Time for action regarding Gaeltacht schools
June 4, 2013
The threat to Gaeltacht schools was discussed by the Dáil Committee on Education and Social Protection last Wednesday.
During the meeting, the Joint Committee heard from Eagraíocht na Scoileanna Gaeltachta (ESG) about the challenges currently facing Gaeltacht schools and the knock-on effects of Government Budget cuts.
While schools all around the country are operating in extremely challenging times, the committee was made aware of the exceptional case of Gaeltacht schools and the added pressure of being a small school while also trying to promote the language, improve the standard of teaching through Irish, provide support services, lack of resources and more.
4% of Ireland’s schools are situated in Gaeltacht regions and 78% of those schools operate with a team of four people or less. Gaeltacht schools had previously benefitted from a favourable quota due to the challenges involved with teaching in Gaeltacht areas, with 76 pupils required for a four-teacher school. This number however, is due to rise to 86 by 2014, a hike that will require 10 extra pupils for each Gaeltacht school to preserve their four-teacher status.
The Committee was reminded of the Government’s legislative responsibility regarding the preservation and promotion of Irish and Irish-medium education in the Gaeltacht under the Education Act 1998 and the 20 Year Strategy for the Irish Language. ESG recommended that the following three proposals be implemented in order for the Government to fulfil its obligations:
- The withdrawal of the budgetary policy regarding the pupil teacher ratio
- The immediate implementation of a policy on Gaeltacht education
- The establishment of new authority on Gaeltacht education (recommended that this role be filled by Comhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta (COGG)).
Representatives from the Department of Education who were in attendance at the Committee meeting maintained that schools all over Ireland are suffering due to cuts and that Gaeltacht schools can no longer be exempt from Government policy. A review is of Irish-medium education within the Gaeltacht is due to begin shortly and it is expected that the results of that review will be made available as soon as possible.
While ESG welcomed the Department’s review, the organisation regretted that no review took place before the implementation of cuts. Committee members agreed that Gaeltacht schools should be treated as an exceptional case and argued that a ‘one cap fits all’ approach should not be taken by the Department. It is expected that the Committee will write to Minister for Education, Ruairí Quinn, in support of the recommendations made by ESG during the meeting.
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