The Growth of Gaelscoileanna

Múinteoir

See Irish Times article here

lostexpectation

M&#250 wrote: »

See Irish Times article here

isn't part of the appearance of elitism is that you have to be rich to help get the school funded a school that should be fully funded by the state.

Mr. Presentable

My daughter is in Gaelscoil. Simply because it is the school closest to where we live. An added bonus is the small (18) class size. We do not, nor could we afford to, pay a fee, so I don't see where any snobbery can come into it.

Nevyn

What is all the rubbish about 'state school' in that article.

O'Conaill dismisses the notion that Irish-medium schools are leeching students from the State sector.

State sector my eye.

Múinteoir

Personally I get the impression that there is a portion of opinion in Ireland (and indeed in the wider English-speaking world) that regards any attempts or aspirations to speak more than one language other than English, as snobbery. :rolleyes:

loismustdie

that's unbelievable, isn't there studies that prove that aside from having your native language, young children learning 2 languages like english and irish together at such a young age are developing a part of their brain to help them find learning about other topics easier?
that report is horrible and pointless.

Selphie

"It's all about snobbery and status..."
What a load of absolute rubbish!! Irish is one of the core subjects for the Leaving Certificate. If your child goes to an Irish school, they're guaranteed to have an excellent standard of Irish by the time they sit the scrúdú mór, plus they get bonus points. So, wanting to give your children a chance to learn their native language, aswell as increase their chance of success in the Ardteist is snobby now?? It's not like there's fees associated with sending your children to a Gaelscoil, so how on earth could it be considered snobby? I'm rather confused.
This may be completely unrelated but wasn't Irish always considered a backwards language, and one associated with poverty, famine and death *this is what we learned in language history anyway* and now suddenly it's elitist?
While being slightly appalled, this was one of the funniest articles I've read in a long time. Irish speaking children are clearly going to take over the world...

wb

I've never read so much rubbish in my life.

I grew up in a working class background in Dublin and the only local Gaelscoileanna were fee paying (Back in the 1980s). So we can say that they may have been elite back then, but certainly not now.

Now a lot of them are non-fee, including the one in my area set up around 5 years ago. (thanfully!)

I will be sending my daughter to a gaelscoil in September and am delighted about it. I don't feel elite in any way. My daughter will be given the chance to learn her language in a way that most of us never could. I can see why it's so attractive to both the 'elite' and the...... well,... I'm not sure how people describe ordinary people nowadays.

My daughter will grow up speaking Irish, and she wont find anything unusual about the fact that she can speak the language, as it will be just normal to her. - That's the way it should be however!

People like to label things nowadays, and create a reason for everything. Money this, Money that is the usual speel.

I can tell you that the Gaelscoil in my area is thriving, and It aint exactly the most desirable place to live in Dublin, and is not elite in any way. Can people not just accept the healthy new interest in Irish, and forget about money for once? It's almost like people begrudge the rise in Gaelscoileanna, so a negative 'reason' must be created for their existence.

Nevyn

Well I am a big believer in letting editor know what I think and if anyone else is

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metrovelvet

Question slightly OT -

If your child is NOT and Irish or even EU citizen do they still have to suffer through learning this language or can the elect to take something more useful like German?

What about all the Polish kids? Do they have to learn Irish too?

JC 2K3

^How is learning Irish suffering?

And FYI anyone born outside Ireland is entitled to an exemption from LC Irish.

ArthurDent

If they arrive here before secondary school they must do Irish, not sure ab out if they arrive during secondary

JC 2K3

Quote from LC board:

Enemy Of Fate wrote:

[The exemption from Irish] applies to ANYONE born outside of the 26 counties.Doesn't matter if you were only born there and have spent ever day of your life since birth in Ireland (like I pretty much have), you don't have to pass Irish to get into NUI colleges (UCD, UCC, NUIM and NUIG), assuming you fill out the forms.....

Stimpyone

Personally I'd prefer my children to have the opportunity to attend a Spanish/German/French speaking school at such a young age.

I'm of the opinion that it will stand to them much more in their future than learning Irish, which IMO, despite what people may say is essentially a dead language.

Sorry......

JC 2K3

Sure you can get by with English virtually anywhere these days. Knowing Spanish/German/French isn't really that beneficial.

Being able to speak Irish gives one a certain sense of identity.

Dyr

Its kinda funny the he mentions a gael scoil in ballymun. I went there and i saw it being built from nothing but pre fabs by parents who had f** all money in the first place, i dont remember anyone else being overly supportive of the idea of promoting a gael scoil on the northside. Nowadays, times have changed and its getting harder and harder for local kids to get into that school, even the kids of ex-pupils. Frankly, his assertion that they accept everyone is bollox.
A lot of the parents who are sending their kids to that school are doing it because it's got a good reputation and it's a small school, they couldnt care less about the fact that their kids will learn through irish. :mad:

dame

I could be completely wrong but I think it used to be the case that anyone who came to a school in Ireland before a certain age (10 years old I think) had to do Irish, but anyone who came to school after that age could apply for an exemption. That seemed to be the case when I was in school and a few families moved back from England or America (early 90's).

Learning any second language is a help and will tune the brain in for picking up other languages more easily in the future.

dame

Stimpyone wrote:

Personally I'd prefer my children to have the opportunity to attend a Spanish/German/French speaking school at such a young age.

I'm of the opinion that it will stand to them much more in their future than learning Irish, which IMO, despite what people may say is essentially a dead language.

Sorry......

There is a school such as that just outside UCD, fee-paying as far as I know, but it's for second level.

Children learn attitudes from their parents and elders so if we all show enthusiasm and positivity about learning, whatever the language or subject, then surely it will make it that bit easier for the kids of this country to go to school and learn freely without the pre-conceived hang-ups about Irish, maths or anything else being useless, boring or hard.

ArthurDent

dame wrote:

There is a school such as that just outside UCD, fee-paying as far as I know, but it's for second level.

Children learn attitudes from their parents and elders so if we all show enthusiasm and positivity about learning, whatever the language or subject, then surely it will make it that bit easier for the kids of this country to go to school and learn freely without the pre-conceived hang-ups about Irish, maths or anything else being useless, boring or hard.

i think you're talking about st killians

littlebitdull

Two of my three children attended the galescoil before we changed to the Educate together school. My third child only ever attended the ET school.

In my experience the galescoil is by its very nature an exclusive establishment. They are only going to attract the Irish, and pretty much exclude the newcomers by their very nature.

In our local galescoil there are no non irish children, no children other than the Irish white kids. Nor are there any children with special needs.

Hardly setting your children up for todays all inclusive society.

And I can say that personally I know people who have sent their children to the galescoil for the very reason that they are only mixing with other irish kids and for all the nice reasons you see quoted here.

It happens. But it would probably be unfair to tar all people with the same brush. If I was to judge by my own personal experience then I would say that in about 85% of the parents in galescoils are there for elitest reasons.

JC 2K3

Of course Gaelscoileanna will seem exclusive, it doesn't mean they are. The influx of non nationals has only come in recent times and we have to wait until they're more assimilated before we see them choosing Gaelscoileanna for their children. However, in the last 2/3 years a handful of non-nationals have started in my school(second level Gaelscoil).

And pfft, "elitist reasons", define "elitist reasons". I could say you sent your kids to an ET school for "elitist reasons" with the same basis.

Endasaurus

I went to a Gaelscoil in the late 1980s and as far as i know we didn't have to pay.