Caribbean and Irish pupils speak as Gaeilge over Skype
March 13, 2014
Separated by thousands of miles, but not by a common language.
History was made yesterday when a gaelscoil hooked up for the first time on Skype with a primary school in the Caribbean, and they both conversed as Gaeilge. Ireland and Montserrat, also known as the Emerald isle, are the only two nations in the world which hold public holidays to mark St Patrick’s Day, and it’s believed it was also the first Skype link between the two islands. Many surnames on Montserrat are Irish as most of its population are descended from Irish slaves who were sent there in the 17th century and married black slaves working on plantations. The idea for the Skype link-up came from freelance journalist, Graham Clifford, from Fermoy, Co Cork. He was on the tropical island yesterday ensuring the transmission went smoothly between Gaelscoil de hÍde, in his hometown and St Augustine’s primary school which is on the outskirts of Monserrat’s capital Plymouth.
Graham’s daughters Molly and Aoife attend the gaelscoil and were able to say hello to him along with their classmates. In both schools, the children dressed up to mark the occasion. To the delight of teachers in Fermoy the Montserrat children sang ‘Ó ró sé do bheatha abhaile’ in almost perfect Irish. Their charges replied with ‘Trasna na dTonna’ (Across the Waves). Both sets of children then spoke to their counterparts of their lives and the type of education they’re receiving. “To see the children on both islands chatting away and singing and dancing for each other was something else. Here on Montserrat they are aware they have Irish heritage, but through this interaction they got to see it in action,” Graham said. “We’ve been organising this call for weeks and in that time they’ve been learning Irish songs and dances, decorating their school in green, white and orange and learning about Ireland. Even if I meet one of the children walking down the street or strolling along the beach on the island they’d roar out ‘Céad míle Fáilte’,” he added.
St Augustine’s principal Claudia Skerritt said it was a wonderful experience for her pupils and would “make the St Patrick’s Day celebrations on Montserrat all the more special”. Their parish priest, Fr George Aggers, who is originally from Cobh, said the children “were very excited and thankfully remembered the ‘cúpla focals’ I taught them.” Gaelscoil de hÍde principal Sean Mac Gearailt said his pupils and teachers were thrilled with the link-up. “I hope we will do more of this with St Augustine’s into the future whereby the pupils can exchange on Skype, through emails and letters. ” he said. “It will help us to exchange ideas and learn more about each other’s history, education and resources. It worked a treat, it was fantastic. There was great credit to the teachers over there to teach their pupils Irish. It just goes to show we have a shared heritage and language, even though we are thousands of miles apart.”
www.irishexaminer.com
Changes to junior cycle education
March 13, 2014
A chara, – I think it is necessary to remind the Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn,
regarding his plans for the Junior Cycle Student Award programme, that the substantial changes and improvements that have taken place in Irish education over the past 20 years were all implemented and delivered by teachers – the introduction of transition year, the Leaving Certificate vocational programme and the Leaving Certificate applied programme (the last of which is probably the reason that Ireland has the highest student retention rate in Europe).
We have welcomed greater integration of children with special educational needs and learning difficulties into mainstream education, adapting our educational provision and methodologies to their needs. Social, personal and health education (SPHE) and civic, social and political education (CSPE) have come on stream at Junior Cert level. Practical examinations and project work form part of the assessment of almost all practical subjects, and many schools have also introduced the oral Irish exam at Junior Certificate level. All schools have embraced technology in the classroom, and numerous changes to syllabuses, the latest being Project Maths.
All these changes have been embraced by teachers in an effort to improve the suitability and quality of the education we provide on a daily basis to students all over this country. Teachers are not opposed to change. We welcome it. We are at the coal face of education, seeing the changing needs of our students every day, and yet Mr Quinn refuses to listen to us. Not a very good example for the children of the country, and nor would their teachers be if we sat back and were bullied into introducing a flawed educational programme rather than standing up to protect the rights of the students in our care. – Is mise,
GEAROIDÍN O’DWYER,
Abberley,
Killiney, Co Dublin.
Sir, – This is a plea to Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn to speak to the Welsh minister for education Huw Lewis before he changes the Junior Cert. On Newsnight recently he was asked why Wales had plummeted in international school rankings. The reply – they had changed from state exams to individual school assessments. We need to up our game here, not drop it. – Yours,
MAURA McSWEENEY,
Mount Albany,
Blackrock, Co Dublin.
www.irishtimes.com
Céad míle fáilte for new Irish language commissioner
March 13, 2014
THERE was a céad míle fáilte for Rónán Ó Domhnaill at Áras an Uachtaráin where he was appointed as the new Irish language commissioner.
President Michael D Higgins signed the warrant of appointment at the Áras at a ceremony which was attended by family members. Connemara-native Mr Ó Domhnaill (38) is well known for his work as a political correspondent with Nuacht RTÉ and TG4. His wife, Irene Ní Nualláin, who is a reporter with TG4 nuacht, and the couple’s two daughters Róisín (2) and Maeve (1) attended the ceremony where the new commissioner was presented with his seal of office, alongside the Minister of State at the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Dinny McGinley.
www.independent.ie
An mbraitheann slánú na Gaeilge ar thacaíocht rialtais?
March 13, 2014
Dioplóma Iarchéime san Aistriúchán agus san Eagarthóireacht (Ar Líne)
March 13, 2014
Bainisteoir Oideachais
March 13, 2014
‘Ruairi Quinn wants to see himself as the man who changed the system’
March 12, 2014
IT’S more about his name than the students.
That’s according to 27,000 protesting teachers who believe that Education Minister Ruairi Quinn will ruin relationships between teachers and their parents. One union official claimed that Mr Quinn was “trying to make a name for himself ” with the shake-up of the Junior Cert. Sean Carr, a learning resources and PE teacher at 850-pupil St Eunan’s College in Letterkenny, was joined on the picket line by several colleagues, including Finn Harps manager Ollie Horgan ( also PE) and Donegal GAA All Star Colm McFadden (maths). They were joined by their colleagues in a protest at more changes being introduced in schools.
“Ruairi Quinn wants to see himself as the man who changed the system and to make a name for himself,” said Mr Carr, a shop steward. “The fact is this is being rushed through. We’re all for change and teachers don’t mind change as long as it makes sense and we are given the time to implement them. “He (Quinn) hasn’t consulted us, isn’t providing the support we need and has ignored us. “This, of course, is all happening at a time when our nearest neighbours in Britain are moving towards scrapping the assessment- led GCSEs and bringing back O Levels.” Just across the Co Donegal town, teachers on Ireland’s newest school campus have similar fears. The Irish- language-medium Colaiste Ailigh’s new € 7m school building opened three months ago after 10 years of portacabins. “Taking away independent assessment will destroy the relationships between teachers and parents,” said Celine Gallagher, an Irish-speaking French native who teaches English and French to some of the school’s 220 pupils.
Concerns
“We welcome change but this system will not be right for our children and they are the people who count.” Her colleague, Seosamh Mac Ceallabbhui, who teaches Junior Cert maths, said: “Taking away independent assessment is a major problem. Parents unhappy with marks will be coming to knock on our doors and that will change the dynamic between all the stakeholders. It will cause friction.” The defiant mood of teachers was reflected at the other end of the country, in Cork. “This is all about getting the minister and the Department of Education to listen to our concerns,” one teacher protesting in Bishopstown said. “All we are pleading for is some consultation and an assurance that our concerns will be acted upon,” she added. Protests were mounted throughout Cork city and county as the ASTI and TUI united to voice their fears about the proposals. Teacher unions have warned that further protests will be mounted if their concerns are not taken into account.
www.independent.ie
27,000 teachers protest over reform
March 12, 2014
TUI members have ‘no confidence’ in plan for new secondary school junior cycle
Teachers protested against the new junior cycle plans yesterday as the Minister for Education defended the programme and rejected claims that the reforms were moving too fast. Staff from up to 750 schools across the country voiced their opposition to the new Junior Cycle Student Award programme they feel would “downgrade” secondary-level education. The demonstration of up to 27,000 teachers was organised by the Teacher’s Union of Ireland (TUI) and ASTI. The Irish Times spoke to TUI president Gerard Craughwell during the protest at Newpark Comprehensive School in Blackrock. He said teachers were angry at Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn’s failure to listen to their concerns. ‘Dangerous experiment’ “This is happening today because of the levels of frustration teachers are feeling,” he said. “We have no confidence in the Minister’s plan. What scares the living hell out of all of us is this is due to start in September. I think this is a dangerous experiment with children’s lives and children’s futures.”
Mr Craughwell said teachers wanted the Government to take another year to examine the plan and sit down for talks. “It’s about the education system we cherish – we built it and we’ll be damned if we let someone destroy it. “Academics are complaining about our own system being dumbed down already and this will make things worse. It’s a grand experiment that has already failed in the UK.” ASTI president Sally Maguire said teachers believed the proposals posed serious threats to education standards. “The key issue here is the assessment: there is no transparency. And how will it be implemented? Will it be the same in Wexford as it is Galway?” Defending changes Mr Quinn has defended the pace of the reforms and rejected claims they would damage the system and affect the performance of pupils. Speaking outside Leinster House yesterday, he said he had slowed down the process to allow full consultation, training and preparation.
“What was supposed to be completed by June 2020, is now going to be stretched out to June 2022,” he said. Mr Quinn said there was some flexibility, but the tradition of having a State examination at the end of third year would no longer happen. “I want to hear from the teachers. They can’t just say we don’t like this and we don’t want to do it. That ship has left the harbour,” he said. Both unions are holding a ballot from their members up to and including strike. The results will be announced on March 26th.
www.irishtimes.com
Airgead le sábháil? Glac é ó na Gaeil arís
March 12, 2014
Cuireann Foras stop le maoiniú d’irisí Gaeilge
March 12, 2014
