(Gaeilge) Thar am aghaidh a thabhairt ar dhearcadh na ndaltaí ‘nach maith leo an Ghaeilge’
January 29, 2016
Opinion: How to rescue the Irish language
January 29, 2016
How often do we hear people say that they wish they could speak their native language?
Despite 14 years of learning Irish, the majority of people are unable to speak their native language with confidence. In a recent survey carried out by the Irish Primary Principals’ Network (IPPN) of our members, over half of the respondents stated that the strategy for Gaeilge is not clear and that they favour a “radical overhaul” of the Gaeilge curriculum.
With the many 1916 commemorative events taking place this year, the time is ripe to discuss the curriculum of our native language and how we can revive it among our children for generations to come.
A considerable amount of energy has been put into the teaching of Irish. Most teachers would agree that the teaching methodologies used to date have not been effective in developing fluency in the Irish language. Language competency is normally acquired through listening, speaking, reading and writing – in that order. However, rote learning is still a feature in preparation for exams and some teachers are over-reliant on the use of work books.
Too many children say they “don’t like Irish”. We have to ask the question why. The answer lies in differentiating between learning Irish as a living language through conversation and communication as opposed to learning Irish as an academic subject.
The new Primary Language Curriculum goes some way towards addressing these challenges. I am, however, proposing a radically different approach to the Irish curriculum across all primary and post-primary schools.
Early speaking
I propose that the focus at primary level, from junior infants to sixth class, should be on conversational Irish. This would be taught to all children in the Irish education system, with no exemptions and no assessment.
Throughout primary level, the emphasis will continue to be on aural and oral language skills. We need to focus on teaching the language through fun and games, including drama, songs, stories, proverbs, humour and jokes, etc. Every school could be a bilingual school.
Second-language learning does not have to be a burden. More than half of primary school principals who responded to the recent IPPN survey said that they wanted the time for Gaeilge to be increased but not if it is just more of the same failed methodologies.
In the same survey, principals said that they would like to see more time given on the curriculum to physical education. This is the perfect opportunity to integrate the two subjects – by teaching PE through the medium of Irish. This allows for interactive conversation in the present tense as opposed to language which reports events using the past tense.
In debates about the Irish language and the primary curriculum, there is often reference to a lack of competency of some teachers regarding their ability to teach Irish. Rather than blame teachers, we need to look at how they are being taught to teach Irish. The training of teachers and the focus on Irish in teacher-training college also needs to be reviewed in conjunction with these changes and all colleges need to work to the same standards.
At post-primary level, conversational Irish will continue to be taught to all students up to the end of the secondary cycle. In addition, Gaeilge will be offered as an academic subject with assessment, for those who wish to study it on the same basis as students taking Spanish or German.
Leaving Cert
While this approach would result in a smaller number of students taking Irish to Leaving Cert level, at least those who would choose it as an exam subject would be taking it for the right reasons.
In summary, my vision for the future of the language is that conversational Irish would be compulsory for all students, from junior infants to Leaving Cert; academic Irish would be optional and assessed accordingly at post-primary level.
There may be powerful arguments against adopting this as a strategy. However, in the words of Albert Einstein “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”.
We can’t blame Peig Sayers anymore.
Seán Cottrell www.irishtimes.ie
O’DOWD OPENS NEW £1.3MILLION GAELSCOIL GHLEANN DARACH, CRUMLIN
January 29, 2016
The new four classroom-based school was funded through the Department’s Accommodation Fund.
Speaking at the official opening ceremony Education Minister John O’Dowd said: “This is a fantastic day for the pupils, parents, staff and wider community associated with Gaelscoil Ghleann Darach. Through hard work and total dedication you have reached this momentous stage of gaining a brand new school.
“In this purpose built environment this generation of pupils and indeed future generations have an excellent facility to complete their education.
“The Irish language is an integral part of our rich and shared heritage and I take great pride in witnessing and being part of a sector that continues to grow and thrive educationally, socially and economically.
“I wish everyone associated with the school every good wish for the future.”
Welcoming the Minister to the school for the opening, Principal Stephen Wallace said: “We are absolutely delighted with our new build. Our children’s faces lit up when they entered the building for the first time. It is safe, bright and a wonderful learning environment. Our school which has grown on separate campuses now has the opportunity to grow, play and learn together.
“The community leadership and support has been fantastic to bring the new build about. We have operated out of different buildings in the past in Crumlin and it is lovely to now have a place to call your own. The community has been extremely supportive over the years to ensure Irish-medium education thrives in Crumlin. More and more people are buying into Irish-medium and for different reasons too. I know that it has the ability to open doors and create opportunities in the future and we have a wonderful facility to realise this potential.
“We are also extremely grateful to Iontaobhas na Gaelscolaíochta who supported us every step of the way on the road to the new build. Comhairle na Gaelscolaíochta have been ever present to ensure the school thrives. The Department of Education was very dedicated and committed to ensure that the school was built within an extremely tight timeframe and the Education Authority provided the expertise to support the school during the construction period and beyond.
“It was also designed with an eye to future growth and while we are delighted with our bright beautiful build we are secure in the knowledge that we are building for the future.”
One parent and member of staff Donna Mc Kenna said: “The environment brings all the children together, communication is greatly improved and now we are able to provide the learning environment which is available to all other pupils in Crumlin. It is a great day indeed.”
www.northernireland.gov.uk
(Gaeilge) Foirne Scoil Chuimsitheach na Ceathrún Rua dochloíte i gCraobh na hÉireann de Chomórtas Díospóireachta Uí Chadhain
January 28, 2016
(Gaeilge) A thrí oiread Gaelscoileanna agus Gaelcholáistí ag brath ar chóiríocht shealadach
January 28, 2016
School league tables: Country’s top schools get perfect results
January 26, 2016
When it comes to sending students on to third level, the past seven years have seen seven schools in five counties managing to deliver an extraordinary 100pc record.
Given the size of its population, it’s unsurprising that three of the country’s best-performing schools are located in Dublin. The other four members of the ‘100pc club’ are to be found in Cork, Limerick, Kerry and Tipperary.
You can explore the data on each school by clicking here and registering
While all seven schools have maintained a perfect record in terms of placing their students in third-level institutions every year since 2009, further analysis of the data based on the percentage who were admitted to a course of study at a university makes it possible to rank them accordingly.
With 81pc of Leaving Certificate students securing a place at university between 2009 and 2015, Presentation Brothers College in the Mardyke in Cork emerges as the best performing school in the nation. The school, which charges annual fees of €3,500, also bears the distinction of having had the greatest throughput of students during the period (of those schools in the ‘100pc club’) with a total of 767 boys sitting the Leaving Certificate. Looking more closely at the figures, one finds the majority – or 542 of those graduating from the school – went on to study at University College Cork (UCC).
Coming in at number two is Mount Anville School in Goatstown, south county Dublin. The all-girls school, which charges yearly fees of €5,350, has placed 80pc of its Leaving Certificate students in universities between 2009 to 2015.
Some 381, or just over 52pc of the 726 students graduating from Mount Anville, went on to study at UCD while 147 (20pc) secured places at Trinity College.
Read more: ‘We focus on each individual student’s exact skill set’
Third is Glenstal Abbey in Limerick. While the all-boys boarding school, which charges yearly fees of €10,600 for day boarders, has equalled Mount Anville’s record of sending 80pc of its 260 graduates to university between 2009 and 2015, it comes in behind the south Dublin girls’ school on our list owing to its lower throughput of students. With an average of 37 students sitting the Leaving Certificate compared to the average of 103 who sat the exams each year at Mount Anville, Glenstal Abbey’s students could be seen to enjoy a relative advantage in terms of the individual attention they might receive.
Between 2009 and 2015, 60 of Glenstal’s Leaving Certificate students took up places at Trinity College Dublin, while 68 went to UCD, 32 went to UCC and 18 attended NUIG.
Read more: ‘It’s a real team effort here – everyone is involved’
The fourth-placed school on the list merits special mention by virtue of the fact that it is non fee-paying. According to our analysis, 78pc of students at the all-girls school, Colaiste Iosagain, in the south county Dublin suburb of Stillorgan, progressed to university between 2009 and 2015. The most popular destination for its students is UCD with 246 or over 44pc of the 552 girls who sat the Leaving Certificate during that time going there.
In assessing Colaiste Iosagain, it is worth noting that its students learn through Irish and benefit from the bonus marks awarded to those candidates who do their Leaving Certificate examinations through the language.
Fifth on the list is the €13,150 all-boys Cistercian College in Roscrea, with 71pc of its students placed in university between 2009 and 2015. UCD proved the most popular destination with 74 or 24pc of the Tipperary boarding school’s 303 leaving certificate students taking up places there between 2009 and 2015.
Read more: Hard-working schools show that better results can be achieved
St Mary’s College in Rathmines, which charges fees of €5,250 a year, came in sixth place. Some 59pc of students from the fee-paying, all boys’ school secured a place in university between 2009 and 2015.
The seventh member of our ‘100pc club’ is Tralee Community College in Co Kerry. While the non fee-paying, co-ed school sent just 3pc of its Leaving Certificate students on to university between 2009 and 2015, it has placed 100pc of them in third-level institutions. 142 of the 159 students who sat the state exams at the school went on to study at Tralee Institute of Technology.
Irish language Donegal secondary schools top school leagues table
January 26, 2016
Two Irish language Donegal secondary schools have topped a school leagues table. Every single student who completed their Leaving Certificate at Pobalscoil Ghaoth Dobhair and Coláiste Ailigh in Letterkenny last year went on to third level colleges.
This information was revealed by a survey in the Sunday Independent, which also found that Baghene College in Bundora was the only other secondary school to reach 100% of pupils heading on to college last year.
The Sunday Independent called the schools’ success as ‘remarkable’
Catholic school offers pupils alternative ethics classes
January 25, 2016
A Catholic primary school that is offering an alternative non-Catholic ethics and religious beliefs programme to pupils has said that schools interested in the idea should “go for it”.
Gaelscoil Dhochtúir Uí Shuilleabháin in Skibbereen introduced the programme two years ago. The school says it has been a resounding success with 37 of its 59 pupils opting for non-Catholic classes.
On Wednesday mornings children break into four separate groups. Two classes, divided into younger and older children, do the Alive-O Catholic programme.
Two other classes, with pupils similarly grouped according to age, study a multi-denominational programme.
Non-Catholic parents at the school told RTÉ News they did not want their children sitting in class during Catholic religious education.
More than four years ago the school moved religious education to the end of the school day and allowed non-Catholic parents to collect their children early or put them in a homework club.
But parents say this did not work out. Some parents could not collect their children early, others could not afford to pay for the homework club.
Two years ago the Board of Management approved the current system. Parents and staff at the school say the arrangement works very well and has become an ordinary part of the school day.
Principal Aisling Ní Néill says it means teachers delivering the Catholic programme can now do so wholeheartedly, knowing that every child in the classroom is there because their parents actively want them to participate.
She stressed that the school remained a Catholic one, with a Catholic ethos.
As the school is small, with only three teachers, one of the classes is taken by a volunteer parent, who is also a qualified teacher.
But the school points out that larger schools with more teachers should not have this problem.
The school uses a multi-denominational ethics and religious beliefs programme developed by multi-denominational body Educate Together.
http://www.rte.ie/news/2016/0125/762798-catholic-schools-multi-denominational/
(Gaeilge) ‘Géarghá le neartú cearta teanga i gcónaí’, a deir an Coimisinéir, agus é ag admhaithe ag an Taoiseach nach bhfoilseofar reachtaíocht teanga
January 25, 2016
(Gaeilge) Coiste oireachtais chun athbhreithniú a dhéanamh ar Straitéis 20 Bliain na Gaeilge geallta ag na Daonlathaigh Shóisialacha
January 25, 2016
