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Child Item

Being forced to use your "Irish" name at school

MadsL

My daughter attends a second-level gaelscoil that insists on calling her by a translation of her actual name that sound similar to her actual name but is in fact a different Irish name. She hates it and has frequently resisted it by saying to her teacher 'that's not my name'. Her teachers continually 'correct' her if she asserts that her name is her name by repeating the translated name back to her.

Should she put up with this? What does AH think?

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HondaSami

robinph wrote: »

How does calling a person by a different name help with learning a language?

I dunno i obviously don't get it but to me it's common sense that you would be addressed in Irish in a Gaelscoil.

ManMade

I've always been called my real name. I've gone to English speaking schools. I've been called it once or twice by Irish teachers but once I handed up a copy with my actual name they just called me that. Even when I went to the Gaeltacht during the summer in 2nd year I was called my real first name.

Don't know I'd feel if someone started to call me a name I didn't associate with. Probably be rightly annoyed.

tony007

First. World. Problems.

Madam

As Irish people sure you should be proud to have an Irish name ............. Just saying;)

hoodwinked

Honestly you should have read the enrollment policies and do research on the topic before she started there if its that important an issue to you,

as it stands she is now enrolled in an irish language school, as a past student of one, (and yes they changed my name and those in my class other than the sineads...) nobody thought it was a big deal, in fact it helped us learn the irish versions of the english names....

so either put up with it or move her to an english language school where she can use her english version of her name.

FloatingVoter

Its just the Gaelbore inferiority complex at work again. In a normal school, Mairead and Donal would be called just that and not reversed into Mary and Donald. Other than that lessons would proceed through English / Swahili / Yiddish whatever.

Krusader

Rayne Wooney wrote: »

Generally it's only the names that can be changed in to Irish that are changed, Craig for example would not be changed but if Craig had a second name that could be changed, for example Mooney his name in an Irish school would be Craig Ó Maoinigh.

Craig is Gaelic anyway

OP should inform the school and ask it to stop

ballsymchugh

MadsL wrote: »

Two years. She has tried and tried. All the documentation that the school have is in her "translated" name. I suspect this may cause future problems with emigration. Her passport also has an additional surname.

her working life will depend on what form of her name she puts on her CAO or whatever 3rd level application form she uses.
i put my name in irish on my CAO form, it's in irish on my degree and on my registration with the regulatory body here in the UK. it doesn't matter that it was in english on the roll book back in school.
my passport is in irish and my birth cert is in english. it doesn't matter.

Scortho

And for the record if I go and live in Germany I'd love if they started calling me herr von C!:) I'd still identify with being myself!

Cody Pomeray

I come from Corca Dhuibhne and my name is Ruaidhri and you know what gets on my tits... getting introduced as Rory from Corkaguinny!

It goes both ways folks.

PhlegmyMoses

HondaSami wrote: »

I dunno i obviously don't get it but to me it's common sense that you would be addressed in Irish in a Gaelscoil.

Of course it is ffs. Two things you would expect when going to a Gaelscoil are that you'll have to speak Irish and that they'll Irish up your name. First world problems, tbh.

That being said, my Irish teachers used to try to call me by an Irish name that wasn't a direct translation of my name so I used to ask them to not do that. They were always cool to leave it as the English version once I brought it up.

endacl

I think the bottom line is that the school has a policy. Which your daughter disagrees with. As a matter of record, I'd tend to agree with her. I just don't think its a big deal.

You as her parent can either reinforce her attitude (to which, I think we'd all agree, she is perfectly entitled), or challenge it. You won't be changing school policy. Feck knows many have tried, and on much more fundamental issues. I'd see this as an opportunity to have a conversation with your daughter that you otherwise wouldn't have had.

kneemos

When I was in school the Irish teacher made us use our Irish names and the French teacher made us use our names in French,failing to see a problem here unless it's a kid trying to be deliberately contrary.

Seachmall

HondaSami wrote: »

I dunno i obviously don't get it but to me it's common sense that you would be addressed in Irish in a Gaelscoil.

Addressing someone in Irish is not the same as changing their name.

I know a girl called Bláthín, should I address her as "Flower" from now on because I only speak English with her?

Of course not. Her name is not "Flower". You don't translate names.

robinph

HondaSami wrote: »

I dunno i obviously don't get it but to me it's common sense that you would be addressed in Irish in a Gaelscoil.

But your name is not part of the language. It is your name and does not have a translation.

There are different variations of similar names used in different countries/ languages, but they are nothing to do with the name that you call someone who goes by a different variation.

Struggling to thing of an example that I can run through Google translate due to my lack of knowledge of any actual Irish language but will try this... RTE always means Raidió Teilifís Éireann whatever language you are talking in as it is the name of that entity. It does not become Radio Television Ireland when referring to it in English. The name stays the same despite the fact that the words have English equivalents.

hoodwinked

ballsymchugh wrote: »

her working life will depend on what form of her name she puts on her CAO or whatever 3rd level application form she uses.
i put my name in irish on my CAO form, it's in irish on my degree and on my registration with the regulatory body here in the UK. it doesn't matter that it was in english on the roll book back in school.
my passport is in irish and my birth cert is in english. it doesn't matter.

no it won't, i changed my name from the irish version (on CAO and applications to college) to the english version at registration without any issues,

will have the english version on my degree when i get it.

always worked using the english version. it has no effect once you leave 6th year behind.

Rayne Wooney

I don't see the point in this thread.

If they're calling her the wrong Irish name get the correct translation and go into the principal to resolve this little problem. It should have been done two years ago if it's bothered her for so long.

/thread

ballsymchugh

hoodwinked wrote: »

no it won't, i changed my name from the irish version (on CAO and applications to college) to the english version at registration without any issues,

will have the english version on my degree when i get it.

always worked using the english version. it has no effect once you leave 6th year behind.

even better. the OP should have ZERO worries about her future emigration chances then.

HondaSami

Seachmall wrote: »

Addressing someone in Irish is not the same as changing their name.

I know a girl called Bláthín, should I address her as "Flower" from now on because I only speak English with her?

Of course not. Her name is not "Flower". You don't translate names.

robinph wrote: »

But your name is not part of the language. It is your name and does not have a translation.

There are different variations of similar names used in different countries/ languages, but they are nothing to do with the name that you call someone who goes by a different variation.

Struggling to thing of an example that I can run through Google translate due to my lack of knowledge of any actual Irish language but will try this... RTE always means Raidió Teilifís Éireann whatever language you are talking in as it is the name of that entity. It does not become Radio Television Ireland when referring to it in English. The name stays the same despite the fact that the words have English equivalents.

I agree with what ye are saying.

I have asked the OP this question but he has not answered.

Did they change her name or are they addressing her in the Irish version of it. if it's the latter would you not see that it would be normal to be addressed in Irish in a Gaelscoil?

MadsL

Senna wrote: »

Its ridiculous that a child is being called by a name they don't associate with or want to be called. Typical Gaelscoil where they have their own agenda.

Wtf?

HondaSami wrote: »

It's not the same thing at all, if you go to a Gaelscoil you speak Irish and only Irish, you learn everything through Irish.
Am i correct in saying they are calling her by her Irish name? they have not changed her name, it's the same name but in Irish.

Her name is not a translation of an Irish name, it just sounds like it.

WayneMolloy wrote: »

Exactly, they provide children with great educations. She is lucky to be in a gaelscoil, many would be happy to take her place.

An Irish speaking school insists on using the Irish version of her name - oh the inhumanity of it all!

See above. I bet you would complain if a school in England insisted on calling Áine by her "English" name.

tony007 wrote: »

First. World. Problems.

How. Original.

hoodwinked wrote: »

Honestly you should have read the enrollment policies and do research on the topic before she started there if its that important an issue to you,

as it stands she is now enrolled in an irish language school, as a past student of one, (and yes they changed my name and those in my class other than the sineads...) nobody thought it was a big deal, in fact it helped us learn the irish versions of the english names....

so either put up with it or move her to an english language school where she can use her english version of her name.

Amazed that the two options are shut up or leave. How enlightened.

PhlegmyMoses wrote: »

Of course it is ffs. Two things you would expect when going to a Gaelscoil are that you'll have to speak Irish and that they'll Irish up your name. First world problems, tbh.

That being said, my Irish teachers used to try to call me by an Irish name that wasn't a direct translation of my name so I used to ask them to not do that. They were always cool to leave it as the English version once I brought it up.

So you spoke up and they obliged. But you want my daughter to put her head down and shut up.

Cody Pomeray

robinph wrote: »

Struggling to thing of an example that I can run through Google translate due to my lack of knowledge of any actual Irish language but will try this... RTE always means Raidió Teilifís Éireann whatever language you are talking in as it is the name of that entity. It does not become Radio Television Ireland when referring to it in English. The name stays the same despite the fact that the words have English equivalents.

Clearly that is not a hard and fast rule when it applies to individuals...

Pape François, Papa Francisco, Papież Franciszek, Papa Franjo, Pave Frans... these names are all in use for the man we call Pope Francis; it is by these names the Pope goes in each respective country.

0ph0rce0

And here is me worrying about how i'm gonna eat tonight

Sound of Silence

OP, just post you thread somewhere like here if you actually want a solution to your problem.

I honestly don't know how interested you are in an actual discussion, as it's apparent that your entire argument is based on the experiences of your Daughter alone - something which neither you nor I can really influence. As such, it's pretty clear that nothing we say here is going to sway how she feels about having her name Gaelicised.

If your not an advocate for the whole "Language Immersion" aspect of Gaelscoil's, then continue pressing the issue with the Principal. But as far as I'm concerned a Gaelicised name is a pretty small price to pay for a good Education.

oldyouth

My dislike of the Irish language stems from a pig ignorant's teachers insistence on changing the name my parents gave me in to Irish. What arrogance to tell someone that there name is something different to what they are known by and legally registered with the State. I took a few hits for my stance but I wouldn't back down. My happiest school memory is when it led to me being excluded from that teacher's class

I took particular exception with the phrase "the Irish for your name is........" My name is my name, I don't care if there is a translation for it, or if others wish to use 2 versions should they choose to do so. However, the decision is MINE, not yours, you bigoted pedos

ballsymchugh

0ph0rce0 wrote: »

And here is me worrying about how i'm gonna eat tonight

rasher sandwich always works when you can't make up your mind.

hoodwinked

MadsL wrote: »

Wtf?

Amazed that the two options are shut up or leave. How enlightened.

not quite first you apologise to your daughter for not doing your research into her education, then you explain to her that sometimes we have to put up with things we don't like in this world and rise above them and move on, then you shut up or leave.....

PhlegmyMoses

MadsL wrote: »

So you spoke up and they obliged. But you want my daughter to put her head down and shut up.

This isn't what I've said at all. Have a read again. She can speak up all she likes. It's just mad that you would willfully go to a Gaelscoil and then get sand in your vagina about them Irishing up your name. This was always going to be the case.

I'll leave you at it tbh. You've started a thread and got all upset when people disagreed with some of the aspects you've focused on.

muckisluck

Iwasfrozen wrote: »

Proper nouns like names don't translate. If I was in France my name wouldn't be translated.

London is Londres in France. Paris is Parigi in Italian. If one chooses to use Gaelic then I think it's a fair enough expectation that Gaelic forms of proper names will be used. Now having a name translated to Gaelic in a school that uses English as the medium of instruction is a whole different ball game.

GLaDOS

If it's bothering your daughter, and you've both made that clear to the school, I think it's pretty petty of them to continue.

Do the people who are telling her to suck it up realise they're calling her by a completely different name, not just a translation?

who the fug

never came across changing names into irish when did this start, going through school answering to your surname yes, or you with the head