I have sent my e-mails and have only received standard replies from most - nothing from some. If you have not yet taken the opportunity to have your say, it is not too late to contact anyone and everyone to make your point. They often listen to numbers of votes instead of logic!

Here is what it is all about (English version below):

Cearta Oideachais
Tháinig an grúpa Cearta Oideachais le chéile mar gheall ar na hathruithe ar pholasaithe iontrála scoile atá á mbeartú ag an Aire Oideachais. Má leantar leis na hathruithe seo, tá baol ann go mbeidh ar pháistí atá á dtógáil le Gaeilge freastal ar scoileanna lán-Bhéarla

Leasuithe an Aire – An Cúlra
Tá Ruairí Quinn ag beartú leasuithe ar pholasaithe iontrála scoile le cothrom na Féinne a thabhairt d’inimircigh, do pháistí le deacrachtaí foghlamtha agus d’aicmí sóisialta éagsúla. Do leag an tAire amach a phlean ar dtús i bplécháipéis sa bhliain 2011. Thug sé le fios gur chóir cosc a chur ar scoileanna tús áite a thabhairt do pháistí iardhaltaí na scoile agus do phaistí bhaill foirne na scoile i bpolasaithe iontrála. Thug sé le fios freisin gur chóir deireadh a chur leis an gcóras mar a dtugtar tús áite do na tuismitheoirí is túisce a chláraíonn ainmneacha a bpáistí. Córas é seo a fhágann inimircigh nó daoine a bhogann go ceantar nua faoi mhíbhuntáiste. Shíl an tAire go mbeadh se níos cothroime dá dtabharfadh scoileanna tús áite do pháistí a bhfuil cónaí orthu i gcomharsanacht na scoile. Bheadh cead fós ag scoileanna le héiteas creidimh tús áite a thabhairt do lucht an chreidimh sin. Thug an tAire le fios, áfach, nach mbeadh cead ag scoileanna lán-Ghaeilge cumas teanga na bpáistí nó na dtuismitheoirí a chur san áireamh ina gcuid polasaithe iontrála.

I gcás chumas teanga na bpáistí, creideann Cearta Oideachais gur chóir go gcuirfí an cumas sin san áireamh sa chás go bhfuil páiste á thógáil le Gaeilge. Is é sin le rá, ba chóir go mbeadh deis ag páistí atá á dtógáil le Gaeilge freastal ar Ghaelscoil. Mura dtugtar tús áite sna Gaelscoileanna do na páistí arb í an Ghaeilge an chéad teanga atá acu, d’fhéadfadh sé tarlú go mbeadh ar na páistí sin freastal ar scoil lán-Bhéarla.

Tá Bille Oideachais (Iontrála Scoile) 2013 le tabhairt ós comhair an Rialtais go luath. Tuigtear dúinn go bhfuil na forálacha a chuirfeadh cosc ar Ghaelscoileanna tús áite a thabhairt do páistí atá á dtógáil le Gaeilge fós sa reachtaíocht.

Gné eile den Bhille a chuireann imní ar Chearta Oideachais ná an moladh gur chóir deireadh a chur le scoileanna friothálacha (feeder-schools). I gcás na nGaelcholáistí, ní bheadh aon chead acu tús áite a thabhairt do pháistí a fuair bunoideachas trí mheán na Gaeilge.

Éilimh Chearta Oideachais
Tá Cearta Oideachais ag iarraidh go gcuirfí na leasuithe seo a leanas i bhfeidhm ar an mBille Oideachais (Iontrála Scoile) 2013. Ba chóir go mbeadh forálacha sa Bhille a thabharfadh cead do Ghaelscoileanna:

1. tús áite a thabhairt do pháistí atá á dtógáil le Gaeilge
2. measúnú a dhéanamh ar riachtanais oideachais agus teanga iarrthóirí arbh í an Ghaeilge a teanga baile.

Maidir leis na Gaelcholáistí, ba chóir foráil a chur sa Bhille a thabharfadh cead dóibh:

3. tús áite a thabhairt do pháistí a fuair a mbunoideachas trí mheán na Gaeilge.

Na Príomh-Argóintí ar son Éilimh Chearta Oideachais

• Is mionlach an-bheag sna Gaelscoileanna féin líon na bpáistí atá á dtógáil le Gaeilge. De réir suirbhé a rinne Gaelscoileanna, is í an Ghaeilge príomhtheanga baile tuairim is 2% de dhaltaí Gaelscoile. Fiú má chuirtear páistí a bhfuil an Ghaeilge mar dhara teanga sa bhaile san áireamh, creidimid go mbeadh níos lú ná 5% de dhaltaí Gaelscoile i gceist.
• Cabhraíonn páistí a bhfuil an Ghaeilge mar chéad teanga acu le páistí eile atá ag foghlaim na Gaeilge ar scoil agus trí mheán an tumoideachais.
• Sa chás gur teanga mhionlaigh í an chéad teanga, aithníonn taighdeoirí an gá atá le hoideachas trí mheán na teanga sin le hardchumas a bhaint amach sa teanga mhionlaigh agus i dteanga an phobail.
• Ó thaobh inmharthanacht na Gaeilge de, tá sé riachtanach go dtacófaí le cainteoirí dúchais agus le teaghlaigh atá ag tógáil clainne le Gaeilge. Tá sé seo in ainm is a bheith mar pholasaí Rialtais (Straitéis Fiche Bliain don Ghaeilge)
• Glactar leis go hidirnáisiúnta gur ceart freastal ar mhionlaigh agus oideachas a chur ar fáil dóibh ina dteanga féin.
• De réir Bhunreacht na hÉireann, ní thig leis an Stát iachall ar chuir ar thuismitheoirí, in aghaidh a gcoinsiasa nó a rogha dleathaí, páistí a chur ar scoil ar leith.
• Tá na forálacha a dhéanfadh leatrom ar phobal na Gaeilge, ar mionlach iad sa chóras Oideachais, ag teacht salach ar spiorad na leasuithe atá ag éirí an t-iolrachas agus t-ilchultúrachas a chur chun cinn i scoileanna na tíre seo.


Conas is féidir leat cabhrú linn?

• Scríobh chuig an Aire Oideachais Ruairí Quinn ag An Roinn Oideachais agus Scileanna, Sráid Maoilbhríde, Baile Átha Cliath 1 nó Minister@education.gov.ie

• Scríobh chuig Teachtaí Dála áitiúla.

• Téigh i dteagmháil linn ag ceartaoideachais@gmail.com agus abair linn gur mhaith leat tacú linn!

• I gcóir tuilleadh eolais féach https://www.facebook.com/ceartaoid



Cearta Oideachais

The group Cearta Oideachais was formed in response to the changes to school enrolment policies proposed by the Minister for Education. If these changes are implemented as proposed, there is a real danger that children who are being raised through Irish will be denied access to education through the medium of Irish.

The Minister's Proposed Changes – Background

Minister Ruairí Quinn is proposing amendments to school admission policies in an attempt to level the playing field for children of different abilities and from all social and cultural backgrounds. The Minister originally outlined his proposals in a 2011 discussion document. He indicated that schools should be prevented from giving preference to children of past-pupils as well as children of staff members in their admission policies. He also indicated that he would ban the first-come-first-serve system whereby parents place their children on a list for admission as soon as they are born. This is a system which puts children who have recently moved into the catchment area of the school at a disadvantage. The Minister believes that it would be most equitable for schools to give preference to children who are living in the vicinity of the school. Schools with a particular religious ethos would still be allowed give preference to children of that faith. The Minister has indicated however, that Irish-language schools would not be able to consider the Irish-language proficiency of applicant children as part of their admissions policy.

Cearta Oideachais believes that Irish-medium schools should be allowed take into account the home language of Irish-speaking children in their enrolment policies. In other words, a child who is being raised through Irish should be given the opportunity to attend an Irish-medium school.

The Education (Admission to School) Bill 2013 is to be brought before Government soon. We understand that the provisions which would deny children, whose first language is Irish, access to Irish-language education are still in the draft legislation.

Cearta Oideachais is also concerned about the proposals with regards to admission policies of post-primary schools.. If implemented, post-primary Irish-medium schools, known as Gaelcholáistí, they would be prohibited from giving preference to children who received their primary education through the medium of Irish. This in short would undermine Irish-medium education at all levels.

Cearta Oideachais – Our Recommendations
Cearta Oideachais want to see the Education (School Admission) Bill 2013 amended in the following manner. Irish-Language Schools should be allowed to:

1. Give preference to children who are being raised through the medium of Irish.
2. Assess the educational and linguistic requirements of applicant children who are from Irish-speaking families.

Regarding Gaelcholáistí, there should be a provision in the Bill to:

3. Give preference to applicant children who received their primary education through Irish.





The Main Arguments supporting the Recommendations of Cearta Oideachais

• Even in Irish-language primary schools, children from Irish speaking households are a tiny minority. On average less than 5% of Gaelscoil pupils come from Irish speaking backgrounds. Protecting the educational rights of this small minority of children is not a barrier to the promotion of cultural and social diversity in these schools.
• Children who have Irish as a first language scaffold other children’s language learning. In Irish-medium schools they are therefore an important resource for peers for whom Irish is not the language of the home..
• International research in the areas of language acquisition and sociolinguistics affirms that education through the minority-language is essential for minority-language children in order to, achieve additive bilingualism or equal competence in the minority and the majority language.
• To ensure the viability of the Irish language, it is imperative that the youngest generation of native-speakers and families who are raising their children through Irish are supported. This is Government policy (20 year strategy for the Irish Language).
• International bodies such as the United Nations and the European Court of Human Rights have recognized on several occasions that states have an obligation to provide mother-tongue education to indigenous linguistic minorities.
• Article 42.2 of the Irish Constitution states: The State shall not oblige parents in violation of their conscience and lawful preference to send their children to schools established by the State, or to any particular type of school designated by the State.
• These provisions, which would discriminate against Irish-speaking children, a minority-group in society and in the education system too, are contrary to the spirit of pluralism and multiculturalism which this Bill purports to espouse.

Who are we?
The members of Cearta Oideachais include:
• Conall Ó Móráin, MD of The Media Group agus Broadcaster on Today FM
• Rónán Ó Muirthile, TV director, Broadcaster at Newstalk, Chairman of the board of the Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology.
• Dr. Ríona Ní Fhrighil, Lecturer, St Patrick’s College, Drumcondra;
• Feargal Ó Cuilinn, Director, Comhluadar Teo. .
• Siobhán Nic Gaoithín, Irish Language Officer, DIT.


How Can You Help

• Write to the Minister of Education, Ruairí Quinn at the Dept. Of Education and Skills, Marlborough, Dublin 2 or minister@education.gov.ie

• Write to your Local TD

• Contact us at ceartaoideachais@gmail.com and let us know if you’d like to help us!

• For more information see www.facebook.com/CeartaOid

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