bodies, parents, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment and the Department of Education and Skills.
“While reform of the junior cycle is urgently required, it is being phased in over several years from September 2014. I am determined that the new JCSA will be introduced at a rate which will allow our schools, students and teachers the time to embed these changes.
“We have lost some time over the last few months but I am confident that this group can provide a focus for meaningful and effective dialogue that will address legitimate concerns and enable implementation to proceed,” said the Minister.
“This is an opportunity for all the partners to influence the development and implementation of junior cycle reform and I am fully committed to taking on board the outcomes of the Working Group’s deliberations,” concluded the Minister.
The current Junior Cycle curriculum has been in place for 25 years without any fundamental reform. There is compelling evidence that it is failing some young people as significant numbers of first years do not make progress in the key building blocks of learning: English and Maths.
There is also evidence of students ‘switching off’ in second year and in many cases they never reconnect to learning; while the experience of third year is dominated and narrowed by preparations for the Junior Cert exams. The new JCSA will address these problems and ensure students become informed teenagers and citizens with the tools to achieve their full potential.
www.education.ie
An spásaire Chris Hadfield ag Gaelscoil Bhun Cranncha
January 17, 2014
Irish ‘blocked’ in the North
January 17, 2014
Growth and promotion of the Irish language in Northern Ireland is being blocked by hostile attitudes in Stormont and a lack of support for its use in the courts and in education.
The Council of Europe have warned authorities they may also be in breach of a charter of rights because of delays and attempts to block requests for bilingual street names.
The review of minority languages in the UK said the Government has not been able to justify banning the use of Irish in the courts.
www.irishexaminer.com
Promotion of Irish in North ‘blocked by hostile attitudes’
January 17, 2014
Growth and promotion of the Irish language in Northern Ireland is being blocked by hostile attitudes in Stormont and a lack of support for its use in the courts and in education, according to the Council of Europe.
The body has warned authorities they may also be in breach of a charter of rights because of delays and attempts to block requests for bilingual street names.
The review of minority languages in the UK said the government had not been able to justify banning the use of Irish in the courts or allowing people to take citizenship tests through the language.
The Council of Europe criticised the Assembly’s “persisting hostile climate”.
Minister for Culture Caral Ni Chuilin, said she would bring in legislation during the current Assembly term.
www.irishtimes.com
Unionists reject Euro report on Irish language
January 17, 2014
Unionists have defended the Northern Ireland Executive’s policy on the Irish language following criticism from a major EU body.
In a new report, the Council of Europe said that a “persisting hostile climate” exists in the Stormont Assembly and that more should be done to promote the language.
Using information provided by various governments, every three years the council compiles a report on the state of minority languages, including Welsh and Scottish Gaelic.
DUP MEP Diane Dodds has dismissed the report, saying the Irish language is “funded and supported by the Executive in line with its commitments”.
Mrs Dodds said the focus for public expenditure in difficult economic time must be on vital public services.
“The report from the Council of Europe in relation to the Irish language takes a long list of aims, objectives and grievances from Irish language activist groups and places them in list form within the report.
“It is of course unsurprising that such groups will always want to see greater and greater use of Irish. It is worth noting that the Executive does meet its commitments in law, including the St Andrews Agreement.”
Ulster Unionist culture spokesman Michael McGimpsey said: “The Council of Europe cannot make binding laws and seems oblivious to the fact that the 1998 Belfast Agreement was the settlement regarding minority languages in Northern Ireland and we have fulfilled our obligations under it.
“There are a number of human rights issues within European borders which the Council of Europe should be busying itself with. The position of the Irish language in Northern Ireland is not one of them.”
Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams welcomed the report.
He said the Irish language “threatens no one” and added: “There is an onus on the British and Irish governments to support the Irish language and to ensure the introduction of an Irish Language Act.”
www.newsletter.co.uk
Príomhoide Iarbhunscoile
January 17, 2014
Chris Hadfield in Gaelscoil Bhunn Cranncha
January 16, 2014
The famous astronaut, Chris Hadfield, visited Gaelscoil Bhun Cranncha this week. Listen to the interview which was broadcast on Raidió na Gaeltachta.
Call for Irish language support
January 16, 2014
Growth and promotion of the Irish language in Northern Ireland is being blocked by hostile attitudes in Stormont and a lack of support for its use in the courts and in education, according to the Council of Europe.
European chiefs have warned authorities they may also be in breach of a charter of rights because of delays and attempts to block requests for bilingual street names. The review of minority languages in the UK said the Government has not been able to justify banning the use of Irish in the courts or allowing people to take citizenship tests through the language. The Council of Europe criticised attitudes to Irish in some official circles and what it said is the Stormont Assembly’s “persisting hostile climate”. Caral Ni Chuilin, Minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure who is responsible for overall promotion of the language, said she would bring in new legislation during the current Assembly term. “There is a large body of support for an Irish Language Act in the North,” she said. “As languages are now a devolved matter full legislation will require the agreement of the Executive and Assembly. I hope that all supporters of the Irish language will work together to convince the Executive, the Assembly and all our people of the merits of supporting an Irish Language Act.”
Ms Ni Chuilin said her Liofa campaign to promote the language also showed the room for cross community support. The report from the Council of Europe also looked at the standing of Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, Cornish, and Ulster Scots which it said has improved even if it ” still remains absent from public life”. The review team hit out at a lack of political consensus in Northern Ireland on the language and the lack of a long-awaited Irish Language Act. In education it found many obstacles hampering an adequate offering of Irish-medium pre-schools and it called for concrete steps to be taken to meet the growth in demand for primary education in Irish. It raised concerns that the Colaiste Feirste secondary school still suffers from lack of free school transport, despite having won a judicial review case against the Department of Education on the issue, and increased efforts are needed to overcome the shortage of teachers for specialist subjects in secondary education.
It called for new measures to allow for simultaneous translation in the Assembly. Overall the panel of experts from the Strasbourg-based Council – Europe’s leading human rights agency – found many difficulties persist in the development of Irish. It said work has been hampered by a lack of information from the authorities and t he UK Government was also criticised for late and incomplete responses to requests for information about the standing of Irish in Northern Ireland. In repsonse to issues on road signs, the Department of Regional Development said: “Early in 2012 the Minister for Regional Development (Danny Kennedy) decided not to pursue the matter and no further work has been undertaken since.”
www.independent.ie
