An Irish School for Gaeltacht Children

[takeapunt]

An Irish School for Gaeltacht Children

Is education through Irish not a basic civil right for children in our Gaeltachts? If not civil then surely constitutional?

Parents in the West Kerry Gaeltacht are facing the prospect of losing their only Irish post-primary school with little hope of accessing an education for their children in their native language within Kerry.

In spite of a unanimous decision in January 2006 by parents, trustees, teachers and outgoing principals to reaffirm Irish as the language of the new Pobalscoil, a group of 12 children (through their parents) are seeking to overturn Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne’s Irish language policy in the High Court on July 7, 2009. Four of these children are no longer in the school.

If successful, the Pobalscoil would have to offer all subjects in both Irish and English, difficult in the current economic climate.

Irish streams work in English language schools because Irish is no threat to English. Introducing an English stream in a Gaeltacht school would flood it overnight leaving the West Kerry Gaeltacht with no public secondary school through Irish.

The closest English option is 14 miles from Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne, while the closest Irish option is 30 miles away in Tralee, and is currently full.

Tuismitheoirí na Gaeltachta are not opposed to the decision by parents to opt for an education through English, but not at the expense of our children being educated through Irish.

[conchubhar1]

what do we expect aslong as fianna fáil are in power - and fine gael would be worse imo

it is a damn shame - we dont even have a newspaper anymore

[pog it]

I really hope this small minority of parents change their minds, but that are the chances if they are the kinds of people who could take this case in the first place? Shame on them. Shame on them. If they get their way, what hope for a campaign of 'meanscoileanna' -the second level equivalent of gaelscoileanna, all subjects taught through Irish- do we have in the long run?

I may get resentment for saying this but I don't care. I heard that the names of these parents trying to bring this about were published in Foinse so I had to look, and what struck me was the presence of foreign names, English names, - hardly any Irish language surnames. Is this really the case? These people coming from the outside into the Gaeltacht and trying to get their way on this issue? Despite their being a minority and coming to live inside the heart of the Gaeltacht? Why did they go to live in the Gaeltacht so? They should respect the place and if the majority want everything taught through Irish, well to hell with them.

[we'llallhavetea]

As soon as i read the op post, i knew the names on the list were goin to be non-nationals. Disgraceful. Totally agree with pog it.

[byhookorbycrook]

Dingle itself, is not really a Gaeltacht, lots of people speak Irish but it would be more "breac" to me,than full Gaeltacht.I agree however that the minority should not rule in this case.

[conchubhar1]

i heard less irish in dingle than i heard in dublin

its even called dingle - and all the people i met knew all to well that i and any people i was with knew irish and heard us using it so it wasnt a friendly thing

they genuinely didnt use it - i heard irish by us and people from further west coming into dingle for the night out

[pog it]

Yes and it's precisely because of (of course not entirely ) these kinds of people that Dingle is very much a breac Gaeltacht. You can (kinda) compare it to Spiddal and Connemara- in Spiddal they may as well have a funeral for Irish as the main language- but go away from there, and you do get into the heartland of the Gaeltacht. It's much the same in Dingle. Go away from there and you'll find plenty of Irish.

What do ye think of what these parents are attempting?

[Mylesnanasal]

I think they are attempting to convert the school to one where english is the primary language of the school with the cupla focal to keep the native community happy. There seems to be a lot of disrespect and resentment involved

[Stilla Mellis]

Tá siad os comhair na cúirte inniu. If they get their way and get an English-medium stream established in this Gaeltacht school will that mean that all other schools in the Gaeltacht must do likewise. Will English-medium schools in the rest of the country have to introduce Irish-medium classes? That might improve the teaching of Irish.

[Cliste]

Originally Posted by Stilla Mellis

Tá siad os comhair na cúirte inniu. If they get their way and get an English-medium stream established in this Gaeltacht school will that mean that all other schools in the Gaeltacht must do likewise. Will English-medium schools in the rest of the country have to introduce Irish-medium classes? That might improve the teaching of Irish.

Cathain an bhfuil toradh an cáis cúirte amach?

[Micilin Muc]

Níor thosaigh an cás go dtí inniu!

[pog it]

Originally Posted by Stilla Mellis

Tá siad os comhair na cúirte inniu. If they get their way and get an English-medium stream established in this Gaeltacht school will that mean that all other schools in the Gaeltacht must do likewise. Will English-medium schools in the rest of the country have to introduce Irish-medium classes? That might improve the teaching of Irish.

Bheadh sin iontach go deo,sruth Gaeilge fiú sna ranganna Gaeilge!! Ach beidh muid ag fanacht Níl an cinéal dearcadh sin ag ár Aire-an-Lae Batt O'Keefe!
Ah. 2009. Iontach brónach i leith na Gaeilge go dtí seo.

[conchubhar1]

it is strange

irish is growing and weakening at the same time......

[Stilla Mellis]

For hundreds of years there has been a language shift going on in Ireland. Silently. No TV cameras, no protests, no court cases. Village by village and townland by townland Irish was abandoned and English took over and reigned supreme. It was done by force. Subtle social and psychological force. By ignoring Irish all Irish Governments whether based in London or the Pale tacitly declared English the only working language for their officials. The Irish-speaking family was made to feel odd, out of place, backward, not willing to "go with the flow" when they were unwilling to allow their former national culture, their former community culture, and their own family culture to be extinguished in its most important aspect, their language, the Irish language, an Ghaeilge bhinn cheolmhar, an teanga ab ansa lena gcroí.

Not any more.

Here's a village that takes the Irish Ireland movement at its word, that honours the Irish Constitution, Bunreacht na hÉireann, that recognises the import of the Official Languages Act 2002, and attempts to live up to the fine sentiments expressed when the Irish State sought recognition for Irish as an Official Working Language from the other states of the European Union.

Here's a village that has shouted "Stop" or more likely "Stadaigí" in Irish. The Irish-speaking Gaeltacht community of this west Kerry town are unwilling to participate in the "mugadh magadh" or "nudge, nudge, wink, wink, take the money and to hell with the Irish." They are making a stand.

This courtcase will go down in history. It is a breath of fresh air into the murky world of the promotion of Irish where public officials get paid extra for doing their work through the medium of Irish and don't. Can't. Shouldn't be in the job. Their cúpla focal obeisance to the language is sufficient to alert the Irish native speakers that they would be better off switching to English. Their dumb silent hostility when faced with someone who genuinely wants to use their own language is painful for both sides.

This court case may shed light on many "Irish solutions" to this issue of the status of Irish -- not just in Europe, or in the whole of Ireland, but in the fíor-Ghaeltacht, where the English-speaking "Pretend to speak Irish for grants" residents are going to be caught out and the "Take the money and say nothing" officials are going to face charges of fraud.

I look forward with great interest to the progress and outcome of this case. What's the betting it is settled quietly in a backroom with a confidentiality clause binding all to silence.

Question: Who is financing the parents opposed to their children being taught through Irish in the Gaeltacht?

[Stilla Mellis]

Smaoineamh: Éinne a bhfuil suim acu sa chás seo d'fhéadfaidis suí i measc an lucht éisteachta sa chúirt. Lán-chead acu. Beidh sé ar siúl sna Ceithre Cúirteanna i mBaile Átha Cliath go ceann míosa. Tá an dá theanga in úsáid, an Ghaeilge agus an Béarla. Táim féin ag dul isteach inniu. Ba cheart go mbeadh slua mór de lucht na Gaeilge ann chun tacaíocht a thabhairt do mhuintir na Gaeltachta. Is annamh a fhaighimid an seans.