Three new Gaelcholáistí promised, but demand is there for more!
August 4, 2011
GAELSCOILEANNA TEO. welcomes the announcement by the Department of Education and Skills that 14 new post-primary schools, at least 3 of which have been earmarked as gaelcholáistí, are to open in the next 3 years. The Department confirmed that the new post-primary schools in Dundrum, Balbriggan and Carrigaline will be Irish-medium schools, though the schools’ patrons have yet to be decided.
“It gives us great hope to hear that there will be gaelcholáistí opening in these areas. The local communities have been campaigning for years for Irish-medium education for their children and we’re both delighted and relieved that the Department of Education have recognised this demand” said Bláthnaid ní Ghréacháin, CEO for GAELSCOILEANNA TEO.
Although the announcement that 3 new gaelcholáistí are to open is a great boost Irish-medium education, there are worries that the demand for gaelcholáistí in Maynooth and Drogheda, two areas also identified by the Department as needing new schools in 2014, will not be recognised. Maynooth has had a founding committee campaigning for an Irish-medium post-primary school since 2005, and Drogheda has had a committee working to establish an Irish-medium school since 2009. Both campaigns have large numbers of students pre-enrolled and have gotten widespread support from their communities. GAELSCOILEANNA TEO. is asking the Department to take these campaigns into account when making decisions on the language ethos and patronage of these new schools.
The Department of Education have also indicated that there will be changes to how the ethos of any new school will be determined. From now on, the Department will make the initial decision as to whether the language of the school will be Irish or English before a patron is chosen for the school. It is not yet clear what process or criteria will be used by the Department to make this decision. GAELSCOILEANNA TEO. is asking that it be made in consultation with the educational partners and that the campaigns of founding committees and the provision of Irish-medium education be taken into account when any new school is being established. In addition to the areas mentioned previously, there are campaigns all around the country to establish new Irish-medium post-primary schools in areas that have not been identified by the Department as areas of rapid growth, but that nonetheless do not have any Irish-medium provision at post-primary level available. The Department needs to recognise the demand that exists in these areas and to support Irish-medium education in accordance with the guarantees made in the Government’s 20 Year Strategy for the Irish Language. GAELSCOILEANNA TEO. believes that every child has a right to access Irish-medium education, and we will continue to support the founding committees working to achieve this.
The other areas in which new post-primary schools are to open in 2013 are as follows: Lusk, Co. Dublin, Claregalway, Co. Galway, Naas, Co. Kildare and Navan, Co. Meath. In addition, 10 new schools are due to open in 2014, in Blanchardstown, Mulhuddart Dundrum and Balbriggan, Co. Dublin, Greystones, Co. Wicklow, Carrigaline, Co. Cork, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ashbourne, Co. Meath and Drogheda and Dundalk, Co. Louth.
