New school Knocknacarra

ETWest

Educate Together are organising a public information meeting in the Clybaun Hotel, Knocknacarra on Wednesday evening (May 29th) to discuss their plans to open an Educate Together National School in the Galway suburb in September 2014.

Anyone from the Knocknacarra area with an interest in this development is welcome to attend.

Educate Together Information Meeting

In Clybaun Hotel, Knocknacarra
On Wednesday May 29th
At 7:30pm

Pre-enrol your child in Knocknacarra Educate Together

http://www.educatetogether.ie/knocknacarra

Mrs OBumble

Have ET been given the patronage of the school, or is it stil up for grabs?

I saw a pamphlet from a group looking for support to make it a Steiner School a few weeks back, too.

ETWest

@Mrs OBumble, nobody has been allocated the patronage of this school yet. The Department of Education are yet to decide, but it will be based on parental interest in the area.

Mrs OBumble

I just noticed this in something else I was browsing, so thought it might be worth posting in the interests of balance.

There is a process going on where the Dept of Education has to grant someone the right to run the new National School in Knocknacarra.

The VEC are pitching to get it, under the banner of bilingual education - more info here: http://www.cgvec.ie/cns/

Another group is pitching for it to be a Steiner school - here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Galway-Steiner-School/217606141635201


There may be others, too - please share if you know of any.

(it's kind of a what's on ... these are more on-going campaigns, including information evenings, and deadlines for expressing interest).

biko

Thanks, it did sound from ETWest like Educate Together had already won the school. I didn't even know there was a competition for it.
I've asked ETWest to get in touch with the back office before posting further as a rep for Educate Together.

Actually, I will make this convo into a separate thread so it doesn't fill the What's on thread as I'm sure local parents will be interested in the new school.

Mrs OBumble

biko wrote: »

Thanks, it did sound from ETWest like Educate Together had already won the school. I didn't even know there was a competition for it.
I've asked ETWest to get in touch with the back office before posting further as a rep for Educate Together.

Actually, I will make this convo into a separate thread so it doesn't fill the What's on thread as I'm sure local parents will be interested in the new school.

Yeah, there's some heavy duty PR going on. The Steiner people have a press release article in the Advertiser which makes it sound like they're definitely opening, too. ref: http://www.advertiser.ie/galway/article/61351/gaelscoil-mhic-amhlaigh-building-to-house-new-steiner-school

I wonder if the DoE compares the names of the kids who are pre-enrolled with each patron, so see how much duplication there is :-)

Seaneh

I hope ET get it and not the Steiner crack pots.

Rudolf Steiner, the founder of the Waldorf Education movement was a racist who believed that race was a reflection of spiritual state. White people being the most spiritually "pure" or "developed" in their previous lives and Black people being the least "pure" or "Developed".

They also tend to attract the sort of idiots who don't immunise their kids and believe that immunisation leads to autism and other nonsense like that. They also teach a load of pseudoscientific crap to young kids and encourage "spiritualism".

Basically, the sorts of people who believe in reiki and homeopathy and magic cryastals.

Little My

Seaneh wrote: »

I hope ET get it and not the Steiner crack pots.

Rudolf Steiner, the founder of the Waldorf Education movement was a racist who believed that race was a reflection of spiritual state. White people being the most spiritually "pure" or "developed" in their previous lives and Black people being the least "pure" or "Developed".

They also tend to attract the sort of idiots who don't immunise their kids and believe that immunisation leads to autism and other nonsense like that. They also teach a load of pseudoscientific crap to young kids and encourage "spiritualism".

Basically, the sorts of people who believe in reiki and homeopathy and magic cryastals.

A little unfair to be honest. My toddler went to the Steiner playgroup and it was lovely - a really gentle encouraging environment for a cautious little one. And he's had every jab going and not been within 10 feet of a magic crystal!

I imagine its unlikely a Steiner school will get the numbers though.

Seaneh

Little My wrote: »

A little unfair to be honest. My toddler went to the Steiner playgroup and it was lovely - a really gentle encouraging environment for a cautious little one. And he's had every jab going and not been within 10 feet of a magic crystal!

I imagine its unlikely a Steiner school will get the numbers though.

There are *some* very good aspects of steiner schools, but there are some very ****ing weird aspects as well. I never said the school ban jabs, i said they attract the types who don't get their kids immunised.

Mrs OBumble

Seaneh wrote: »

There are *some* very good aspects of steiner schools, but there are some very ****ing weird aspects as well. I never said the school ban jabs, i said they attract the types who don't get their kids immunised.

In terms of herd immunity, it may actually better if all the unimmunised kids are in the same school.

I don't know too much about Steiner, except that a former staff member had his kid in a Steiner school, and the father's attitudes gave me some grief in organising seating in the office. Not gonna go into details 'cos I'm not sure what was causal and what was simply correlation. But yes, "interesting" attitudes that I've not met elsewhere.

inisboffin

I know two Steiner teachers, one a little hippier than the other yeah but both sound.

I know a few families where the kids were educated through Steiner and they are all lovely for the most part.

I think like anything else there is positive and negative, but from my own personal *outside* view, the experiences of the Steiner family lean to positive.
ET is sound too a few friends' kids attend.
Sime of the negative aspects mentioned earlier about racism, classism etc I have personally seen in Irish Catholic schools in the past! I must read more on Steiner though as I hadn't heard that reference to racism regarding the curriculum. Any links Seaneh?

finlma

Great news that the Educate Together for Knocknacarra got the go ahead yesterday for September 2014. Does anyone know where it will be located?

taytoes

finlma wrote: »

Great news that the Educate Together for Knocknacarra got the go ahead yesterday for September 2014. Does anyone know where it will be located?

Will it also be a Gaelscoil do you know?

beardybrewer

taytoes wrote: »

Will it also be a Gaelscoil do you know?

I would think by definition of being an inclusive, multicultural school (read: immigrant friendly) that it won't be taught in irish.

http://www.educatetogether.ie/about/what-is-educate-together

finlma

taytoes wrote: »

Will it also be a Gaelscoil do you know?

No, just a normal ET school.

taytoes

newkie wrote: »

I would think by definition of being an inclusive, multicultural school (read: immigrant friendly) that it won't be taught in irish.

Not at all that's just your definition. I know of a non denominational school in Loughrea that is also a Gaelscoil and has lots of kids from families with non Irish born parents.

I believe that the possibility of this new school being a Gaelscoil as well as Educate Together, was part of the initial proposals put forward.

finlma

newkie wrote: »

I would think by definition of being an inclusive, multicultural school (read: immigrant friendly) that it won't be taught in irish.

http://www.educatetogether.ie/about/what-is-educate-together

There are plenty of Irish in ET schools by the way.

taytoes

finlma wrote: »

No, just a normal ET school.

Thanks for the info.

Mrs OBumble

taytoes wrote: »

Not at all that's just your definition. I know of a non denominational school in Loughrea that is also a Gaelscoil and has lots of kids from families with non Irish born parents.

I believe that the possibility of this new school being a Gaelscoil as well as Educate Together, was part of the initial proposals put forward.

'Twas the VEC that was bidding for patronage under the banner of bi-lingual education, not ET.

But in the back of my mind, there's something about a new primary level gallscoil also opening in Knockers sometme soonish, as well as the one that was being bid for.