Protect COGG!
December 13, 2011
If the recommendation of the Central Expenditure Evaluation Unit to abolish COGG or to absorb it into the Department of Education and Skills is implemented, Gaeltacht and all-Irish schools will no longer have:
- Primary and post-primary textbooks in Irish, other than those published by An Gúm
- Online database of resources through Irish
- Information booklet of all resources for teaching through Irish at primary and post-primary level
- COGG information services including website and travelling Irish resource library
- Irish version of Project Maths textbooks
- Booklets of Irish versions of State Examinations past papers
- Irish versions of ‘mock exams’ for Junior Cert and Leaving Cert
- Wallcharts, posters, maps, globes etc in Irish
- Distribution of Breacadh magazine
- Intensive Irish courses for teachers teaching in Gaeltacht and all-Irish schools
- Workshops for teachers
- Representation on behalf of Gaeltacht and all-Irish schools with Dept of Education, NCCA and other agencies
- Online forum for teachers in Irish
- Online resources for Career guidance, Science and Digital media
- Research on topics related to Gaeltacht education and Irish medium education
Happy Christmas from GAELSCOILEANNA TEO.
December 13, 2011
Free computer equipment available!
December 13, 2011
GAELSCOILEANNA TEO. has the following computer equipment to give away to any school that would like it:
- 2 Fujitsu Siemens PCs with Microsoft XP Pro installed (refurbished second-hand computers)
- 2 keyboards
- 2 computer mice
- Black & white HP Laserjet 2200D printer
If your school is interested in any of the equipment listed above, you’d be very welcome to contact our office on 01 8535195 or by emailing oifig@gaelscoileanna.ie.
Abolition of the MLPSI announced in budget
December 8, 2011
The budget announcements included a proposal to abolish the Modern Languages in Primary Schools Initiative with immediate effect. As you can appreciate, we are absolutely devastated by this announcement which comes at the end of a year when we have been congratulated at every review meeting with the Department of Education and Skills in terms of how we have continued to maintain and deliver excellent services while achieving SIGNIFICANT efficiencies.
The MLPSI supports modern languages in over 550 schools nationally with a core team of just 6 people. We provide training, resources and school-based support as well as funding 300 visiting teachers who deliver the programme in schools nationwide, all within a budget of under €2 million, and not the €2.5 million erroneously quoted in the budget documents.
In terms of policy, we are already years behind our commitments under the Barcelona Agreement and the Lisbon Strategy – these agreements called for systems to be in place to facilitate early language learning of at least two foreign languages by 2010 . Even more incredibly, all EU countries, including Ireland, ratified recommendations in NOVEMBER 2011 in which we have pledged to “step up their efforts” to implement the Barcelona Agreement (available to read here).
As recently as October the Royal Irish Academy published their National Languages Strategy which called for “the Modern Languages in Primary Schools Initiative (to) be integrated into the mainstream curriculum, as strongly recommended by the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (2005) and the Council of Europe Policy Profile (2008) document, rather than being limited to extra-curricular time and to a portion of schools”. A Dept. of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation report also quoted in the RIA strategy and states that “the widespread but erroneous perception that ‘English is enough’ militates against the kind of plurilingual ambitions and achievements common in non-anglophone EU member states. The most recent strategy and action plan issued by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation argues that ‘the main challenge for Ireland…is to become a truly multilingual society, where the ability to learn and use two or more languages is taken for granted and fostered at every stage of the education system and through lifelong education”.
In such difficult economic times, how can this decision be justified? Over 14 years of expertise will be lost to the system and a whole generation of our children will be placed at an even greater disadvantage as they try to compete for jobs with our fellow Europeans. This decision will result in the only children accessing modern language classes being the privileged classes who can afford to pay for them – a return to the situation of 20 years ago. It will also result in over 300 more teachers on the live register.
We hope that you can highlight this issue in your organisation and would urge you, your staff and your parents to contact your local TD, the Minister’s office and the media to make the case for retaining the project.
– statement from the MLPSI
GAELSCOILEANNA TEO. 2011 Conference – Workshop notes online
December 7, 2011
GAELSCOILEANNA TEO.’s Annual General Meeting and Education Conference 2011 took place in Tullamore on the 25th and 26th November 2011. The Conference gave teachers, principals, parents, Irish language organisations and local interest groups the opportunity to come together to discuss some of the major issues facing the Irish-medium sector and to celebrate its success, and you can see photos from the conference in our gallery.
We’re publishing material from the conference workshops here, not all of the workshops are covered at present but we hope to add to the content, so be sure to check back for further updates.
We greatly welcome feedback from attendees of the 2011 Conference. The feedback forms distributed at the event may be posted back to us (GAELSCOILEANNA TEO., St. Patrick’s Hall, Marino Institiute of Education, Griffith Avenue, Dublin 9) or the same form may be filled out online (the feedback form is in Irish only, but you are welcome to email comments to oifig@gaelscoileanna.ie). Planning is already underway for our 2012 Conference, so be sure to take this opportunity to have your say!
Scléip 2012- get in on the act!
December 7, 2011
Scléip is the national talent competition catering specifically for Irish-medium and Gaeltacht post-primary schools. The competition began in 2005 and it has grown steadily since then. The aim of the competition is to encourage pupils attending Irish medium secondary schools to use their Irish through the various performing arts by giving them the opportunity to take part in a innovative and exciting event.
This year, we’ll be putting a a greater emphasis than ever on the students’ creativity and original compositions. The 2012 competition will highlight modern arts – we want to challenge students and encourage them to perform new music, songs, dance and drama before an audience and professional judges, in theatres right across the country.
The competition will be divided into six different categories, with a junior and senior prize awarded in each division and the Scléip Award for the best act overall. Everyone will have the opportunity to compete in regional heats in each province and the best talent from those heats will be selected to compete in the competition final. Regional competitions will be held in January and February and the competition final will be held in March. The closing date for entries this year is December 16, 2011.
The dates and venues for Scléip 2012 are as follows:
Leinster
Axis Theatre, Dublin, 20 February
Munster
Firkin Crane Theatre, Cork, 22 February
Ulster
Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin, Derry, 29 February
Connacht
Town Hall Theatre, Galway, 2 March
You can read the contest rules (in Irish only) here, and fill out an entry form (also in Irish) here.
You can download the 2012 brochure (in Irish) here: Bróisiúr Scléip 2012
The standard of English and Mathematics in Irish-medium Schools above the national average
November 28, 2011
GAELSCOILEANNA TEO. welcomes today’s announcement by the Education Research Institute that the standard of English and mathematics in Irish-medium schools is well above the national average. Speaking at the Annual Education Conference 2011, which opened today in Tullamore, Dr. Gerry Shiel, chief researcher with the ERC confirmed that this was the first time that the majority of Irish-medium and Gaeltacht primary schools were assessed on their achievement levels in English and mathematics as an independent cohort. These positive results reinforce results of other independent native research and support the much documented international research findings on the benefits of immersion education.
Today’s results compound recent research findings of the NCE-MSTL (The Centre of Excellence in the Learning and Teaching of Mathematics and Science) which verify the benefits of a bilingual approach to learning mathematics in Ireland for the child. The National Strategy on Literacy and Numeracy for learning and for life 2011-2020 in the context of Irish-medium and Gaeltacht schools is the focal point of this year’s Conference. This will be discussed and debated in a series of workshops throughout the two days, focussing on effective strategies for achieving excellence at primary, post-primary and third level education.
Ciarán Cannon, Minister of State for Training and Skills officially opened today’s Conference, entitled Enriching Children’s Lives. In his keynote address to the Conference, the Minister commended the Irish-medium and Gaeltacht school communities and their stakeholders for the encouraging results published, as well as their consistent high standards and excellence. He acknowledged the huge importance of Irish-medium schools, coupled with their teachers and staff, who ensure successful learning outcomes for pupils. The Minister also acknowledged the considerable demand from the community for Irish-medium education at every level. He furthermore congratulated GAELSCOILEANNA TEO. for its pioneering work in enthusing parents, in espousing the benefits of Irish-medium education and in supporting high quality provision.
Mícheál Ó Broin, president of GAELSCOILEANNA TEO. welcomed the Minister’s statement, “we are delighted with the acknowledgment of the importance of the Irish-medium sector, and of GAELSCOILEANNA TEO’s role in this vital work, and we are very grateful to the Minister for joining us for today’s discussions. We recognise, however, that the current economic crisis has serious implications for us. We are constantly struggling to overcome obstacles. We recognise that the Department’s budget is constrained, but we implore that the Department does not use this crisis as a scapegoat for shirking their duties and commitments with regard to the development of Irish-medium education. All we ask is that our children and our schools are treated fairly”.
Ó Broin praised the 300 strong gathering from diverse sections of the Irish-medium community at both primary and post-primary level, within and outside of Gaeltacht areas, for the heartening results presented by Dr. Shiel. He acknowledged additional pressures on schools, particularly over the past year, with the increase in pupil-teacher ratios and the consequent increase in class sizes, “despite the extreme challenges which they faced over the past year, the schools have proved the effectiveness of Irish-medium education as an education system through their consistent diligence and high standards”.
In explaining the rationale for the Conference theme Enriching Children’s Lives, Ó Broin states “today’s research findings and the consistent results from Irish-medium schools confirm that children’s lives are being enriched through, and as a consequence of, Irish-medium education and we’re proud that our schools represent children from all social, economic and academic backgrounds ”.
Ó Broin extended a warm welcome to the Chief Executive of the Commission on Human Rights, who spoke at the Conference reception on the theme of school entrance policies, diversity and pluralism in the education system and the availability of Irish-medium education to parents as a human right.”
Ó Broin heartily thanked all participants of the Conference from all corners of Ireland and made special mention of delegates from the north and from Gaeltacht areas. He commented, “the success of 2011’s Conference is unquestionably due to the schools’ commitment to continual learning in achieving high standards for all children.”
GAELSCOILEANNA TEO. is the national coordinating organisation for Irish-medium schools at primary and post-primary level. It provides assistance and support to parents and local communities who wish to found a school and it supports existing Irish-medium schools in their development.
