Children Shouldn’t Pay – Protect Primary Education
September 4, 2013
The National Primary Education Alliance, comprising all the partners at primary level, has come together to call on Government to stop any further cuts to primary education in this year’s Budget. The Alliance believes that any attempt to impose additional cuts on primary education is essentially a direct attack on children and their constitutional right to primary education. The children of today and tomorrow should not be forced to pay for this country’s troubles or economic crisis. The Alliance is urging Government to prioritise primary education, thus enabling it to support our national recovery. How can schools equip today’s generation for tomorrow if they are drained of vital resources. Cuts to primary education are short-sighted, represent bad value for money and will have devastating consequences for Irish society.
The Alliance is asking the members of your local school community to contact local TDs and ask them to protect primary education. Postcards for use in direct mailing to elected representatives have been sent by the Alliance to each school to be distributed to each family, together with a list of local representatives to whom the postcards may be circulated. The National Primary Education Alliance is calling on schools, teachers, parents, communities and the people of Ireland, to stand together and resist these cuts and protect primary education for our children.
The National Primary Education Alliance includes: An Foras Pátrúnachta, Church of Ireland, CPSMA, Educate Together, GAELSCOILEANNA TEO., IPPN, INTO, NABMSE, NPC.
You can download the postcard here: Cárta Poist 2013
Ráiteas GAELSCOILEANNA TEO. maidir leis an nDréachtbhille do Ligean Isteach ar Scoil
September 3, 2013
Photographs from the first day of school in the new primary schools!
August 30, 2013
Congratulations to the staff, students, parents and supporters of the three new primary schools that opened this week. GAELSCOILEANNA TEO. wish you every success and we’ll be there to support you every step of the way. The schools’ patron, An Foras Pátrúnachta, has lovely photos of the first day of school on Facebook.
FNT ar lorg breis teagascóirí le cur le painéal teagascóra na heagraíochta
August 28, 2013
Trí Ghaelscoil nua le hoscailt ag an bhForas Pátrúnachta
August 28, 2013
Folúntais i scoileanna atá faoi phátrúnacht an Fhorais Pátrúnachta
July 17, 2013
Forbairt na Ceannasaíochta sa Bhunscoil lán-Ghaeilge: Comhdháil
July 16, 2013
The North-South Standing Committee on Irish-Medium Education are hosting a two-day education conference on The Development of Leadership in Irish-medium Primary Schools on Wednesday and Thursday, 9-10 October, 2013. It will take place in the Louis Fitzgerald Hotel, Newlands Cross, Dublin. http://www.louisfitzgeraldhotel.com/
Refreshments, lunch and dinner will be provided during the conference. Accommodation costs however must be met by participants (reduced rate available from the hotel).
Information: Information leaflet
Registration: oifig@gaelscoileanna.ie or 01 853 5195 before Friday, 20 September 2013.
Participants: Principals/vice-principals from every Irish-medium primary school across the 32 counties, Gaeltachts included, along with principals and administrators of Irish-medium Units: simultaneous translation facilities will be made available for Unit principals.
Aonach: There will be a market from 15.30-19.30 on October 9th as part of the Conference, with companies and organisations that provide resources and services for Irish-medium schools. Conference delegates as well as the wider school community are invited to visit the Aonach, there will be no entry fee and it will be an opportunity for school staff and parents to see the range of resources and services available to Irish-medium schools.
Conference Programme:
• The Role of Leaders in the Irish-Medium School.
• Delegating duties- the management staff and the staff as a whole
• Developing middle-management leaders with clear roles and responsibilities.
• Ensuring a High Standard of Education
• Induction and mentoring for new teachers
• The Teacher’s Vocational Development
• Whole-School Evaluation and Self-evaluation towards excellence: importance, implications and effective functioning
• Leading the School’s social/conversational language
• Conserving the school’s Irish Policy/language ethos
• Accuracy amongst children/teachers/staff
• Irish in the playground/outside formal education
• Whole-school planning (including curriculum matters)
• The Immersion Education approach
• English and Irish language reading in Irish-medium schools
• Fostering a Positive Culture
• Fostering a relationship between the school and the school community/ the broader community
• Approaching communication with various parties
• Cooperation between schools
Decision made regarding the core-funded Irish language voluntary sector
July 10, 2013
A final decision regarding the new funding system for the Irish language voluntary sector was made at a meeting of the North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) held in Armagh today, 10th July 2013.
In June 2013, Ministers discussed Foras na Gaeilge’s review of core funding and it was agreed that a further meeting of the NSMC Language Body will be held as soon as possible but not later than September in order to bring the process to a conclusion.
It has now been agreed, based on the new funding model proposed by Foras na Gaeilge last year, that 6 lead organisations operating on an all-island basis will deliver the following strategic priorities:
- Irish-medium education
- Irish language in English-medium education
- Language-centred community and economic development
- Language use
- Language awareness
- Youth networks
As well as the aforementioned themes, a new funding model for public radio services will be developed and funding for the provision of Irish language resources will continue through An tÁisaonad Lán-Ghaeilge, located in St. Mary’s University College, Belfast.
The CNCM has also recommended the establishment of an all-island partnership forum, including the heads of each of the 6 lead organisations, that will be responsible for sector strategies and promotion.
An all-island language development forum will also be established under the new model. This forum will made up of groups and public bodies funded by Foras na Gaeilge and will report to to the partnership forum on all matters relating to the sector’s work ón the ground.
At a NSCM meeting in March of this year, Ministers agreed to extend the existing core funding arrangements to 31 December 201 and it has now been agreed that these terms will now be extended to July 2014 when the new structure will come into force.
Speaking today about the NSMC decision, Director of Comhdháil Náisiúnta na Gaeilge, Kevin De Barra said: “After five long years of uncertainty, we haven’t learned all that much today, as these are the same themes we have been discussing with Foras na Gaeilge for quite a while. We have yet to understand how this links into the 20 Year Strategy for the Irish language, or what language planning model it is founded upon.”
“Meetings have been arranged between the organisations and Foras na Gaeilge for next week, and we hope that further information will be forthcoming at that time. As we are still in the dark in relation to the overall strategy behind this decision, it is difficult as yet to ascertain what advantages can be gained from asking organisations to compete with one another, and it is difficult to understand how this will be to the benefit of the Irish language”.
Foilsithe ar Gaelport.com
Scoil Chaitlín Maude, Tallaght, demands a school building
June 11, 2013
For the last twenty-eight years, Scoil Chaitlín Maude has been successfully providing primary education through the medium of Irish for the community of Tallaght West. Despite this, Scoil Chaitlín Maude still does not have its own school building. The school has educated hundreds of children since it was established in 1985 in unsuitable accommodation. The school continues to grow and it cannot meet the demand for places resulting in a waiting list.
Scoil Chaitlín Maude has been accommodated on a site in Knockmore, Killinarden, Tallaght since 1990. The Department of Education led the school to believe in 1990 that this would be a temporary arrangement and that permanent accommodation would become available in Knockmore. This did not happen, however. As the school grew, temporary prefabricated accommodation was provided. This accommodation is now unsatisfactory and should be demolished due to its unsuitability and the health and safety risks associated with it.
In 2010, it became clear that there was no possibility of permanent accommodation on the site in Knockmore. The school has spent the last three years in on-going discussions with Department of Education and Skills and South Dublin County Council trying to identify a suitable site for the school in the Tallaght West area. All parties agree that permanent accommodation is essential, however, these talks have become protracted, with the result that we have now reached an accommodation crisis. The school may have no choice in September, but to rent classrooms at a location situated approximately 2km from Knockmore. The school would then be divided into three different locations leading to extreme hardship for all concerned.
Representatives from the school community will meet outside the offices of the Department of Education and Skills in Marlborough St at 14.30 on Wednesday, 12th June, to call on the Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn TD to finally take responsibility for finding a permanent site for Scoil Chaitlín Maude after 28 years.
An Foras Pátrúnachta seeks support for new Gaelscoil in Sandymount / Ringsend
June 11, 2013
The Department of Education and Skills has announced that a new primary school will open in the Sandymount/Ringsend area in September 2014. An Foras Pátrúnachta is the largest patron of Irish medium education. An Foras Pátrúnachta would like to cater for the demand for Irish medium education in the area and is therefore applying for the patronage of this new school. However, the support of the community is needed.
An Foras Pátrúnachta is the only patron which was set up specifically to promote Irish medium education. It works hard to support the 67 schools under our patronage and to set up new schools.
Parents choose a Gaelscoil for the children as they receive and excellent standard of education there. Research conducted on bilingual education shows:
• Children perform better academically
• Children find it easier to learn a third and a fourth language
• Children achiever higher scores in English and Maths
The community will be given a complete overview of the advantages of Irish medium education at this meeting. Everyone is welcome to attend.
Further information on An Foras Pátrúnachta is available on their website, www.foras.ie . You can complete an expression of interest form on the website to show your support for a new Gaelscoil in this area.
For more information please contact:
Orla Bradshaw
An Foras Pátrúnachta
eolas@foras.ie
01-6294110
