Scoil Shéamais Naofa, Scoil Ghaeltachta
Q1. Why is the school now a Gaeltacht school?
-Scoil Bhearna has always been a Gaeltacht schoolsince the Gaeltacht designation was introduced in 1956. The school is located in a Gaeltacht area – Gaeltacht Chonamara which stretches from Bearna to Roundstone and north to Tourmakeady. In October 2016 the then Taoiseach Enda Kenny launched a new Policy on Gaeltacht Education 2017-2022. The research-led policy was based on a three yearnational consultation, including public meetings in all Gaeltacht areas and further informed by over 550 submissions from the public.
Q2. What changed under the new policy?
-The new policy was drafted with the intention to providededicated and additional teaching resources for Gaeltacht schools to support and strengthen the use of Irish in the Gaeltacht. The policy also allowed schools no longer operating as Gaeltacht Schools to opt out of being designated as a Gaeltacht school. Detail of the additional resources for 2018 wereannounced recently.
For Scoil Shéamais Naofa and other Gaeltacht schools the only change will be the gradual introduction of tumoideachas / immersion teaching for new junior infants. In Scoil Shéamais Naofa this change to tumoideachas for junior classes will happen over a five year period between 2017 and 2022.
Q3. What about the rest of the classes in the school?
There will be no change to the way in which other classes are taught, although additional support and resources, when they’re made available will benefit all classes.
Q4. Why didn’t Scoil Shéamais Naofa opt out of being a Gaeltacht School?
Scoil Shéamais Naofa is a Gaeltacht school and has been since the designation was first used in the 1950’s. Irish is the working language of the school. Therefore to change the working language of the school after nearly 65 years would change fundamentally the culture of the school.
Q5. So does this mean that Scoil Shéamais Naofa is now a Gaelscoil?
No, Gaelscoileanna, by definition, only exist outside Gaeltacht areas. They operate under a different system of patronage – An ForasPatrúnachta.
Q6. So what happens next?
As set out above the only change, which has already begun, will be the gradual introduction of tumoideachas / immersion teaching for new junior infants. In Scoil Shéamais Naofa this change to tumoideachas will happen over a five year period 2017 – 2022.
However representatives of the school, the Board of Management and the Parents’ Association met recently with the Department of Education to begin the process of promoting the use of Irish by the school community, parents, teachers and pupils outside the school as part of the broader Irish language plan for Bearna / Knocknacarra.
A committee has been established in Bearna / Knocknacarra and further initiatives to strengthen the use of Irish as a community language through a local ‘PleanTeanga’ or Language Plan which will be rolled out over time. Anyone interested in being involved is more than welcome to get in touch with the committee via their contact details below:
SonraíteangmhálaChoistePleanálaTeangaBhearnaCnocnaCathrach
Cathaoirleach: Eimear Ní Cheallaigh,
Leas-Chathaoirleach: Mairéad Ní Chonaola,
Rúnaí: Uinseann Holmes,
Scoil Shéamais Naofa, Scoil Ghaeltachta
Q1. Cénfáthgurscoilghaeltachtaanois í Scoil Bhearna?
Bhí Scoil BhearnainascoilGhaeltachta ó cuireadhtús le scoileannagaeltachtai 1956. Táanscoillonnaitheigceantargaeltachta, Gaeltacht Chonamara a shíneann ó Bhearnasiar go ClochnaRónagus ó thuidh go TuarMhicÉadaigh. Sheol an Taoiseach ag an am Enda Kenny an PolasaíarOideachasGaeltachta 2017-2022imíDheireadhFómhair 2016. Lean anpolasaípróséisfadacomhairliúcháin, inártionóladhcruinnitheinGaeltachtaíuilenatíre, agusbunaithearoscionn 550 aighneachtónbpobal.
Q2. Céntionchar a bheidhag an bpolasaínua?
Cuirfeartacaíochtbhreisear fail do scoileannaGeailgechunmúineadhagusúsáidnaGaeilge a spreagadhsnascoileanna sin. Faoinbpolasaínua, tároghaagscoileanna, nachscoileannaiad a bhíonn ag feidhmiútrímheánnaGaeilge, nó mar scoileannaGaeltachta, éirí as an ainmniú sin. Fógraíodhsonraínadtacaíochta do 2018 le déanaí.
Cuirfeartús le tumoideachas do naíonáinshóisearachai Scoil Bhearnafaoinbpolasaínua as seogo ceanncúigbliana. Sin é an t-aonathrú a bheidhann do Scoil Shéamais Naofa agusscoileannaeileGaeltachta.
Q3. An mbeidhaonthionchararrangannaeilenascoile?
Ní bheidhaonathrúsatslíinambíonnrangannaeilenascoile á múineadh, cé go mbeidhacmhainníbreisefaoinscéimarfáil do rangannauilenascoile.
Q4. Cénfátharshocraigh Scoil Shéamais Naofa ganstádasgaeltachtanascoile a athrú?
Is scoilghaeltachta í Scoil Shéamais Naofa óngcéaduair ó cuireadhtús leis an t-ainmniúcháinsna 1950í. Sí an Ghaeilgeteanganascoile le cúigblianaagustríscór. Athrú ó bhunartheangaoibreaguschultúrnascoile in aonathrúdáleithéad.
Q5. AnGaelscoilanois í Scoil Shéamais Naofa?
Ní hea, níthagannscoileannaghaeltachtafaoiscáthanForasPatrúnachta, agusníbhíonnGaelscoileannalonnaitheigeantairnachcentairgaeltachtaiad.
Q6. Céard í anchéadchéimeile mar sin?
Is é an t-aonathrú i gcás Scoil Shéamais Naofa nátús de réir a chéileleisanluath-thumoideachais mar atáleagthaamachthuas. Cuirfearan t-athrú sin ibhfeidhm as seo go ceanncúigbliana2017-2022.
Bhícruinniúidirionadaithenascoile, an BhoirdBhainistíochtaagusChumannnadTuismitheoiríagus an RoinnOideachais le déanaí mar chuid don phróséisphleanálateangaigceantarBhearna / ChnocnaCathrach.
Tácoistecurthaar bun chuige sin imBearna / CnocnaCathrachagusbeidhbeartaisnua á gcuribhfeidhm de réir a chéile. Dóibhsiúdgursuimleo é, is féidirleoteagmháil le aonduine do nadaoineseo a leanas:
SonraíteangmhálaChoistePleanálaTeangaBhearnaCnocnaCathrach
Cathaoirleach: Eimear Ní Cheallaigh,
Leas-Chathaoirleach: Mairéad Ní Chonaola,
Rúnaí: Uinseann Holmes,