Gaelscoil enrolment
April 5, 2013
It has recently been revealed that the Education Minister Ruairi Quinn intends to review the selection process in schools.
In the near future we will most likely be informed that the planned overhaul is purely intended to end discriminatory selection practices.
However, one has to fear that unfortunately the primary motivation is somewhat less laudable and perhaps more ideological in origin, one which is rooted in the traditional ultra-pluralist socialist agenda of the Labour Party. This is an agenda that appears to believe that multiculturalism is good for multiculturalism’s sake, regardless of whether it has majority support.
The ramifications of this policy for the Irish language community, especially in high-density urban areas, may be quite serious as the vast majority of Gaelscoileanna attempt to enrol students who have at least one Irish-speaking parent.
If the minister prohibits this enrolment technique he will be inadvertently dealing a further blow to the Irish language by making it considerably more difficult for the children of Gaeilgeoir parents to access oideachas lan Gaeilge, thereby reducing the languages prospects by misguidedly restricting its most dedicated advocates.
Paul Ryder
Balgriffin, Dublin 13
www.independent.ie
