Three Donegal primary schools are taking part in a unique project aimed at immersing junior infants in the Irish language.
The schools, which are all located in the Gaeltacht region, all plan to delay the teaching of the English language for a year until the children enter senior infants.
The schools taking part in the project include Scoil Rann na Feirste, Scoil Dhoire Chonaire and Scoil Chaiseal na gCorr.
A spokesman for the project, Éamonn Mac Niallais, said research has shown the plan is working.
“It is very clear from international and national research on immersion education that not only does this system improve the acquisition of the minority language, in this case Irish, but also that it improves standards in both languages in senior classes.
“Therefore, this system is to the benefit of all pupils and is recognised as international best practice for minority language medium schools such as Gaelscoileanna and Gaeltacht schools,” he said.
There are seven other primary schools in the Gaeltacht category A area in Donegal.
Some of these schools have yet to make a decision on immersion education but project organisers hope they will make the same decision as these three schools.
“It is of critical importance to us as one of the strongest Gaeltacht communities in Ireland that we are prepared to take positive steps to demonstrate our committment to the conservation and development of the Irish language.
“We have to acknowledge that there is a crisis in even the strongest Gaeltacht areas in terms of the lack of usage by young people of the Irish language in their normal everyday social interactions.
“The introduction of immersion education in Gaeltacht schools in not the answer to all of these problems but it is definitely a step in the right direction and is to be welcomed,” he said.
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Ní neart go cur le chéile
Tá tús curtha inniu ag trí bhunscoil Ghaeltachta san Iarthuaisceart leis an tumoideachas ins na naíonáin bheaga; Scoil Rann na Feirste, Scoil Dhoire Chonaire agus Scoil Chaiseal na gCorr. Séard atá i gceist go bunúsach leis seo nó nach mbeidh na scoileanna seo ag tosnú ar theagasc an Bhéarla leis na daltaí go dtí na naíonáin mhóra ar a laghad. Déanann muid comhghairdeas leis na tuismitheoirí, na Boird Bhainistíochta agus na múinteoirí ins na scoileanna seo a ghlac an cinneadh dearfach seo.
Is cinnte ón taighde idirnáisiúnta agus náisiúnta atá déanta ar an tumoideachas, ní amháin go bhfuil sé chun leas na mionteanga (an Ghaeilge) ach go mbíonn torthaí foghlama níos airde á mbaint amach ag na daltaí ins an dá theanga. Mar sin de, is chun leas an pháiste atá an cleachtas seo.
Tá buíochas ag gabháil d’Eagraíocht na Scoileanna Gaeltachta agus COGG a d’eagraigh seimineár do lucht teagaisc na scoileanna Gaeltachta san Earrach ar an ábhar seo. Chomh maith le sin, d’eagraigh siad seisiúin eolais do na Boird Bainistíochta agus cúrsa traenála do mhuinteoirí ar fhoghraíocht na Gaeilge. Tá seacht mbunscoil eile i gCatagóir A san Iarthuaisceart agus tuigeann muid go bhfuil cinneadh le déanamh go fóill ag roinnt acu seo agus tá súil againn go nglacfaidh siad uilig an cinneadh céanna.
Tá sé fíorthábhachtach dúinn mar phobal Gaeltachta na céimeanna dearfacha seo a ghlacadh le léiriú go bhfuil muid dáiríre faoi thodhchaí na teanga a chinntiú. Tá géarchéim ann ó thaobh úsáid na Gaeilge i measc aos óg na Gaeltachta; ní réiteach na faidhbe ann féin atá sa tumoideachas ach is cinnte gur cuid den réiteach é.
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