Feeder schools: Social class still drives school league tables
December 3, 2015
Gaelscoileanna and fee-paying schools dominate school rankings with the highest number of students graduating to third-level education, Irish Times figures published today show.
However, a number of schools outside this traditional group also rank towards the top of league tables, including community and non-fee paying schools. Coláiste Eoin in Stillorgan, Co Dublin, an all-boys gaelscoil, heads the overall rankings, followed by the fee-paying Cistercian College in Roscrea, Co Tipperary,
But Magh Éne College, Co Donegal and Coláiste Gleann Lí (formerly Tralee Community College) in Co Kerry appear in the top-five for the first time. Principals at these schools say a greater focus on empowering students to direct their own study, training for staff on new and engaging ways of teaching and closer links with third-level colleges are among the factors yielding dividends in better exam results.
Social class, however, remains a major factor in the performance of schools, especially in the Dublin area. Latest figures show students in more affluent areas in the capital are progressing to college at a rate of up to four time those in disadvantaged areas.
The social class divide is most obvious in the feeder school list for high points courses in universities and other third-level institutions.
(Gaeilge) Folúntas: Stiúrthóir Cúnta
December 2, 2015
(Gaeilge) Folúntas: Gaelscoil Chill Mhantáín
December 1, 2015
(Gaeilge) Folúntas: Gaelscoil Chaladh an Treoigh, Luimneach
December 1, 2015
(Gaeilge) Folúntas: Coláiste Chineal Eoghain, Dún na nGall
December 1, 2015
The Union of Students in Ireland Stresses the Importance of Bilingualism in Education and Urges Parents to Send their Children to Gaelscoileanna
December 1, 2015
The Union of Students in Ireland today spoke about the importance of bilingualism in children’s education and how parents should consider sending her children to gaelscoils or bilingual schools because bilingual children are better at problem-solving, have greater cultural awareness, and are more resistant to Alzheimer’s.
“The mental gymnastics needed to constantly manage two or more linguistic systems increases cognitive flexibility and makes learning easier.” said Dr. Dora Alexopoulou from the Department of Theoretical and Applied Linguistics in the University of Cambridge.
“Apart from the fact that fluency in our national language is a vibrant expression of our national identity, and preserves the direct descendant of one of the most ancient languages in Europe, dual language immersion provides a unique and powerful opportunity to strengthen children’s highest cognitive brain potentials through deliberate literacy development in two languages and authentic exposure to rich linguistic experiences.” Kevin Donoghue, USI President said, “USI is encouraging parents across Ireland to consider sending their children to a gaelscoil or a bilingual school because research shows that development of literacy in two languages has numerous positive effects for students including increased understanding of maths concepts and problem-solving; resistance to Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia; and a greater cultural awareness. We are also calling on the Department of Education to set up more gaelscoileanna across the country to meet the demand of parents wanting to enrol their children in a gaelscoil.”
The earliest written literature in Europe was Classical Greek, eg Homer’s Iliad (8th Century BC). The second was in Latin, eg Virgil’s Aeneid (1st Century BC). The third oldest written literature in Western Europe was in the Irish language. Records of Irish lyric poetry date from 700 AD.
“We believe that all children should have the opportunity to be educated bilingually as there are linguistic, educational, social, cultural and personal development benefits for children.” Julian de Spáinn, spokesperson for Conradh na Gaeilge, said “Gaelscoileanna offer this form of education and we believe that there should be more Gaelscoileanna established to satisfy parent demand for this form of education as there is plenty of evidence that supply is in no way meeting the demand.”
(Gaeilge) Cuairt ar Dhaidí na Nollag, saor in aisce
December 1, 2015
(Gaeilge) Folúntas: Gaelcholáiste an Phiarsaigh, Baile Átha Cliath
December 1, 2015
‘We started with nine children… now we have almost 100’
December 1, 2015
Local parents have been urged to consider the benefits of an Irish medium pre-school and primary education for their children.
The call comes from Oisín Mac Eo, principal of Gaelscoil na Daróige in Ballymagroarty, as parents across Derry and Donegal are preparing to chose which nursery or primary school to send their children to.
His comments come as the number of children in Northern Ireland learning through the Irish medium has soared over the past decade.
Mr Mac Eo said: “The best present you can give your child at Christmas is bilingualism.
“There’s a lot of evidence of the benefits of bilingualism and Irish medium education has been promoted extensively in the last 10 years.
“We started with nine children in the primary school and now in the school in total we have almost 100 children altogether. That involves a two-year-old programme, a nursery and the primary school.
“So from small beginning we’ve really grown, and that is reflective of Irish medium in general. There are 40,000 children in Irish medium throughout Ireland, that’s not including the Gaeltacht, and the numbers here in the North have doubled.”
Mr Mac Eo said that there were many short and long-term advantages to Irish medium schooling, one of the latter being employability,.
“Everyone here sat the school would be an example of that,” he said. “They are living and working through the Irish language, and there are other organisations too that require Irish for employment.
“The other advantage in being bilingual is that it opens you up to the possibility of learning another language and makes it easier.
“And there’s recent research on how it helps you health wise – you are twice as likely to recover from a stroke if you are bilingual, and there is also evidence it slows Alzheimers.
“Then there’s the social aspect of it- you are part of a unique community who speak a language, and there are also other cultural benefits surrounding that, academic advantages- children in Irish medium schools tend to do better than monolingual schools.
“One of the things people who don’t have an experience of Irish medium worry about is their English, but the fact is both progress together and children in Irish medium tend to do better in their English, their first language.
“That’s a common experience in immersive education internationally, that children with that second language tend to do better in their first language than children who learn in only one language.
“It’s beneficial to be bilingual in whatever language, but obviously the Irish language has a unique connection for all of us who live here, a unique connection to our locality and to Ireland.”
And there are now even children leaving Irish primary schools with qualifications.
“We do GCSEs here for the P7s and last year eight of them did it and they got four As and four Bs in their GCSE Irish. And for second level there is full immersion Irish language secondary school in Dungiven and one in Buncrana. They can go to either, and we have had children that have gone to both Buncrana and Dungiven.”
Gaelscoil na Daróige is now inviting applications from Derry and Donegal for nursery and Primary 1, and the two-year-old programme is also taking applications now. This Thursday, December 3rd, there will be an Open Day for parents and children.
Those interested in Primary 1 are asked to attend from 11.30am, and at 1.30pm for nursery.
“But we always say every day is an open day and if someone wants to contact the school we can arrange that,” Mr Mac Eo added.
Extensive refurbishment of the existing accommodation, he added, will start at the Gaelscoil in January and should be finished by March.
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