Inis Meáin’s only primary school saved from closure by insurance firm
Lúnasa 26, 2015
Inis Meáin’s primary school has been saved from imminent closure but it has taken the intervention of an insurance company to secure the necessary funding to employ a second teacher to keep its doors open.
Recent changes made by the Department of Education to school staffing ratios meant that the only primary school on the island currently has just one teacher because the department only covers the cost of two teachers if a school has 20 students.
The little schoolhouse on Inis Meáin could only muster nine. So the State would only fund one teacher.
Her name is Orlaith Breathnach and in the coming year she expected to teach nine children aged four to 13 spread over seven different classes. She also anticipated having to supervise all play times without any break between 9am and 3pm.
Four of the students who are starting next week do not have any Irish. One – who comes from Belarus – does not speak Irish or English.
The school held a public meeting in Dublin last month to highlight its plight and the threat of closure. Ms Breathnach told that meeting the school could not remain open with just a solitary teacher and she cited health and safety issues as well as insurance problems.
At the meeting parents of existing pupils said they would have no choice but to leave the island to get adequate schooling for their children unless a second teacher was appointed.
While the meeting was well attended by politicians, the wheels of bureaucracy turn slowly and with no sign of the Department of Education preparing to make an exception to its rules for the island community, things were not looking good for the school.
However after the meeting and the ensuing publicity, Zurich Insurance pledged to help fund a second teacher for two years as part of its ‘Investing in Communities’ programme.
“Inis Meáin is a stronghold of the Irish language. The language, and the very sustainability of the island, is under threat if families there cannot avail of a good level of education for their children” said Zurich EMEA’s chief executive Patrick Manley.
“The case for the reinstatement of an additional teacher at the primary school on Inis Meáin is a strong one.”
He said the community on Inis Meáin had embarked on a campaign to secure support for the appointment of a second teacher for the national school and he added that “in recognition of the importance of the Irish language, the educational needs of the children on the island, and indeed the very future of the fabric of the island community, Zurich is proud to be able to step in and pledge our support for the appointment of a teacher for two years.”
He expressed hope that a longer term solution could be put in place.
Feachtas feasachta tosaithe faoi bhuntáistí na Gaelscolaíochta
Lúnasa 26, 2015
Tá feachtas curtha ar bun ag Conradh na Gaeilge i gcomhar le Gaelscoileanna Teoranta agus Comhairle na Gaelscolaíochta chun tuismitheoirí a chur ar an eolas maidir leis ‘na buntaistí a bhaineann le hoideachas lán-Ghaeilge’ a roghnú dá gclann.
Dúirt Clare Spáinneach, Oifigeach Sinsearach Forbartha agus Polasaí le Gaelscoileanna Teo., go raibh go leor ‘míthuiscintí’ ann faoin gcóras Gaelscolaíochta. Cuirtear an chuma ar an scéal, a deir sí, nach bhfuil na scoileanna ar fáil nó ‘in oiriúint do chách’.
“Is a mhalairt ar fad atá fíor – fáiltítear roimh pháistí ó gach cúlra teanga, creidimh, cultúir agus eacnamaíochta sna scoileanna lán-Ghaeilge, agus tá pobail sna scoileanna lán-Ghaeilge ag leathnú de réir mar a leathnaíonn an soláthar.
“Freastalaíonn na scoileanna lán-Ghaeilge ar na pobail ina bhfuil siad suite, agus bíonn lucht bainistíochta airdeallach gur gá fáilte ar leith a fhearadh roimh pháistí ó phobail go mb’fhéidir nach raibh baint acu leis an nGaeilge roimhe seo go traidisiúnta,” a dúirt sí.
Níl ach 8% de scoileanna na Poblachta agus 2.5% de scoileanna Thuaisceart Éireann ina scoileanna lán-Ghaeilge. Creideann Conradh na Gaeilge agus na heagrais eile go bhfuil ró-éileamh d’áiteanna sna scoileanna sin agus gurb as sin a eascraíonn éaduairimí faoin gcóras.
http://tuairisc.ie/feachtas-feasachta-tosaithe-faoi-bhuntaisti-na-gaelscolaiochta/
Folúntas: Gaelscoil Mide, Baile Átha Cliath
Lúnasa 25, 2015
Tá tuilleadh sonraí ar fáil ag an nasc thíos:
http://educationposts.ie/adverts/primary_level/employee/23066/
Folúntas: Gaelcholáiste Phort Láirge
Lúnasa 25, 2015
Tá Gaelcholáiste Phort Láirge ag lorg múinteoir páirtaimseartha rialta. Tuilleadh sonraí ar fail thíos:
http://educationposts.ie/adverts/second_level/employee/15585/
Gaelscoil takes top GCSEs results
Lúnasa 21, 2015
Children as young as 10 have achieved something this week that many teenagers only dream of an; an ‘A*’ grade in their GSCE.
Gaelscoil Eadain Mhoir on the Lecky Road and Gaelscoil na Daroige in Ballymagroaty both achieved outstanding results in the exam which most children won’t sit until age 16.
Gaelscoil Eadain Mhoir on the Lecky Road put 20 children forward for the exam and achieved a 100 per cent pass rate in the test, which includes written and oral work.
Mary nic Ailin who heads up the school thanked the children’s’ parents for their continued support and said that they had given them “the gift of bilingualism” by choosing to send them to the school.
“A high percentage of the children scored full marks in the speaking component of the exam and we were thrilled to get a 100 per cent pass rate,” she said.
“The children that we put forward for the exam were all aged 10 and 11 and 75 per cent of them were awarded A* and B. grades.
“We are absolutely delighted at the children’s success. The hard work undertaken by the class teacher Alicia O Kane has really paid off.
“We are extremely proud of their success and delighted to be able to celebrate with them today before the move on the next stage of their education as they embark on secondary education in schools all around out city.
“The completion of such a prestigious of exam at a such a young age is an outstanding achievement. These children have excelled in all four components of the exam.
“We hope the second level schools they have chosen continue to focus on developing the amazing talents these bilingual children have and we are sure they will be stars of the future. “
Head teacher at Gaelscoil na Daroige, Oisin Kehoe also praised his pupils as the school undetook the GCSE for the first time.
“We had eight pupils altogether sitting the GCSE and four achieved grade A and four grade B. The success is all theirs,” he said.
“They put in the work and did extra study after school on a Wednesday and on Saturdays. Some of them were nervous initially but actually they all enjoyed taking the exam.
“This is the first year that we have gone forward with the GCSE and the great results are a brilliant way to start our 10th year as a school.”
Folúntas: Gaelscoil Moshíológ, Loch Garman
Lúnasa 20, 2015
Tá Gaelscoil Moshíológ i Loch Garman ag lorg múinteoir ranga buan. Tuilleadh sonraí ar fáil ag an nasc thíos:
http://educationposts.ie/adverts/primary_level/employee/23024/
Folúntas: Gaelscoil Chaladh an Treoigh, Co Luimnigh
Lúnasa 20, 2015
Tá Gaelscoil Chaladh an Treoigh ag lorg cúntóir riachtanas speisialta sealadach i gCo Luimnigh. Tuilleadh sonraí ag an nasc thíos:
http://educationposts.ie/adverts/primary_level/employee/23022/
Folúntas: Gaelcholáiste Reachrann, Baile Átha Cliath
Lúnasa 20, 2015
Tá múinteoir ionaid do shaoire máithreachas de dhíth i nGaelcholáiste Reachrann i mBaile Átha Cliath. Tuilleadh sonraí ar fail thíos:
http://educationposts.ie/adverts/second_level/employee/15479/
Folúntas: Gael-Choláiste Chill Dara
Lúnasa 19, 2015
Tá Gael-Choláiste Chill Dara ag lorg múinteoir ar théarma seasta. Tá tuilleadh sonraí ar fáil ag an nasc thíos:
http://educationposts.ie/adverts/second_level/employee/15447/
26 gasúr buailte ag cinneadh Bhus Éireann deireadh a chur le seirbhís bus scoile i gCois Fharraige
Lúnasa 18, 2015
Tá cinneadh déanta ag Bus Éireann deireadh a chur leis an tseirbhís bus scoile ó Bhaile na hAbhann soir go Coláiste Chroí Mhuire sa Spidéal.
Ag caint di ar an gclár ‘Idir dhá shéasúr’ ar RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta ar maidin, dúirt Príomhoide Choláiste Chroí Mhuire, Tríona Uí Mhurchú, go raibh cruinniú aréir acu sa scoil mar gheall go bhfuil seisear gasúr is fiche buailte de dheasca an chinnidh seo. Dúirt sí nach bhfuil tuismitheoirí na ngasúr atá buailte “sásta ar chor ar bith” faoin gcinneadh agus go bhfuil “frustrachas agus imní” orthu dá bharr.
Duine de na tuismitheoirí sin is ea Uinsionn Mac Dubhghaill, atá ag obair in Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge ar an gCeathrú Rua.
Mhínigh Mac Dubhghaill do Tuairisc.ie gur fhógair Bus Éireann an scéala seo i rith an tsamhraidh nuair a chuir siad litreacha chuig tuismitheoirí na bpáistí a bhaineann le hábhar ar an gcéad lá de mhí Iúil. Dar le Mac Dubhghaill gur “cleas suarach” a bhí ann litir a chur chuig tuismitheoirí an tráth sin bliana.
“Bíonn na daoine a dteastaíonn uait labhairt leo ar saoire, rud a fhágann gur le gairid féin atá muid ag plé leis an gceist,” a dúirt sé.
Agus é ag caint ar an raidió níos túisce, dúirt Mac Dubhghaill:
“Mura bhfaighidh muid sásamh idir seo agus deireadh na seachtaine, beidh agóid ar siúl Dé Luain seo chugainn. Tá muid chun carraín asail a aimsiú agus gasúr in éide scoile a chur ann agus cuireadh a thabhairt do lucht teilifíse, preasa agus grianghrafadóirí” a bheith i láthair ann d’fhonn an saol a bhíodh i gConamara sna caogaidí a mheabhrú don phobal agus fiafraí díobh “ab shin an cóir taistil a bheas ag gasúir scoile sa lá atá inniu ann”.
Nuair a fiafraíodh de Mhac Dubhghaill ar maidin cén fáth nach bhféadfaí gasúir thiar a chur chuig scoileanna atá níos cóngaraí dóibh ná Coláiste Chroí Mhuire, mhínigh Mac Dubhghaill go bhfuil cúinsí áirithe ba cheart a chur san áireamh agus cinneadh dá leithéid á chur sa mheá, mar atá, cúrsaí creidimh agus cúrsaí teanga.
Dúirt sé gur “scoil Chaitliceach” é Coláiste Chroí Mhuire agus gurb é “cinneadh an tuismitheora a chuid gasúr a chur chuig scoil a bhfuil éiteas ar leith ag baint leis”. Dúirt Mac Dubhghaill nuair a ardaíodh an pointe seo le Bus Éireann go ndúirt siadsan nach dtagann a leithéid i gceist agus cinneadh á dhéanamh deireadh a chur le seirbhís bus ar leith.
Dúirt sé freisin go ndúradh leis na tuismitheoirí dá mba rud é gur scoil reiligiúnda mionlaigh a bhí i gColáiste Chroí Mhuire nach mbeadh aon deacracht ann – chuirfí seirbhís bus scoile ar fáil, “ach mar gheall go mbaineann sé reiligiún an mhóraimh, níl sé sin chun tarlú”.
Ní raibh aon ionadaí ó Bhus Éireann i láthair ag cruinniú na hoíche aréir sa Spidéal agus deir Príomhoide Choláiste Chroí Mhuire, Tríona Uí Mhurchú, go ngabhfaidh tuismitheoirí áitiúla go Baile Átha Cliath chun bualadh le “ceannasaí Iompar Éireann” agus “leis an Aire [Oideachais]” más gá.
“Tá sé ar intinn againn an bua a bheith againn” a dúirt sí, ag tagairt don agóidíocht atá beartaithe acu a dhéanamh lena chinntiú go gcuirfear an tseirbhís ar fáil an athuair do mhuintir na háite.
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