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PLANS TO CONVERT a Dublin-based secondary school to a Gaelscoil will go ahead in September 2026, despite the vast majority of the school’s staff being against the move.
The plan was announced to convert Synge Street CBS in Dublin 8 to a Gaelscoil and a co-educational school by the Department of Education in September 2024, following growing demand in the area for an Irish-language school.
However, teachers were only informed of the decision the day before it was announced publicly.
Since then, school staff – along with the Association of Secondary School Teachers (ASTI) – have campaigned for the plans to be put on hold.
According to the ASTI, 91% of staff at Synge Street said they were not in favour of the transition to a Gaelcholáiste.
In February, the school’s board of management told the Department of Education the change to a gaelcholáiste would not go ahead next year.
Despite the school’s concerns, the Edmund Rice Schools Trust (ERST) – which oversees the school and owns the property – told staff yesterday that the plans to enrol and teach students through Irish in September 2026 will proceed – along with a cohort of students who will be taught through English.
As total immersion in the language is a key requirement for these students, students being taught through the English language will be accommodated in another building on the school’s campus for their first year.
According the the ERST, a ‘Príomhoide Tánaisteach’ (Assistant Principal) will be appointed, and the the Department of Education and ERST will provide staff with an upskilling programme to help current teachers prepare to teach through Irish.
Teachers at the school have previously said they “fully respect and value” the Irish language and its promotion within education and agree that there is a need for a Gaelcholáiste in the area, but that a transition of the scale proposed should be guided by “transparency, collaboration, and careful consideration of all children’s needs”.
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Fantastic news for the school!
@Diane Armitage: it’s not for most people
@Lance Taylor: Totally agree totally a waste of time and money
@Lance Taylor: it’s getting so popular that even your king is speaking it !!
@Lulu: Good PR on the King’s part but he will not be job hunting anytime soon. Being a good Irish citizen is not about trying to be elitist and speaking Irish.
@Diane Armitage: Seems reasonable.
@Rian O’Sullivan: we all know you just replied to yourself Lance. How empty your life must be. lol.
Is iontach an scéal é seo!
Excellent decision.
King Charles and Michelle are great buddies. Maith an fear Agus an cailín.
@James Leahy: Chami.
Íontach ar fad!
It’s a beautiful language and to hear it spoken fluent it makes me feel inferior, I was good in school at same but now I have lost it and I am raging.
How long has that car been there.
@Dave O Connell: so long they put a lamp post behind it
Absolutely pointless doing this would be so much more useful to turn it into a Chinese or German school. Learning through Irish is utterly pointless.
This is a backward decision. More compulsion. That’s exactly what turned vast majority of Irish people off Irish language. Leave Synge street be. Build a new school for those who wish to be educated through Irish.
@Ger Byrne: No it isn’t. It’s a great idea. More giving out by Irish people who are afraid of their native language.
@p gert: not afraid. Communication in works now never so important. We need to understand each other clearly. English in this day and age is our language. Stop forcing people to converse in language they don’t want to. It won’t work. Schools as it is are finding it dig fit to get Irish teachers to teach Irish.
Kinda redefines “Compulsory Irish”, though I’m sure the Tá sés agus the tiocfaidhs are delighted
Keep flogging that dead horse
I’m mot sure of this is right but secondary school s don’t need irish to teach in any subject except of course
So what happens to them do they find jobs else where or crash course on irish to keep their jobs
@Karen Marten: great point that seems to have been overlooked. so what happens to the poor teacher that hasn’t a word of Irish (assuming that’s you are referring to..). If I was in that situation I absolutely would not want to switch teaching language, and no crash course would help. I would feel I was being constructively dismissed from said school, or at least forced to move school. Maybe they should offer teachers the option to swap schools if there was a benefit for those interested switching.
@Karen Marten: I meant secondary school teachers don’t need irish to teach in secondary school .
@Jack: no I’m not a teacher and no I’m not fluent in the language as I found it extremely difficult in school . It was a simple point I was making no need for attack.
@Karen Marten: I was agreeing with you… no attack intended :)
@Karen Marten: what’s your first language? It’s obviously not English – or else you received an extremely poor education
@Jack: well u presumed something about me with out knowing the details. I have 3 children all.exempt from irish through schools national and secondary my youngest going into secondary this September I’m glad they were exempt because I could nt help them with home work
Gay Byrne would turn in his grave.
@Phillip Smyth: Cén fáth?
@Joe Beirne: bearla le do thoil.
@Phillip Smyth: maybe but he could speak irish
eagla go leor
Kneecap have been invited to play a few toons at the opening but were afraid to park on Synge Street because of clampers.
My original comment on Irish speaking schools discriminating against ethnic minorities was removed. So much for free speech eh. I did not say any thing which would offend.
Scéal iontach ar fad é seo.
have your say