Policy to keep Gaeilge alive will give extra resources to schools

Schools that fulfil criteria as Gaeltacht schools will get extra staff and other resources to support their work of keeping the Irish language alive.

Conradh na Gaeilge has welcomed the new government policy on Gaeltacht schools, which sets out the means by which it is intended to ensure a high-quality Irish-medium education is available to all young people in Gaeltacht areas.

Among the plans in the five-year strategy is that those recognised as Gaeltacht schools will have access to packages of additional teaching and other resources. These extra supports will be made available on a phased basis within the five-year timescale allowed to meet the criteria.

Those requirements will include eventually teaching entirely through Irish, as one-quarter of primary and nearly one-third of second-level schools in Gaeltacht areas do not currently operate solely through Irish.

Schools will be expected to make every effort to hire staff proficient in Irish, and to use the language in communication with parents and their local communities.

The policy was launched at Scoil Náisiúnta Mhic Dara in Galway’s Connemara Gaeltacht by Taoiseach Enda Kenny, Education Minister Richard Bruton, and Minister of State for Gaeltacht Affairs Seán Kyne.

Conradh na Gaeilge welcomed the inclusion of supports to help communities achieve recognition as Gaeltacht schools, and its requirement that schools operate entirely through Irish. The rollout of the policy up to 2022 is expected to cost €7m, of which €1m will be spent next year, with dedicated professional development available for teachers, principals, and language assistants.

While the reception to the policy was largely positive, Conradh na Gaeilge general secretary, Juilan de Spáin, said it did not accept the recommendation to form a panel of suitably proficient teachers from which Gaeltacht schools could recruit staff. He said this proposal had been accompanied by a willingness of Irish-language schools patron body An Foras Pátrúnachta to provide the required panel.

The policy document said the small numbers of Gaeltacht schools and their geographical spread meant it would not be feasible to have such a dedicated panel for redeployment of teachers.

Currently, redeployments of staff from primary schools, which are due to lose teachers, are operated on a diocesan basis.