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PARENTS OF CHILDREN attending a Connemara naíonra have raised concerns after it was announced classes would be divided according to whether the children spoke Irish or English as their main language.
An Crann Taca is an Irish-language school based in Indreabhán, Connemara and has a naíonra, crèche and after school facilities.
In September the naíonra, which is a playgroup for pre-school children, will be divided into groups of children who speak Irish almost exclusively, and bilingual children (who can speak both Irish and English).
Parents have said that this is a form of discrimination, as the children all speak Irish when at the naíonra, while the school said that it’s a matter of catering for the different language needs of each child.
Sinn Féin Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh said that a number of parents are also concerned about staff numbers at the school, which is advertising for positions weeks out from the beginning of the term.
It is only a few short months since a number of staff in the centre were let go as they did not have the relevant FETAC Level 5 qualifications needed.
“Vacancies in the centre have been advertised locally again this weekend.”
Speaking to TheJournal.ie, Lochlainn Ó Tuairisg, board secretary of the Ionad Tacaíochta Teaghlaigh which runs An Crann Taca, said that seven members of staff were told to update their teaching qualifications before a certain deadline.
“Some staff did, some didn’t,” Ó Tuairisg explained.
Seven staff members who didn’t have a minimum of a Level 5 qualification were let go, but the school didn’t receive funding to finance an update to their training, according to Ó Tuairisg.
It’s been suggested that some staff members have voiced their opposition to dividing children into classes according to their language level.
Language divisions and language needs
An Crann Taca opened in 2004 to provide Irish-language facilities for children whose parents want to raise their children through Irish only.
Two weeks ago, a letter was sent around to parents informing them of the change to classes, which would have children grouped according to whether they speak Irish at home or not.
A part of the letter read:
Parents will be asked to make a conscientious, informed and sincere choice regarding which service will best suit their child’s needs: group A, for those children whose primary language of communication and play is English; and group B for those children whose primary language of communication and play is Irish.
Parents were asked to fill out a form to decide what level of Irish their child speaks. Here’s a section of the form:
The letter said that research has shown the best way for both native and non-native child speakers to learn is to be grouped with similarly-skilled speakers.
But some parents feel that this is a form of discrimination against bilingual children, and think it doesn’t make sense as children of different ages could be in the same class.
“Some parents don’t want their children learning English before the age of six,” one parent told TheJournal.ie, “but I don’t want anyone to put a judgement on my child”.
I don’t know what to do. My kids have a lot of friends there, and when you find a school that your children are happy going to that’s worth a million bucks.
“[It's] definitely pulling on my heartstrings.”
Ó Tuairisg said that the change came following parents’ complaints that primarily Irish-speaking children were coming home from An Crann Taca speaking English. The school had divided classes according to language-skills when it first opened, but this was changed later.
He said the school rejects the “discrimination label” entirely.
But bilingual families feel the change is unfair.
“In the longterm I don’t think they’d bat an eyelid if bilingual parents left. If they had the cash they would turn away bilingual families altogether,” a parent said.
“That’s not a positive outlook on the Irish language.”
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Lets be honest. Most send their kids to these Irish language schools because non nationals tend not to go to them..
@SteveW: Fact or fiction? If fact, can you provide sources please.
@SteveW: I’m a pretty cynical guy but I doubt that is the reason people send their kids to an All Irish school especially in Connemara……..
@SteveW: if there was ever one comment that sums up the comment section on this site , this is it.
@SteveW: Not true at all Steve. Some of us are passionate about preserving the language. Sometimes we get that but collectively we are too lazy to bother restoring our own language. On the other hand, I’ve found that many of the native Irish speakers in Gaeltacht areas speak English to the students trying to learn. It’s as if they don’t care about ‘outsiders’ learning Irish and don’t want to help us out! A nephew of mine spent time in Donegal and the bean an tí never asked the kids their names. Deplorable really…
@SteveW: A non national? So you think there are people out their that have no nationality at all? Are they aliens?
@Gary:
Are you being deliberatly obtuse Gary? I think you well know what was meant.
@SteveW:
100% of Japanese parents like to send their kids to Japanese speaking schools.
The Japanese are ranked 3rd in IQ World Rankings.
@SteveW: absolute rubbish. Non nationals do attend and are more than welcome
@SteveW: utter nonsense. No doubt you only make such comments to try to get attention. People send their kids to these schools as they generally have excellent academic reputations and their kids get a huge academic and developmental advantage by learning Irish.
I hate to miss an opportunity to make fun of the Irish language pushers, but I can’t see what the creche has done wrong here. Isn’t it a bigger story that the form was in English?
“Some parents don’t want their children learning English before the age of six”. Why? That’s pretty weird.
@The Bob: why is it weird? I think it’s weirder that people don’t want their kids speaking Irish all the time
@The Bob: not really, all children in Ireland are surrounded by English, they’ll pick it up.
@The Bob: It’s not weird, once they hit primary school it’ll be Béarla all the way.
One could say there is discrimination both ways here. The child with less Irish would surely benefit from being with the child who is fluent in Irish. And what is wrong with a child fluent in Irish also being able to utter some words of English heard from a child less fluent in Irish? Political correctness gone mad!!
@Micheal S. O’ Ceilleachair: It’s not political correctness, mad or otherwise. The phrase is trite and over-used but doesn’t even remotely apply in these circumstances.
I wish I could speak Irish.
@Darren Bates: free app Duolingo is great
@Darren Bates: It’s never too late. I came back to Irish as an adult and have found loads of opportunities to use it since. There are loads of adult learners out there. Go n-éirí go geal leat!
@Siobhain:
And good luck to if that’s your choice, personally what I object to is the compulsory nature of it, that and the millions spent on pointless translations.
@P.J. Nolan: if we are serious about it we would be teaching all our kids thru Irish. Incentives including tax incentives might work. Why not be bilingual like most other European countries? I don’t think that Irish people are too stupid to learn Irish. The Danes and Swedes have their native languages and most have mastered English. They don’t see their language as compulsory it’s just natural. Bilingualism is a natural way of doing business there. It’s humiliating…
@P.J. Nolan: Perrsonally I object to compulsory schooling and the indoctrination and social engineering that goes with it. There are some who will not be satisfieduntil all things Irish are expunged.
@TheoWolfe: was it not Wolfe Tone who said Ireland for the Irish. Wonder what he’d think of an anonymous virtual commentator complaining about Irish people having to learn Irish considering he lived here at a time when most people on the island spoke Irish . But puzzled Theo or who ever you are.
I’m English, here for 12 years. My son is learning through Irish as he is Irish and should speak his own language as I speak my own language (English). However, working in a special needs school with children who cannot communicate verbally, I understand the importance of being able to communicate in any way you can. Instead of an all or nothing approach to Irish, the education system throughout the country should be bilingual. No Irish summer camps necessary! !! As an English person it would be very strange to say I dont speak English, as many Irish people cannot speak their own language. There is a massive failure in the system. Keep all the children together in the creche and let them learn from each other. Never tell a child off for speaking English, just correct them and use positive reinforcement when they speak Irish. Keep it fun, and make sure the children are happy. Happy communicating.
Sounds like a sensible solution in an Irish speaking community like Cois Fharraige. It fact it worked very well when my two children were attending the local naoinra: the 3/4 year olds already Irish speaking from home were kept together in one session of the play school, if there parents so should choose, and the children who had little or no knowledge were able to be catered for with more concentration on their language needs, which were different to those whose first language was Irish. I can’t see where the discrimination is. It’s like saying there is discrimination going on in schools which teach separately the pupils who are doing Higher Level Maths and those who are doing Ordinary level.
This is a sensible idea by An Crann Taca that acknowledges that children who speak Irish as their 1st language have different needs to children who learn Irish as a 2nd language or children who are bilingual. The simple fact is, when children of both languages start naoínra and there is no seperation, they end up speaking English together, not Irish. I have seen this 3 times with my own children. This is a good idea and should be welcomed.
I’m a plastic paddy. Born in uk with Irish parents. Moved back when I was younger but did not learn Irish. My wife and kids speck Irish no problem and can talk behind my back if needed!
If i was living in that area and sent my child to a Irish school. Jesus let them talk Irish…..no it’s or buts…
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