English given precedence in Gaeltacht schools?
October 16, 2012
An article entitled ‘Conair na nDriseacha’ which was published in September’s edition of Comhar magazine has triggered a massive debate regarding native Irish speakers and Gaeltacht schools.
The article, written by Máire Ní Fheinneadha, a school teacher from Conamara, questions the standard and status of native Irish speakers in Gaeltacht schools. The writer is particularly critical of the teaching methods used and the ability of non-native speaking teachers when it comes to meeting the language needs of native speaking children. Ní Fheinneadha argues that the current system is destructive to native speakers from the get go.
According to the article, in Strong Gaeltacht regions where a total of 80% are considered native Irish speakers, only 24% of the younger generation use Irish among their peers. Of the 41% who used Irish among their peers during their infant years, only 24% remain doing so by the time they reach sixth class. The article states that “Gaeltacht teachers spend the majority of their time and energy teaching Irish to English speakers “. And it would appear that Ní Fheinneadha’s theories are supported by other Gaeltacht education bodies.
The topic was discussed on an edition of Iris Aniar last week where Chief Executive of Cogg (an Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta), Muireann Ní Mhóráin argued that the lack of any training programme for Irish speaking and Gaeltacht teachers results in the inability of non-native speakers in meeting the needs of children to which Irish is their first language.
It is generally accepted that the lack of any appropriate training for teachers working in Gaeltacht schools is a major issue and is undoubtedly a huge contributing factor to the demise of native spoken Irish. Native speaking children are also considered to be at a disadvantage in schools where teachers spend any amount of the school day focusing on other students’ lack of Irish.
Several schemes have already been established in order to deal with this controversial topic. In September of this year, the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht allocated a grant of €762,378 to Muintearas and Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne for the implementation of the State’s Language Assistant Scheme, an increase of €150,000 on last year’s grant.
The extra funding will allow for the scheme to focus on developing the richness of students’ Irish and it is also expected that three previously chosen schools will take part in a pilot scheme which will encourage children to use Irish among their peers while in the schoolyard. The role of an tumoideachais (immersion learning) in language promotion is considered to be an invaluable tool. Muireann Ní Mhóráin however, doesn’t believe that an tumoideachas is implemented as well in Gaeltacht schools as it is in Gaelscoileanna as Gaeltacht schools also have to cater for English speakers. According to Ní Mhóráin, “The responsibility for the provision of the appropriate education to a child lies with the State, not the school”.
As well as the lack of training for Gaeltacht teachers and the onus on Gaeltacht schools to educate children with little or no Irish, the lack of any State policy regarding the education of the language is deemed to be a huge factor to the current problem. Treasa Ní Mhainín of Eagraíocht na Scoileanna Gaeltachta (ESG) stated during the discussion on Iris Aniar that ESG have been requesting for years that the Government adopt an Tumoideachas as State policy regarding the teaching of the Irish language in primary schools.
ESG have found that the implementation of any school program takes a lot of time and effort and Ní Mhainín argued that the lack of State policy drags the process out even longer. “Schools themselves look for clarification of the Department’s stance on immersion education before implementing any programme”. She also mentioned that a draft template regarding an Tumoideachas had been put together by ESG following a series of workshops and sessions and that schools would be receiving the information in the coming months.
But Máire Ní Fheinneadha believes that the only way forward for the younger generation of native speakers is for all Gaeltacht schools to be Irish speaking only. ‘The Gaeltacht classroom should not be a bilingual classroom. The focus must be on the native speaking students.’
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