gaelcholaisteblog

Leagan Gaeilge

We welcome the Taoiseach Brian Cowen’s remarks expressing his commitment to Irish-medium education, but we note some inconsistencies in government policy.

On Thursday’s edition (19.02.09) of the Raidió na Gaeltachta programme An Saol ó Dheas the Taoiseach said:

“The Gaelscoileanna movement is the best thing we have seen with respect to the spreading of the Irish language amongst the people, and as Taoiseach I am giving much support to this movement and will continue to do so as far as I am able.” Our Translation ( You can find a full translation of relevant portion of interview here).

We agree that the Taoiseach has long shown his fulsome support for the Gaelscoileanna movement, even so far as sending his own children to the local gaelscoil. However, his Education Minister Batt O’Keefe has been less proactive, failing to sanction the opening of a second level Irish-medium school in the area with the biggest growth of Gaelscoileanna places in the country.

On foot of the Taoiseach’s comments, we ask the following questions of the Minister and to Department officials within the Department of Education:

• Question 1: Can the Minister for Education tell us exactly why, when the Taoiseach is so committed to Irish-medium education, the Department of Education seems unwilling to fund second level Irish-medium education to the same degree?
• Question 2: If seven Gaelscoileanna were built last year and four more this year, why has there been no additional second level places in Irish language schools in either year?
• Question 3: Does education through English end at age 12? Why then should education through the medium of Irish?
• Question 4: Since 2001 there has been a massive rise in Gaelscoileanna numbers in South Dublin but no rise in second level places. Where do the new Gaelscoileanna students go after Rang a Sé?

We have demonstrated the demand exists to fill a 350 Irish-medium second level school in South Dublin twice over. Our patron body (Co. Dublin VEC) has suitable premises in its ownership. This would cost well under €3m euro to fully equip (distributed over a 3-4 year timescale). It could open in September at a much reduced cost to the Department.

The continuity of Irish-medium education in South Dublin has been stunted by the Department to date. The Department could also see itself paying up to €30million of taxpayers money for a brand new school in about 5 years time if it doesn’t exploit  this opportunity to fund the refurbishment of the old school building currently in the Dublin VEC’s ownership. The school could feasibly and sensibly be opened this September for a tenth of the cost to the taxpayer.

We call on the Department not to waste taxpayers’ money during these harsh economic times by postponing the inevitable.

The full interview on Raidió na Gaeltachta

Taoiseach Brain Cowen on An Saol ó Dheas (Radio na Gaeltachta) Thursday at 12.00 i.n.

This is the extract of the interview where the Taoiseach discusses Gaelscoil education.

We would be very grateful to those supporters who would visit the clinics of their local politicians to enlist their support for our campaign.

While manyTD’s  have already worked on our behalf, we feel that local TD’s particularly those from the government parties need to be told that it is no longer acceptable for the Department of education to be preventing our children from continuing thir education in Irish at second level.

The list of times and locations is available HERE.

Beidh muid an-buíoch do aon duine go mbeadh sásta dul go dtí na clinicí polaiteoirí áitúla chun tacaíocht na bpolaiteorí a fháil san fheachtas.

Cé go bhfuil obair maith déanta ag roinnt acu ar ár son, ceapann muid go bhfuil sé an-tábhactacht go gcloiseann siad uait, na TD’s as na páirtí rialtais go h-áirithe, nach bhfuil sé ceart go gcuireann an Roinn bac i mbealach ár páistí atá ag iarradh a oideachais Gaeilge a leanúint ag an dara leibheal.

Ta liosta na clinicí ANSEO.

Iontaobhas (na Gaelscolaíocht) Strikes Back, Irish News article 7/01/09 (and comments)

Gaelscoil parents want to have their cake and eat it. Sarah Carey, Irish Times article. 24/12/08

Tá an teanga ar an mbóthar ceart, Letter in response to Tony Kennedy letter, Shónadh Macaodh. 20/12/08

Irish language is very much alive, Letter in response to Tony Kennedy letter, Seán Mac Curtáin. 22/12/08

We don’t need to boost the Irish Language Tony Kennedy. 19/12/08

“Apartheid” slur on Gaelscoileanna not based on facts. Irish Times Response Piece, 18/12/08

“Educational Apartheid” Niav Keating letter about Holmquist article, Irish Times, 12/12/08.

Seán Ó hAdhmaill letter about Holmquist article, Irish Times, 11/12/08.

Language of Educational Apartheid, Kate Holmquist, Irish Times article. 09/12/08

According to the Department of Education, Minister Batt O’Keefe will open a new extension to Gaelcholáiste Ceatharlach costing €4.3 million today. While this is very much to be welcomed, we are struck by the apparent double standards the Department seems to be operating. The Sydenham Road building owned by our patron body Co Dublin VEC, which is willing to provide it for our use, would require at most €2million to refurbish.

The Department is stubbornly refusing to grant Co Dublin VEC the authority to establish Gaelcholáiste Dheisceart Átha Cliath in time for September enrolment despite knowing that students from Gaelscoileanna in our area have no Irish language School places available to them, and despite the fact that a suitable building is to hand.

Please write to the Minister and the Department asking them to sanction the opening of the new school as a matter of urgency.

Perhaps you could also write to your local TD’s and Councillors to ask them to make representation to the Minister on our behalf.

Ní Coláiste Nua go Cabhair

Ní féidir an t-Aire aitheantais don Gaelcholáiste a diultú ar cúis airgeadais

Sliochta as Óráid Buséid Brian Lenihan/Extracts from Brian Lenihan’s Budget speech 2008:

Education

Investment in Education is essential for our future prosperity. I have provided for an increase of €308 million in the total expenditure provision for Education in 2009. €230 million of this increase is for current expenditure, to provide for the additional costs across the system as a result of increasing student numbers due to demographic factors…

School Building

This year we are investing €810 million in capital projects for Education. Next year I am providing €889 million: an increase of €79 million.

Continued strong investment in our primary and post-primary school infrastructure remains a key priority for the Government. This year, we have delivered 12,000 new primary school places, a record number in any one year. Next year, 581 million, or two-thirds of the total education capital budget, will be devoted to the school building programme.

This substantial investment will provide additional school places, in response to the increased population. It will allow for the modernisation of the existing school infrastructure….

The Minister for Education and Science will be providing further details in due course.

In our letter to the Minister of education we drew his attention to the following costs ratio:

The school building, at Sydenham Road, Dundrum, County Dublin, is centrally located to most of the schools participating in our campaign for the new school. It would accommodate the 350 students identified in our surveys as likely to attend the school. The cost of refurbishment of the school and its equipment to modern standards is estimated to be under €3million and therefore is considerably less than the costs of other new schools recently established on green field sites elsewhere in the county. To the best of our knowledge schools have recently been established in the north of the county at a cost in the region of €20-€25. For a 1,000 pupil school this represents a capital investment of €20,000 to €25,000 for each student place. With the cost of refurbishing Sydenham Rd. estimated at under €3M for 340 pupils this represents a capital investment of less than €9,000 for each student place.

Please help us now by calling on the Minister to meet with us without delay and to grant the Gaelcholáiste the departmental recognition required to enable the new school open in 2009.

SÍNIGH ÁR ACHAINÍ -ANSEO/SIGN OUR PETITION HERE or
Scríobh chuig an Aire/Write Directly to the Minister ANSEO-HERE
Nó téigh i dteagmháil le bhur polaiteoirí áitiúla/Or Contact you local Representative ANSEO-HERE

Teastaíonn aitheantas ón Aire uainn no caillfear an seans seo chun breis áiseanna oideachais trí Ghaeilge a chur ar fáil/ We need the go ahead from the Minster and the Department now or this opportunity to provide adequate, additional, second level education through Irish will be lost.

English Language Version
Táimid an-sásta le rá go ndeirtear go bhfuil an iar-mhéanscoil ar Bhóthar Sydenham, Dún Droma oiriúnach don Ghaelcholáiste molta. Tá an scoil i seilbh an Choiste Ghairmoideachais Co Baile Átha Cliath agus níl aon phleananna fadtéarmacha ag an gCoiste don fhoirgneamh fós. Deirtear dúinn go bhfuil an scoil an-oiriúnanch agus go mbeidh sé éasca go maith í a shocrú i gceart don Ghaelcholáiste má bhfaighimid aitheantas ón Roinn Oideachais.

Deirtear go gcosnóidh an athchóiriú an Ghaelcholáiste, níos lú ná €3milliún, chun an scoil a leagadh amach go dtí an léibhéal is áirde, nua-haimseartha. Is beag an costas é seo í gcomparáid leis an €20-25m costas bunaithe a bhí ar scoileanna cosúil sa chontae a bhí tógálta ar láithreáin úrnua le gairid.

Sáraíonn an cor nua sa scéal deacracht ollmhór a bhí ag ár bhfeachtas go dtí seo. Ag crúinniú a bhí againn i 2007 leis an iar-Aire, dúirt sí gur aontaigh sí linn go raibh an t-éileamh don scoil ann agus gurab é costas cóiríochta na scoile an t-aon bhac inár mbealach chun an scoil a chur ar bun. Tá súil linn go n-aontóidh an tAire O’Keefe leis an measúnú seo.

Tá an scoil Bóthar Sydenham an-ghar leis an stad LUAS i nDún Droma (féach ar an léarscáil) agus beidh sé an-áisiúl do mhic-léinn ó Lios na nÓg, Scoil Bhríde agus GS Thaobh na Coille. Ta stad Bus Uimh. 75 (ó Chnoch Liamhna) ag béal dorais na scoile. Is féidir leat siúl ó Scoil Naithi (1km), agus níl stadanna 44 agus 48A ach 5 nóiméad ón scoil. Beidh sé ar daltaí ó Scoil Mológa busanna 86 agus 18 agus an LUAS ó Ranelagh a thógáil.

Níl aon bhac réasúnach ar fhoras eacnamaíochta, éileamh páistí scoile nó polaisí Rialtais i mbealach aitheantas na scoile ón Roinn chun í a oscailt i Mean Fomhair 2009.

Íarann muid oraibh stocaireacht a dhéanamh ar an Roinn Oideachais, ar an Aire agus ar bhúr n-ionadaithe áitiúla chun go mbeidh fhios ag an Roinn gur ceart do pháistí é Oideachas trí Ghaeilge, agus nach rogha é.

Is feidir leat ár n-achainí a shíniú anseo

Féach ar Léirscáil Níos Mó

The campaign for Gaelcholáiste Dheisceart Átha Cliath would like to congratulate the County Dublin VEC on the highly successful opening of Scoil Ghráinne yesterday. Scoil Ghráinne represents an example of a new model for primary Irish education: multi-denominational schools operating under the management and patronage of the VEC’s. It is precisely the multi-denominational, co-educational, community based ethos of the County Dublin VEC, as well as the impressive leadership offered by the Co. Dublin VEC’s CEO Pat O’Connor (interviewed on RTE last night), that encouraged the Campaign committee to select the Co Dublin VEC as patron for the new Gaelcholáiste.

We wish Pat and the new school the very best of luck.

Ba mhaith le feachtas Ghaelcholaiste Dheisceart Átha Cliath comhghairdeas a dhéanaimh le Coiste Gairmscoile Co Átha Cliath faoi oscailt Scoil Ghráinne i mBaile Phibble, BÁC 15 inné. Scoil ilchreidmheach faoi bainaistíocht agus faoi patrúnachas an Coiste Gairmoideachas atá ann. Is í an cinneál scoil díreach a bhí in intinn an bunchoiste Gaelcholáiste (scoil ilchreidmheach, chomhoideachais, pobal-bhunaithe) nuair a roghna siad an Coiste Gairmoideachas Chondae Átha Cliath mar pátrtún ar ár scoil molta. Tá focail ó CEO CG Co. Átha Cliath, Pat O’Connor, duine an- éifeachtach é fein, ar an tuaraisc.

Ba mhaith linn ár dea-mhéin a thabhairt do Phat agus an scoil nua: go n’éirigh libh.

“The Irish language community inside and outside the Gaeltacht will be given encouragement and support to transmit Irish to the next generation as a living household language. Towards this end, a wide range of services in Irish will be provided.” (Irish Government ‘Statement On the Irish Language 2006’ p 14)

“Tabharfar spreagadh agus tacaíocht do phobal na Gaeilge sa Ghaeltacht agus lasmuigh de, an Ghaeilge a thabhairt don chéad ghlúin eile mar theanga teaghlaigh. Chuige sin, cuirfear réimse leathan seirbhísí ar fáil trí mheán na Gaeilge.” (‘Ráiteas I Leith na Gaeilge 2006’, Rialtas na hÉireann, lch 15)

Teaspáineann Samsung go bhfuil airgead i nGaeilge: seolfar gutháin phóca le teacs réamhinsteach Ghaeilge i mí Iúil. Is an Tocco (Iodáileach ar ‘Brú’) an Samsung F480 ath-sheoladh agus oibróidh sé ar O2 Vodafone &rl. Beigh scáileán tadhaill, camera, Radio FM ar. Praghais thart ar €129.

Read This Post in English

Tá suíomhanna oiriúnacha don Ghaelcholáiste nua aithinte againn agus anois ta muid ag lorg tacaíochta ónár bPátrúin, ósna politeoirí aitiúla agus Eoropacha agus ón Roinn Oideachais chun láthair na scoile a shocrú. Go dtí seo, áfach, níl aon rud cinnte le rá againn faoin scéal.

Ní féidir an scoil a bhunú gan aitheantas ón Roinn Oideachais. Is é an t-aitheantas sealadach an chéad chéim sa phroiséas seo: níl sé seo faighte againn fós cé gur ghlac an t-iarr Aire go bhfuil an t-éalamh ann. Tuigeann muid go bhfuil polasaithe na Roinne, roinnt acu nach bhfuil aitheanntas forlathan orthu, ag cur bac ar ár dul chun cinn. Is iad:

Tá an Roinn ag iarraigh an chuid is mó don bhuiséad-chabideal a dhíríú chuig na ceantair atá nua agus ag fás: is iad taobh amuighde Cathair Baile Átha Claith.

Dar leis an Roinn, ní cearta é an t-oideachas Ghaelach, is rogha é: Gheobhfaidh an t-oideachas trí mhean Bhéarla an tosaíocht as a bhuiséad.

Tá an Roinn ag iarraigh na scoileanna atá ann a mhéadú, iad a chónaisc go deimhmin, in áit scoileanna nua a bhunú.

Tá an chuid is mó de na cinneaidh seo déanta ag an Roinn go neamh-oifigiúil, gan a bheith curtha faoi bhreith na polaiteoirí. Níl cuma ann gur thug an Roinn aon árd ar na pholaisaithe rialtais atá ag iarraigh stadas an teanga náisiúnta a mhéadú nuair a chruth siad na cinneaidh seo. Cínnte nach raibh aon díospóireacht poibliú ann roimh ré. Seans maith go bhfuil siad ag dul in éadan mianta tuismeathóirí na bpáistí scoile, ní h-amháin i mBaile Átha Cliath, ach ar fud na Tíre.

Tá sé lán soiléir anois gurb é dearchadh na Roinne ar Oideachas trí mhean Ghaeilge an t-aon bac in ár mbealach chun Gaelcholáiste nua a bhunú chun freastal ar eileamh atá ann don scoil.

Cathfidh muid thaespánt don Aire nua agus don Roinn go ndiultaíonn muid leis an dearcadh seo.

Ta achanaí r-phost againn atá le feiscint anseo:

Íarann muid oraibh é a shíniú chun go mbeidh fhios ag an Roinn gur cearta do pháistí é Oideachas trí Ghaeilge, agus nach rogha é.

Ní éiróidh leis an feachtas seo gan do thacaíocht. Ná fág faoi dhaoine eile é a déanamh le do thoil.