National Consultation with children and young people on the new National Children’s Strategy (2012-2017)
March 30, 2011
Work has commenced in the Department of Children on the development of a new National Children’s Strategy. The new Minister for Children, Frances Fitzgerald, TD, would like to find out the issues of real importance to children and young people all over the country in order to inform the strategy. The national consultation will give them the opportunity to have their voices heard in relation to matters that directly affect their lives.
Children and young people are invited to complete questionnaires in all schools and Youthreach Centres throughout the country from Monday, 4th April – Friday, 8th April 2011. The questions were designed in consultation with children and young people themselves and ask about what’s good, what’s not good and what they would change about being a child or young person in Ireland today.
All data collected will be analysed by a consultation team at Trinity College, Dublin and fed into the development of the new National Children’s Strategy. A report of the children’s consultation process will be published online later this year.
This exciting project represents the Government’s commitment to the goals of the current National Children’s Strategy (2000-2010) and to the continued implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. By helping promote this consultation, you are ensuring that children and young people in Ireland will have their voices heard on issues of importance to them.
Regional Network – Meeting in Bandon, April 7th
March 30, 2011
Regional Network – Meeting in Coláiste Eoin, Dublin, April 6th
March 30, 2011
Folúntais do Mhúinteoirí
March 30, 2011
Cúrsa do mhúinteoirí ionchais
March 30, 2011
Change how Irish is taught at primary level
March 30, 2011
I REFER to Ross Watchorn’s letter (March 25). I agree that the teaching of Irish should be overhauled.
The Government says it is going to increase the number of points for the oral in the Leaving Certificate from 40% of the exam to 50%. This will be a welcome move, although is not even currently challenging for native Irish speakers and others with good Irish, so we should have a second Irish language subject for the Leaving Cert. Conradh na Gaeilge and the Oireachtas Joint-Committee, who published recommendations on the 20-year strategy for the Irish language, are both in favour of this. But we need to go further and overhaul the way Irish is taught in primary school and for the Junior Certificate. Oral Irish should be focused on throughout school with grammar only being taught when a child reaches at least fifth class. The decision agreed by the two government parties in the Programme for Government to postpone looking at whether Irish should be optional for the Leaving Cert until reforms have been carried out is, I believe, the correct one. I would welcome a bigger debate in the next general election on the question of Irish being compulsory or not for the Leaving Cert, in the context of a radical overall having taken place. The question has been parked but will be revisited.
Darren Mac an Phríora
Caisleán Cnucha
Baile Átha Cliath 15
Irish Examiner
Students of irish relying on memorising answers
March 30, 2011
TOO many Junior Cert candidates sitting last year’s Irish higher level paper relied heavily on answers they had learned “off by heart”.
The problem was identified in a report by the Chief Examiner for the State Examinations Commission. The report is one of a series done every year on different subjects reviewing the performance of candidates in the State exams. The examiner highlighted a widespread concern about second-level students depending on rote learning. “It is evident that an excessive number of students are using pre-prepared answers in the composition, prose, poetry and the letter,” the report states. And it advises that candidates would perform better if more emphasis was put on imagination, and a positive, creative and original approach. Government education advisors, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), are drawing up plans for a major revamp of the Junior Cert, partly triggered by the concerns about rote learning.
Irish Independent – Katherine Donnelly
Deiseanna do Ghaeilgeoirí agus níos mó le teacht
March 30, 2011
Deiseanna oibre le Gaeilge pléite i gCeatharlach
March 29, 2011
GAELSCOILEANNA TEO. welcomes the Minister for Education & Skills’ announcement that he is to establish a Forum on Patronage and Pluralism
March 29, 2011
GAELSCOILEANNA TEO. welcomes the Minister for Education & Skills’ announcement that he is to establish a Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector. We hope that this forum will give us an opportunity to tackle the issues in relation to the demand and current provision of Irish-medium education. We are heartened that the statement specifically mentions Irish-medium education and it is important to note that ‘gaelscoil’ refers only to the linguistic ethos of the school, as Irish-medium schools cater for diversity with regard to religious ethos.
GAELSCOILEANNA TEO. is the national coordinating body 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.
