First Gaelscoil begins new term
September 17, 2012
PUPILS were delighted to spend their first days at their new school in Cookstown this week – as Gaelscoil Eoghain opened its doors for its first school term.
The school, on the site of the former Phoenix Integrated Primary School, opened this month, three years after the Naiscoil – an Irish language nursery – came to the town.
Since then the Naiscoil has gone from strength to strength, and paved the way for the Rang a hAon (Primary One) class to continue their education in Irish. Pupils were said to be excited to begin their new term close to where they had received their nursery education.
Speaking to the Mail about the school previously Board Chairman Niall Devlin said the school had been hoping to build on the success of the nursery. “This is an excellent opportunity for parents to give their children an additional skill and it is great to see the parents of the Cookstown area embrace this.” A growing awareness of Irish medium education in Northern Ireland, coupled with the school’s excellent teaching reputation are two factors said to have contributed to its growing numbers. And just last week parents, friends and other family members of those attending the school, as well as local councillors and Irish language enthusiasts, attende the Gaelscoil’s launch night in the Glenavon House Hotel.
For further information on the school contact Emma on 07751119595 or email gaelscoileoghain@yahoo.ie
www.midulstermail.co.uk
Good news for Gaeltacht language assistance services
September 14, 2012
The Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht announced this week the allocation of funding to the amount of €762,378 for language assistance services in Gaeltacht areas.
Minister Dinny McGinley announced an extra €150,000 in addition to last year’s grant in order to further develop services within Gaeltacht areas through the Language Assistance Scheme. The funds awarded to Muintearas and Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne will ensure the continued provision and development of these important services throughout the school year.
The Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht has approved almost €1.6 milliúin in grants to Gaeltacht areas in the last three months.
A total of €300,000 was approved in June of this year for various projects in several Gaeltacht regions including €100,000 for the Connacht Gaelic Athletic Association, €10,000 for minor refurbishment in Coláíste Uisce and €29,000 for Corca Dhuibhne’s Health Service Executive.
Support for traditional music, dance and song was made clear throughout the Summer with €12,000 approved towards the cost of musical instruments and the development of Conamara Láir Teo, a grant of €110,000 for An Gaelacdamh in An Spidéal in June and a further €20,000 awarded in July.
Tourism and community facilities are also set to benefit in the coming months from recently announced grants. Comharchumann Mhic Dara, An Cheathrú Rua, will receive a grant of €256,000 for the purchase of a new building that will function as a public hall and accommodation for the Irish college.
The Department approved a total of €180,260 for reconstruction and improvement works on several Gaeltacht islands; Árainn Mhór, Toraigh, Inis Fraoich, Inis Oírr, Béara agus Oileán Baoi.
A grant of €50,000 was announced in July for Comhlacht Traenach na Gaeltachta Láir towards the cost of the development of Loch Fhinne as a tourist and heritage region. Coiste Pobail an Tulaigh, Baile na hAbhann will receive €45,000 to complete the area’s town hall.
For more information on Department funding visit www.ahg.gov.ie.
Foilsithe ar Gaelport.com
Fóram Plé: Dea-scéal don Ghaeilge le heisiúint thorthaí an Teastais Shóisearaigh
September 14, 2012
Gaelscoil Nua oscailte i nDún Geimhin
September 14, 2012
Call for schools to make Mandarin a priority
September 14, 2012
SCHOOLS should spend less time on Irish and French – and teach Chinese instead, an education leader said yesterday.
The teaching of Mandarin must become a priority for schools and third- level colleges, Education Minister Ruairi Quinn was told.
It could be done by diverting resources from other languages, according to the president of the Irish Vocational Education Association ( IVEA), Noel O’Connor. The former teacher, from Mallow, Co Cork, told the IVEA annual conference that the global race was on for Chinese investment and Ireland was in danger of being left behind. Later, Mr O’Connor told the Irish Independent that students learning one language often benefited from learning another language.
He said diverting some resources from other parts of the curriculum, such as Irish and French, to teach Chinese, would not mean that they would suffer as a consequence.
Mr O’Connor said Sweden was committed to teaching Chinese in all primary schools by 2021, and in all schools eventually, while it was the fastest growing language taught in the US. He told the conference that, as a small, open economy Ireland could be transformed by Chinese investment.
www.independent.ie
Seal i nGaoth Dobhair
September 14, 2012
Higher-level divide between genders
September 14, 2012
Girls are more likely to take higher-level Irish and maths and continue to get better grades in most Junior Certificate subjects.
With much made of the improved uptake in honours maths in last month’s Leaving Certificate results and again in this week’s Junior Cert results, today’s statistics from the State Examinations Commission show there is still a big gender gap.
The results of girls are consistently better than boys at both State exams, in line with trends internationally, although there is evidence that males are making up the difference each year.
Slightly fewer than half of the 28,545 females who took Junior Cert Irish exams in June opted for the higher-level papers.
This is significantly higher than the 46.5% of more than 29,500 boys who sat maths, while a bigger proportion of boys chose the foundation-level exam.
The overall numbers who sat higher-level maths were up almost 2,500 on last year to nearly 28,000.
More boys than girls still took higher-level Leaving Cert maths this year — 23% compared to 21% — although the rise in female honours students was more significant.
A doubling of marks for the optional oral Irish test to 40% has been flagged as a factor in rising numbers sitting the subject at higher level for Junior Cert. The gender divide in this regard is even wider than at maths, with 59% of girls and just 44% of boys taking higher-level Irish.
Almost 86% of girls taking higher Irish got an honours grade (A, B, or C) but just 73% of males did so, while females outperformed males for honours at higher maths — 81.3% compared to 77.2%.
IRISH EXAMINER
Saol – Nuacht na Scoileanna
September 14, 2012
Surge in numbers taking higher maths and Irish
September 12, 2012
Nearly half of all Junior Certificate students took higher-level maths this year and changes to the marking scheme have prompted another rise in numbers attempting higher Irish.
State Examinations Commission figures show that 48% sat higher-level maths, the highest since at least 2001. Although the SEC did not have earlier records yesterday, it could the first time higher-level candidates outnumber those who took ordinary-level exams, with just 7% sitting foundation level.
The new Project Maths syllabus was not being examined, except at 24 schools piloting the course, where students sat two entirely different papers, but its roll-out was cited by the SEC as an influence. “As increasing the uptake of maths at higher level is one of the explicit aims of Project Maths, this indication of a greater uptake is to be welcomed,” said the SEC.
Education Minister Ruairi Quinn said he hoped the rise was an indication of an ongoing trend in the subject.
“This increase has occurred even without the ‘carrot’ of bonus points for maths, whose introduction at Leaving Certificate saw a large leap in the numbers opting for the higher-level paper,” said Mr Quinn.
However, the rise could signify a knock-on effect of the bonus points system, with students already seeing the benefits of sticking at higher level for the Leaving Cert in two or three years’ time, despite the additi-onal work involved. While there was a slight fall in higher-level uptake at the 24 pilot schools, almost exactly half — 1,207 of 2,418 — of their Junior Cert maths students took higher level, while 44% sat ordinary level and 6% took foundation maths.
The doubling of marks given for the optional oral Irish exam appears to have a continued effect, with more than half of this year’s 50,809 candidates in the subject taking higher level — 51.4% up from 49.5% and 48.5% in 2011 and 2010, respectively. Despite union directives that members should not examine students in their schools, eased slightly this year by the Teachers’ Union of Ireland, 7,388 students took the optional oral Irish test as part of their exam this year. This is a 72% increase on last year, and the 155 out of 730 second-level schools where the optional oral was offered compares to just 94 last year, 54 in 2010 — when 40% of marks were first awarded for the oral test — and only 24 in 2009.
Almost 40,000 sat higher-level science, a key target subject for the Government’s ambitions, although the numbers getting an honours grade slipped below four-in-five of higher-level candidates. With 76% of science candidates taking higher level, compared to 72% just two years ago, it could be encouraging for those hoping to have more students take science subjects to Leaving Cert.
There continues to be a high fail rate at French, although the 5.3% of higher-level and 11.6% of ordinary-level candidates getting an E, F, or no grade are lower than last year and 2010. Teachers’ Union of Ireland president Gerard Craughwell said that, while 34,757 sat French exams, the considerably lower numbers taking German (9,470), Spanish (6,698), and Italian add to concerns about relatively low numbers of language graduates in Ireland.
www.irishexaminer.com
An-tóir ar scrúdú béil
September 12, 2012
