Do kids who have gone to gaelscoil have big advantage

Marhaps

We are trying to decide which primary school to send our child to. There’s a gaelscoil in local town or a smaller local village school that has a good name. Neither my husband or I have much interest in Irish. Does it make much difference by the time they get to leaving cert level

macchoille

Marhaps wrote: »

We are trying to decide which primary school to send our child to. There’s a gaelscoil in local town or a smaller local village school that has a good name. Neither my husband or I have much interest in Irish. Does it make much difference by the time they get to leaving cert level

Extra marks in the leaving cert in certain subjects. I believe it’s an extra 10% added if the grade is under 75% and the tapers down above 75%. From what I heard there’s some disadvantages that come after second level since everything learned in science etc was “as gaeilge”.

DublinWriter

It'll make a lot of difference when you are totally unable to help them with their homework.

randylonghorn

Marhaps wrote: »

We are trying to decide which primary school to send our child to. There’s a gaelscoil in local town or a smaller local village school that has a good name. Neither my husband or I have much interest in Irish. Does it make much difference by the time they get to leaving cert level

Where does the child want to go? Where are his / her friends going?

A happy child does better in school, generally.

Otherwise, as said above, there are pros and cons.

If you were in a big town / city, that might add a bit of weight on the Gaelscoil side of the scales, as the choice might be a big, over-crowded local school stretched beyond its resource capacity.

If you have a smaller, local village school with a good name ... well, personally, I'd probably opt for that and let my child be among her friends, and avoid her being seen as the "snob" going off to the town.

And what about the transport situation? Will you have to drive him into town to the Gaelscoil / pick him up every day?

GalwayGrrrrrl

DublinWriter wrote: »

It'll make a lot of difference when you are totally unable to help them with their homework.

My children went to gaelscoil and are now in Irish speaking secondary schools. I didn’t grow up in Ireland and we have managed fine with homework, even though I’m the one overseeing it. We chose the schools as they have a very high percentage going to third level and I wanted to give the children the possible extra skill of fluent Irish for future careers. Their English is still of a good standard and I haven’t come across any downsides apart from the lack of children from different countries in their schools. I make sure they go to activties with children from different backgrounds so they can experience different religions and cultures outside school.

FHFM50

Send them to the Gaelscoil to get a solid foundation of Irish. It'll help them a lot for their Irish exams in the future.

Don't put them in a Gaelcholaiste for second level. Doing the Leaving Cert through Irish is a pain in the thón.

Speaking from experience.

The chan chan man

Maths and science are difficult enough without having to learn them through Irish.

Had a similar dilemma with my young lad but in the end sent him to the non-Irish speaking school so I can at least help with homework.

Avonoidea

My two went to a Gaelscoil. It was a great all-round school and it did help later when one of them went to a non-Gaelcholáiste for secondary. It was an LC subject that they didn't have to spend a lot of time on. But more importantly, it was a lovely, friendly atmosphere in the school.
The one who went to a Gaelcholaiste had to have grinds in a number of subjects for LC - as it was really difficult to find grinds teachers with Irish.
I deeply regret and feel that I let my child down because I sent them to a Gaelcholáiste where the standard of teaching through Irish was mediocre.
I have a degree in Irish and was able to help with a lot of subjects.
Mar fhocal scóir, a Gaelscoil is a great choice if it has a good reputation as a school, it does give some children a great advantage and a love for the language. Avoid a Gaelcholáiste.

dory

Sad to hear all the negative reviews of Gaelcholáistí. I went to an English primary, Irish medium secondary. Was tough for a bit but then I got the hang of it and now I teach Irish in an English medium school. The students I have who went to a Gaelscoil all do well in exams with very little effort. I'd say they're bored in 1st/ 2nd year as the others haven't a clue. The ones who realise they still have to study for Junior / Leaving cert do very well (they spell as something is said rather than the proper spelling). Gives them a great love of the language as well. The others slog through for the most part.

FHFM50

dory wrote: »

Sad to hear all the negative reviews of Gaelcholáistí. I went to an English primary, Irish medium secondary. Was tough for a bit but then I got the hang of it and now I teach Irish in an English medium school. The students I have who went to a Gaelscoil all do well in exams with very little effort. I'd say they're bored in 1st/ 2nd year as the others haven't a clue. The ones who realise they still have to study for Junior / Leaving cert do very well (they spell as something is said rather than the proper spelling). Gives them a great love of the language as well. The others slog through for the most part.

I have no doubt that there are benefits from going to a Gaelscoil, or a Gaelcholaiste for that matter.

However doing subjects such as Physics, History and Economics are tough enough without having to do them through a language most students speak sporadically.

It really just doesn't seem worth the bonus marks.