(Gaeilge) Plé faoi Dhúshláin na n-Iarbhunscoileanna Oileánda ag Comhdháil Bord Oideachais & Oiliúna Éireann
October 2, 2017
(Gaeilge) Cláraigh anois le freastal ar an dTionól Forbartha!
September 20, 2017
(Gaeilge) Scéim na gCúntóirí Teanga
September 15, 2017
(Gaeilge) Rath ar na cruinnithe eagraithe ag Gaeloideachas maidir leis an bPolasaí don Oideachas Gaeltachta
June 1, 2017
New Gaelscoil for Ballincollig in September 2017, but heartbreak for parents of more than 500 children as three other applications for new schools are rejected
May 4, 2017
A new multi-denominational Irish-medium school for Ballincollig
Gaeloideachas would like to congratulate the parents of Ballincollig, whose tireless campaign to open a new multi-denominational Irish-medium primary school has been recognised today by the Minister for Education & Skills, Richard Bruton. The school will open in September 2017 for junior infants, under the patronage of An Foras Pátrúnachta.
“Of the 3 new primary schools due to open in September 2017, we really welcome this announcement by Minister Bruton that the one in Ballincollig is to be an Irish-medium school”, said Clare Spáinneach, Vice-CEO of Gaeloideachas. “It means that a whole new generation of children will have access to immersion education, thanks to the very hard work done by local parents to establish their new school. Irish-medium education offers huge benefits to children – they will be fluent in at least two languages, and the immersion model of education helps them with their social, communicative and cognitive development . This multi-d school will cater for children from different linguistic, cultural and religious backgrounds and will give them a happy and well-rounded education”.
Suitable accommodation for the school will be arranged with the assistance of the Department of Education over the coming weeks, and a principal will be appointed by An Foras Pátrúnachta. Parents interested in registering their children for a place should contact An Foras Pátrúnachta: email cormac@foras.ie or call 01 6294110.
Disappointed parents of more than 500 children in Dún Laoghaire, Pelletstown and Dublin South City Centre left without a choice for their children
It’s a huge disappointment, however, to the communities in Dún Laoghaire, Pelletstown and Dublin South City Centre that the demand for Irish-medium education in their areas has not been recognised. “The communities in each of these areas have done incredible work since the Department of Education gave notice that they were to get new schools, and we received more than 517 expressions of interest from local parents who wanted those schools to be multi-d, Irish-medium schools” said Ciara Ní Bhroin, Senior Policy & Development Officer with Gaeloideachas.
“These are parents who can’t get places for their children in existing Irish-medium schools, and there are no Irish-medium multi-d schools available in any of the three localities. The new schools due to open are all to teach through English, and will not cater for the wishes of these parents for their children’s education. Though they showed a very clear demand for Irish-medium education, there is nowhere now for them to send their children”.
No recognition for North Dublin City after parents of more than 700 children petition the Minister for a school
There was further disappointment in the Minister for Education & Skills’ announcement today re new schools for 2017 and 2018, as no mention was made of the campaign to have an Irish-medium multi-denominational primary school established in North Dublin City. The campaign under the 2016 process for the establishment of patronage gathered expressions of interest from the parents of 733 children for an Irish-medium school, but was unsuccessful. The report of the New Schools Establishment Group to the Minister in April 2016 conceded that there was evidence of considerable demand for Irish-medium education in the area, and that this should be kept under review. There was some hope that today’s announcement might include belated recognition of the wishes of those parents in North Dublin City, but there has been no further communication on the matter from the Department of Education or from Minister Bruton. “Gaeloideachas will continue to fight for the educational rights of these children and others like them” said Clare Spáinneach, “and we will continue to lobby for the reform of the processes to determine school patronage and facilitate divestment, as the current ones militate against the establishment of minority-language schools. We have made recommendations to the Department regarding the reform of these processes, as have other Education Partners, and it remains to be seen whether the genuine concerns of parents will be taken on board by policy-makers”.
The process used by the Department to determine the patronage of the new schools has been a long and arduous one for parents, who campaigned in their local communities for over a year before being left to wait through a three-month delay for a decision by the Minister. It will be a challenge for the successful patrons to have everything in place for the upcoming school year, and a challenge for parents whose campaigns were unsuccessful to secure school places for their children in alternative schools. Gaeloideachas would like to acknowledge all of their hard work, and to thank the parents, the patrons and the organisations who supported them, especially Conradh na Gaeilge, for running very positive campaigns in all four areas and for raising public awareness about the benefits of Irish-medium education for all.
Minister Bruton announces Gaeltacht School Recognition Scheme
April 28, 2017
Minister also announces two additional posts in NUI Galway to strengthen the supply of Irish-medium post-primary teachers
Following on from the launch of the Department’s Policy on Gaeltacht Education 2017-2022 last October, the Minister for Education and Skills, Richard Bruton T.D. today announced the commencement of the Gaeltacht School Recognition Scheme.
A circular, accompanied by an information pack, has been issued today to all primary and post-primary schools in Gaeltacht language-planning areas inviting those schools to participate in the Scheme. The Scheme will allow participating schools to seek to achieve Gaeltacht School Recognition on the basis of the implementation of specific language criteria over a five-year period and participation in the language-planning processes under the Gaeltacht Act, 2012.
A school’s decision to participate in the Scheme has to be taken in consultation with the whole-school community, including the principal, teaching staff, board of management, Chief Executive of the Education and Training Board (ETB), if applicable, parent representatives and local language-planning committee. To promote a consultative collaborative approach, the Expression of Interest Form submitted by schools to the Department must be signed by the school principal, chairperson of the board of management and chairperson of the relevant language-planning committee.
Schools participating in the Scheme will be eligible to access extra supports under the terms set out in circulars relating to the Scheme. Supports to be provided in the 2017/2018 school year are set out in Circular 0033/2017 and Circular 0034/2017.
“The Government is strongly committed to strengthening Irish-medium education in the Gaeltacht and the Gaeltacht School Recognition Scheme is a major step in that process,” said Minister Bruton. “In the next school year, the emphasis will be on providing professional development and support for principals and teachers in the scheme, so that they can plan how they will improve Irish-medium provision in their schools.”
Schools that will participate in the scheme will receive grants for additional educational resources and a range of professional development supports in 2017/18. Further supports will be announced in future years as the Policy on Gaeltacht Education is implemented.
“The approaches and supports outlined in the circulars that I have issued today have been discussed at length with a wide range of organisations in the Gaeltacht and with groups of primary and second-level principals in Gaeltacht schools. The views of all of these individuals and groups, as well as the support of my colleague, Minister of State for Gaeltacht Affairs, Seán Kyne and his department, have been invaluable in shaping the scheme,” said Minister Bruton.
“I encourage all schools in the Gaeltacht to seek to participate in the scheme and I am confident that this will contribute to supporting and promoting the future of Irish as a living language in Gaeltacht communities,” said the Minister.
Full details of the Scheme can be found in Circular 0033/2017 and Circular 0034/2017 http://www.education.ie/en/The-Education-System/Policy-on-Gaeltacht-Education-2017-2022/Policy-on-Gaeltacht-Education-2017-2022.html
Posts in NUI Galway to strengthen Irish-medium teacher education
Today Minister Richard Bruton also announced a further step to strengthen the supply of Irish-medium post-primary teachers. Two new posts will be created at NUI, Galway through secondments, to expand the Professional Masters of Education (PME), at NUI, Galway.
“The Policy on Gaeltacht Education recognises that we need to improve the supply of teachers who have the specialised skills needed to teach in Irish-medium and Gaeltacht schools. The creation of these two new posts is the first steps in implementing that commitment in the Policy on Gaeltacht Education, said Minister Bruton.
“NUI Galway already has a strong track record in the provision of teacher education for Irish-medium schooling, and I am delighted to be able to support the expansion of this provision,” said Minister Bruton.
It is expected that the secondment of the teachers to the MGO programme for the 2017-18 academic year will allow for an immediate and ongoing increase in the supply of Irish-medium post-primary teachers. This will be achieved through a range of measures including the upskilling of student teachers, outreach, online and blended learning opportunities, along with programme enhancement and promotion.
Focus group for naíonraí
March 28, 2017
Would you like help to improve your Irish? Wouldn’t it be great if there was something like www.irishforparents.ie available for people working in the naíonra?
Gaeloideachas is developing a new resource for naíonraí, and we’re running a focus group to help to guide us. We’re looking to talk to people working in naíonraí about their language needs, and to get their suggestions for useful resources to support them. The session will not be an Irish class, it will be a discussion about resources.
The session will be in English and Irish, and we’d especially like to meet people who are not confident about their own level of Irish.
The session will take place on the 10.05.17 from 16.00-17.00 in Gaeloideachas’ offices in Marino, Dublin. There’ll be tea, coffee and scones and all you need to do to attend is contact Clare on 01 8535193 or clare@gaelscoileanna.ie before May 5th. Please send this email on to colleagues in the naíonra and help us to develop a really great resource.
(Gaeilge) Módúl oiliúna ar earcaíocht do bhoird bainistíochta scoile
March 21, 2017
(Gaeilge) Riachtanais Speisialta Oideachais sna Bunscoileanna lán-Ghaeilge
March 8, 2017
(Gaeilge) Comhdháil CAER 2017
March 8, 2017
