It is the time of year when parents have to register their children for both primary and pre-schools.. Now is the chance for parents to consider their options.
Parents now have a choice. Traditionally, parents had little choice regarding their child’s education. The local pre-school or primary school was the only choice. Now, however, parents can now sit down and consider their options. One of the options opening up to more and more parents is the option of Irish-Medium Education. With 46 Irish-Medium Pre-schools and 31 Irish-Medium Primary Schools throughout the North, the choice of Irish-Medium Education is now a serious option and available to more and more parents.
Gaeloideachas or Irish Medium Education. is based upon immersing children at school in the Irish language – a language which, for the vast majority of pupils, is not their mother tongue. All subjects and games are conducted through the medium of Irish, and within a short period of a few years the children become fluent in the language.
A commonly held misconception is that the child will be at a disadvantage if their parents do not speak the language. Not so. The vast majority of pupils attending Irish-medium schools have parents who speak English only, and the evidence from these children is to prove this misconception incorrect. Another misconception is that the children’s English will suffer. The reality is quite the opposite. The fact that the child has another language means that their English and creative writing skills and abilities actually increase.
A bilingual child has certain advantages over his / her English-only speaking counterparts. This is due to the child’s brain being wired, so to speak, into two rich and different systems of thought and perception. The bilingual child has a greater ability to pick up further languages; he or she demonstrates greater creativity and a better ability to solve problems logically, and hence is at an academic advantage; and by speaking a different language, further job opportunities are available.
It has also been suggested that the ability of a child to speak both Irish and English gives those children in the Irish-medium sector a greater sense of positive self-confidence and self-awareness.
On another level, acquisition of Irish is also an important cultural gift to bestow on a child, and gives them the opportunity to explore their Irish, as well as their English-language, culture. For more information on registering your child, or to find out about your nearest school, contact Comhairle na Gaelscolaíochta on 90321475