October 2006

Muff group backs Gaelscoil

Glór Mhaighe, the Muff Irish language group, has written to the Department of Education and Science in support of the proposed Gaelcholáiste (All Irish Secondary School) for Inis Eoghain.

The group, which organises classes and social events, includes students and parents of school age children. Glór believes that there is a demand for Irish in the area and that the language now has a higher profile in the National Schools. It says that there should be an Irish medium secondary school in Inis Eoghain, an area in which there was a Gaeltacht until some fifty years ago.

The group notes the Department's statistics regarding Irish medium education - almost 200 children are now being educated through Irish in Inis Eoghain! However, Glór claims that if the National Schools were given the resources to raise the standard of primary Irish, many parents would be willing to have their children educated through Irish at secondary level. 'There is no reason why a child who has been taught Irish effectively throughout primary school should not be taught through the language at secondary level, particularly if parents give the child encouragement and support,' said a Glór spokesperson.

The Muff group says since more pupils are receiving primary education through Irish in Buncrana that it supports a Gaelcholáiste in the town, with Irish medium streams in Carndonagh and Moville, linked through the Internet. This arrangement operates in parts of Northern Ireland at present. The spokesperson said that the establishment of a Gaelcholáiste would prove an excellent opportunity for cross border cooperation, particularly with Derry, which has two official recognised Irish language primary schools and a well established Irish secondary school.

The letter concludes that an Irish secondary school is required in Inis Eoghain to provide proficient Irish speakers. A good command of Irish gives students additional employment opportunities. Glór thinks that it is only right that every child should be offered the opportunity of receiving education through the national language.

Back