Gealscoil??????

Mariaphelan

Hi Guys....

So I have a dilemma..........I'm all for speaking our native tongue and I have studied Irish for two years in college but my mother thinks that i should send my daughter(2) to the local Gealscoil. but I on the other hand would rather not as my daughters dad is Irish but can't speak a word and as he is the one who will be doing the homework every evening because of my work would it be unfair to send my daughter and her dad?

all comments appreciated

overmantle

It's the actual school you send your child to, is far more important than whether or not it is a Gaelscoil. There are good Gaelscoileanna and others that may not be quite so good, just like all other schools.

My children went to wonderful schools, neither of which was a Gaelscoil.

Toto Wolfcastle

Plenty of parents who send their children to Gaelscoileanna cant speak Irish. They learn as they go along.

If they Gaelscoil is the best school in the area then send your child there. If it isn't, then don't. It's the quality of the school that matters, not the language spoken there.

Micilin Muc

Gaelscoileanna usually provide support to parents who don't have Irish. Your child wouldn't be the first child to go to a Gaelscoil whose parents have no Irish. In fact, they might be in the majority.

byhookorbycrook

I work in one of the largest Gaelscoileanna in the country . The majority of our parents would not have much, if any Irish. The child should be able to translate for the parent if needs be with homework,so this cause no issue.

I'd be more interested in why your mother wants her grandchild to go to this school and if it's what you really want.

LilMissCiara

Your child will be learning through Irish suitable for Junior Infants. If she can learn than so can he..! :P

dubhthach

LilMissCiara wrote: »

Your child will be learning through Irish suitable for Junior Infants. If she can learn than so can he..! :P

I say this to my filipina other half anytime we have a discussion on what school our young fella is gonna go to. Given that I was in a Bunscoil in Galway back in the 80's (no one called it a Gaelscoil then) myself I tend to have my preferences. -- Of course my other half can speak about 4 other languages and says she'd probably pick up irish without a bother.

However the main issue OP is what do yourself and your partner want. If the two are you are happier sending your daughter to an english speaking school then that's your choice and your mother will have to stand by it. As byhookorbycrook says I'd be interested in why your mother is so keen on the gaelscoil

Mariaphelan

Thanks for the comments guys.........:D
so u see I'm a young mum(only 22) and well my mother thinks that she has to do everything even though for the past 2 years I've lived away from home with my daughter and my partner and we have had no problem scraping by as only we can do in this climate and MY MOTHER works across the road from our local gealscoil and she is under the impression that it is the best school in town as some of her posh and upper class friends and golf partners have gran children there. I just would like to send my daughter to a school with plenty of outdoor facilities and areas for sport and this is what our local gealscoil lacks!!!

professore

Mariaphelan wrote: »

Thanks for the comments guys.........:D
so u see I'm a young mum(only 22) and well my mother thinks that she has to do everything even though for the past 2 years I've lived away from home with my daughter and my partner and we have had no problem scraping by as only we can do in this climate and MY MOTHER works across the road from our local gealscoil and she is under the impression that it is the best school in town as some of her posh and upper class friends and golf partners have gran children there. I just would like to send my daughter to a school with plenty of outdoor facilities and areas for sport and this is what our local gealscoil lacks!!!

It is your daughter not your mothers. My kids all go to a gaelscoil and love it but that is more to do with the atmosphere in the school rather than the fact it's a gaelscoil. I would say go visit the schools in the area and see which one "fits" you and your daughter the best. That's what we did. We are not mad Gaelgoirs by any stretch - we just liked the gaelscoil the best.

The one advantage a gaelscoil has is that your child will have no problems with Irish which is compulsory in Ireland until Leaving Cert (at the moment at least) - otherwise she will struggle like I'm sure you know. My wife is Belgian BTW and that was no issue - she now knows more Irish than a lot of Irish people I know!

Toto Wolfcastle

professore wrote: »

The one advantage a gaelscoil has is that your child will have no problems with Irish which is compulsory in Ireland until Leaving Cert (at the moment at least) - otherwise she will struggle like I'm sure you know. My wife is Belgian BTW and that was no issue - she now knows more Irish than a lot of Irish people I know!

That depends on the child and on whether or not they are willing to work on it beyond primary. I have taught students who have gone to a Gaelscoil and who have struggled with Ordinary Level LC. Then again, if the child goes on to an all-Irish secondary there shouldn't be a problem.

professore

Bobblehead Panda wrote: »

That depends on the child and on whether or not they are willing to work on it beyond primary. I have taught students who have gone to a Gaelscoil and who have struggled with Ordinary Level LC. Then again, if the child goes on to an all-Irish secondary there shouldn't be a problem.

Fair point but I would say this is the exception rather than the rule. Personally speaking if I had gone to a primary gaelscoil I wouldn't have struggled with Irish as I did ...

overmantle

professore wrote: »

It is your daughter not your mothers. My kids all go to a gaelscoil and love it but that is more to do with the atmosphere in the school rather than the fact it's a gaelscoil. I would say go visit the schools in the area and see which one "fits" you and your daughter the best. That's what we did. We are not mad Gaelgoirs by any stretch - we just liked the gaelscoil the best.

The one advantage a gaelscoil has is that your child will have no problems with Irish which is compulsory in Ireland until Leaving Cert (at the moment at least) - otherwise she will struggle like I'm sure you know. My wife is Belgian BTW and that was no issue - she now knows more Irish than a lot of Irish people I know!

Most of what you have said makes a lot of sense, professore, except the insinuation that if a child doesn't go to a Gaelscoil, then s/he 'will struggle' (with Irish to Leaving Cert level). This is NOT the case. In our local secondary school, there are children who attend from a variety of local primary schools, including a Gaelscoil. Recently, there were several pupils who got 600 points, all of whom received A1s in Irish but none of these pupils had attended the Gaelscoil. In fact, it was remarked that of all the children who got A1s in Irish in the school, not one single one of them was one of the pupils who attended the Gaelscoil. One of the pupils in the school achieved the highest mark in the country and had attended the local primary school (not a Gaelscoil), so it is a huge mistake to generalise.

Kathnora

I agree with over mantle on his/her views. It doesn't matter whether a child goes to a Gaelscoil or not, if they are interested in Irish and if they are reasonably intelligent they will succeed. My son got 560 points in his Leaving Cert with a C3 in Irish (his lowest grade). The reason . . . .it was his least favourite subject! I think some people assume that children who attend Gaelscoileanna are automatically interested in Irish when it may well be their parents who are interested. Also, students of Gaelscoileanna can, like others who attend ordinary primary schools, have learning difficulties which may prevent them making great progress particularly in written exams. Children are not all born with the same level of academic abilities as we all know too well.