Tá rialtas nua, agus aire oideachais nua leis, ar na bacáin ag tús na bliana úire. Ní haon ionadh é a rá go mbeidh buairt ar phobal na Gaeilge, agus na Gaelscolaíochta, faoi cheapachán an aire oideachais nua.

Chuir an t-iar-aire oideachais, Norma Foley, Fianna Fáil, le líon na ndíolúintí ón nGaeilge ag leibhéal na hardteistiméireachta agus le titim ar líon na ndaltaí in earnáil na Gaelscolaíochta.

Laige ollmhór sa chóras oideachais faoi láthair is ea an easpa polasaí don oideachas lán-Ghaeilge le spriocanna uaillmhianacha ann. Tá an chuma air go bhfuil an Roinn Oideachais ag obair i dtreo polasaí a bheidh ina shop in áit na scuaibe a fhoilsiú.

Is fiú breathnú ar an tráth ar tugadh isteach polasaí cuimsitheach, ‘radacach’ fiú, sa chóras oideachais, nuair a tugadh isteach an saoroideachas don dara leibhéal in 1966.

Ceann de na laigí ba mhó i gcóras oideachais an stáit i lár an fhichiú haois ba ea nach raibh saoroideachas ann ag leibhéal na hiar-bhunscoile. Bhí táillí i gceist do na hiar-bhunscoileanna ag an am – mar sin is do dhéagóirí na meánaicme go príomha a bhí an scolaíocht dara leibhéal. Rachaidís ar aghaidh chun bheith ag obair sa státseirbhís, mar chléirigh in oifigí, nó mar dhlíodóirí, dochtúirí etc.

Bhí líon beag scoileanna gairmoideachais ann chomh maith a thug oiliúint sna ceirdeanna don lucht oibre sna cathracha agus páistí ó chlanna bocht na tuaithe agus na Gaeltachta.

De réir mar a bhí an geilleagar ag domhandú ó dheireadh na 1950í ar aghaidh agus an teicneolaíocht ag teacht i réim, tuigeadh go mbeadh oideachas de dhíth ar dhaoine óga chun na comhlachtaí nua a bhí á mealladh a shásamh. Ach bhí neart constaicí roimh an saoroideachas.

Ag an am, ní raibh farasbarr airgid ag an stát, mar atá inniu. Sa mhullach air sin, ceapadh nach mbeadh móréileamh ann ó thuismitheoirí ar an saoroideachas ag an dara leibhéal mar creideadh gurbh fearr leo go mbeadh a ndéagóirí ag saothrú ioncam breise don teaghlach.

Chomh maith leis sin bhí drogall ar na rialtais éagsúla ó bunaíodh an stát cur isteach ar smacht na hEaglaise Caitlicí ar chúrsaí oideachais – mar sin ní dhearnadh aon dul chun cinn ar feadh 40 bliain.

Agus é ina aire oideachais, rinne Tomás Ó Deirg, Fianna Fáil, mar shampla, iarracht sna 1930í saoroideachas a thabhairt isteach don Ghaeltacht, ach chuir na heaspaig an togra go tóin poill.

Tháinig ugach ón Ríocht Aontaithe nuair a chonacthas gur ardaigh Westminster aois an tsaoroideachais go 15 sna 1940í. Agus bhí spreagadh breise ann nuair a d’eisigh Fine Gael Towards a Just Society agus d’fhoilsigh an Roinn Oideachais Investment in Education in 1965 agus cuireadh brú ar Fhianna Fáil feidhmiú.

D’fhógair an tAire Oideachais Donagh O’Malley, teachta dála de chuid Fhianna Fáil d’Oirthear Luimnigh, saoroideachas go leibhéal an Mheánteastais i dtreo dheireadh na bliana 1966 i ngan fhios don Roinn Airgeadais.

Cinneadh mór a bhí anseo, go raibh greim ag an Roinn Airgeadais ar pholasaí rialtais ó bunaíodh an stát agus iad an-choimeádach ó thaobh an chaiteachais de.

Bhí an tAire Airgeadais Jack Lynch, Fianna Fáil, ar buile le O’Malley. Ach bhí an pobal taobh thiar de chinneadh an Mháilligh agus cuireadh i bhfeidhm é.

Sna seascaidí, ní raibh ach an tríú cuid de dhéagóirí a shroich aois a 16 fós ar scoil. Inniu críochnaíonn os cionn 90% de dhéagóirí an dara leibhéal agus tá ceann de na rátaí is airde ar domhan ag an stát sé chontae is fiche i dtaobh freastal ar oideachas den tríú leibhéal. 

Sna 1960í, theastaigh ón stát oibreoirí a chruthú don chóras eacnamaíoch domhanda a bhí ag teacht i réim agus rinneadh sin. Dár ndóigh chonacthas go raibh ‘luach’ i gceist ansin – luach airgeadais. 

Le hais an luacha chultúrtha, tá luachanna oideachais agus sóisialta ag earnáil na Gaelscolaíochta a neartaíonn pobail agus a laghdaíonn caiteachas i réimsí eile den tsochaí. An dtuigfidh cibé polaiteoir a thagann i gcomharba ar Norma Foley an luach sin? Nó más Foley atá ann arís, an féidir le gluaiseacht na Gaelscolaíochta an méid sin a chur ina luí uirthi?

An mbeidh cibé aire oideachais a bheidh ann cróga a dhóthain le polasaí cuimsitheach agus uaillmhianach a chur i bhfeidhm don oideachas lán-Ghaeilge mar a rinneadh in 1966 nuair a tugadh isteach an saoroideachas do leibhéal na hiar-bhunscolaíochta?

Ní aon laoch dúinne Donagh O’Malley – Fianna Fáileach a bhí ann i ndeireadh thiar. Ach rinne sé rud forásach os cionn leathchéad bliain ó shin. Cén fáth nach féidir lena shliocht Fianna Fáileach beart den sórt céanna a chuir i bhfeidhm sa lá atá inniu ann?

Every so often ‘journalists’ in the Twenty-Six Counties deign to allow discourse on the Irish language in the English-language media. The release of census results every five years usually stirs up some discussion on the state of the language in modern Ireland, before the question is then forgotten about for another few years.

More often than not, the purpose of discussing the Irish language is motivated, not by a need to find ways in which to promote our native tongue, but instead, and as with many other topics aired by the media, the purpose is to stir controversy.

This motivation, arising from a colonial loathing of the Irish language, is done consciously and with purpose. We do not need to stray too far into the past to see examples of this, we only have to look to last week with the repeated attacks by Newstalk presenters against the language and the incoherent ramblings of journalist Brenda Power on RTÉ’s Upfront programme.

On the show, Power claimed that the Irish language was ‘dead’, despite the clear evidence of its continued survival both as a community language and in various spheres of Irish society, from the education system straight through to the media.

On other occasions this process of denigration operates at a subconscious level and is couched in terms of ‘humour’. The bizarre ‘bit’ on last Saturday’s Late Late Show in which US presenter Conan O’Brien was coaxed into mocking the Irish-language names of people in the audience was an illustration of this self-loathing colonial cringe. Evidently, the Anglocentric mind finds great amusement in different languages having different phonetic systems.

In the Six Counties, this colonial opposition manifests in unionist hostility to every aspect of the Irish language, with the current point of focus of this being fervent unionist opposition to the erection of bilingual signage in Belfast and in other urban centres.

Although there is a spectrum of usage, the Irish language essentially operates on two interlinked levels in Ireland – within the education system and outside the education system.

Many sociolinguists maintain that languages which are robust will see high levels of intergenerational transmission and community usage. This mainly occurs in the Gaeltachtaí, although these areas are under serious threat due to their historic marginalisation, lack of infrastructure, and lack of democracy in how they are run.

Despite the overall importance of the Gaeltachtaí as a fount of the language for speakers elsewhere, both linguistically and in terms of Gaeltacht natives involved in Irish-language media and education, little time is given in the English-language media to discussing the maintenance of these areas.

The impact of the housing crisis, the blight of holiday homes, the lack of broadband, poor infrastructure such as roads and quays, an over-reliance on the fickle tourist industry to sustain the economy, and the progress of the language planning process are all issues that should be up for discussion when talking about the future of the Gaeltachtaí.

However, one topic that the English-language media does regularly discuss is the matter of ‘compulsory Irish’ within the education system. Undue focus on this aspect of the discussion around the Irish language pleases the old guard anti-Gaeilge types resentful at having been ’forced’ to read Peig in the 1970s.

Such discussions rarely deal in facts and almost always bring myths around the language to the fore. One contributor on RTÉ’s Upfront programme that discussed ‘compulsory Irish’ bizarrely stated that he was a huge fan of history, yet appeared almost enthusiastic to see the death of the Irish language.

Gladly, as illustrated by numerous surveys over the years, such viewpoints are in the minority and most people are in favour of continued state support for the Irish language in the education system.Play

The Department of Education is to blame for much of the ire that is directed at the teaching of Irish within the education system in the Twenty-Six Counties.

Since the Twenty-Six County economy began to shift towards a more globalised system in the 1960s, the Department has consistently eroded the status of the Irish language within English-medium schools.

The updated curriculum recently published by the Department removed a further half an hour of Irish instruction from the time allocated to subjects for English-medium schools. There is much talk of reforming ‘teaching methods’ for Irish, but the amount of time required to acquire the language is key, and this has been constantly eroded over the last number of decades by the Department.

One commentator recently noted that the Department is seeking to “kill the Irish language by stealth” within the education system. The lax derogations system recently introduced for students who do not wish to take Irish at Leaving Certificate level confirms this.

Tens of thousands of students are now opting out of learning Irish on spurious grounds, despite the Department of Education being warned that this would happen.

Moreover, the Department and others who support this derogations system and who argue against Irish being a core subject, use spurious arguments citing ‘multiculturalism’ and ‘inclusivity’ to state that foreign born students be allowed to opt out of learning Irish. This is in fact a racist policy, the real essence of which is the belief that people who arrive from overseas are not be capable of learning Irish, or have no interest in integrating into Irish society through acquiring Irish.

The same Department has also consistently stood in the way of the founding of gaelscoileanna. Between 25% to 50% of parents in the Twenty-Six Counties would send their children to a gaelscoil or gaelcholáiste if given the opportunity, yet 102 years after the founding of the state only 8% have this opportunity.

Removing Irish as a core subject in the wider-education system will only erode the Irish language further, it will not “allow those who are serious about it, to study it” as some may claim. It will only remove the option for the many who want to study.

‘Compulsory Irish’ provides a decent foundation on which to expand the teaching of Irish.

More resources need to be put into the teaching of Irish in English-medium schools, with the progressive phasing in of the teaching of some subjects through Irish. In combination with this, a critical mass of gaelscoileanna should be built up to provide a real foothold of competency in the language for hundreds of thousands of people across the state.

More immediately, and away from the focus on ‘compulsory Irish’, those Gaeltachtaí which are under severe pressure need to receive increased investment from the state in the form of Universal Public Housing and the provision of local services, two measures which will sustain the next generation of Irish speakers who use the language as a communal one.

The re-establishment of Irish as an everyday living language can only work if it is led by a community driven movement, adequately resourced by state funding that is ring-fenced and secure.

Seo a leanas litir a sheol beirt phríomhoide i gCorcaigh, le tacaíocht Gael-Taca agus Misneach, chuig An Chomhairle Mhúinteoireachta maidir le droch-chaighdeán Gaeilge roinnt mhaith múinteoirí sa stát.

An tUas. Seán McMahon,  

Cathaoirleach,  

An Chomhairle Mhúinteoireachta  

A Sheáin, a chara,  

Táimid ag scríobh chugat, mar ghrúpa eagraíochtaí/scoileanna difriúla, chun a léiriú go bhfuil imní mhór orainn faoi roinnt mhaith mhúinteoirí nua-cháilithe de chuid na tíre seo, faoi mar atá deimhnithe ag an gComhairle Mhúinteoireachta; ach a bhfuil caighdeán íseal ag roinnt mhaith acu sa Ghaeilge.  

Ní inniu ná inné an fhadhb seo nó an laige seo bheith tugtha faoi deara maidir le córas oideachais na hÉireann. Léiríodh an fhadhb seo bheith ann fadó riamh an lá.   

Muna bhfuil múinteoir in ann an Ghaeilge a labhairt is a scríobh go cruinn is go beacht; cén seans atá ag an bpáiste óg?  Is bocht an scéal é go deimhin.   

B’é Príomhchigire na Roinne sin, Harold Hislop, a d’aithin an fhadhb an chéad lá nuair a dúirt sé i 2016 go hoscailte go raibh laigí ollmhóra i múineadh na Gaeilge i mbunscoileanna agus meánscoileanna. 

Baineann an fhadhb seo nó an gearán atá againn leis an nGaeilge. Bíodh is go bhfuil COGG ann agus cúpla rud fónta ann le tamall de bhliantaibh .i. an cúrsa nua B.Oid (le Gaeilge) i gColáiste na hOllscoile Corcaigh; mar sin féin is bocht an scéal é go bhfuil orainn mar scátheagraíocht dul i ngleic leis seo.    

Tar éis dúinn a bheith ag caint le príomhoidí timpeall na tíre, i nGaelscoileannago háirithe, deir siad linn nach féidir leo teacht ar mhúinteoirí; atá díreach críochnaithe sna Coláistí Oiliúna éagsúla; agus dóthain Gaeilge acu chun bheith ag múineadh sna scoileanna sin.    

Ní tharlódh a leithéid in aon tír eile ar domhan; is ábhar náire é. Más múinteoir thú, i scoil náisiúnta, ba cheart go mbeifeá ábalta do theanga náisiúnta.i.an Ghaeilge a labhairt agus a mhúineadh.   

Ní amháin sin ach ba cheart go mbeadh an múinteoir in ann Gaeilge agus grá don Ghaeilge a mhúineadh do na páistí óga.  Mol an óige mar déarfá.    

Chomh maith leis sin, tá na múinteoirí seo á gclárú go héasca is gan dua leis an gComhairle Mhúinteoireachta.

Tá an cat as an mála, áfach.  Níl sé seo maith go leor. Is mian linn cur ina choinnibh sa tslí cheart.     

Nuair a rinneamar gearán leis an Roinn Oideachais agus Scileanna faoi na Coláistí Oiliúna agus caighdeán íseal roinnt mhaith de na múinteoirí tar éis dóibh oiliúint a chur orthu mar dhea ar feadh ceithre bliana, ní raibh le clos againne ach bodhaire Uí Laoire.    

Is fiú a rá gur cuireadh oiliúint ghairmiúil a mhair 4 bliana ar an iomlán ar ábhar múinteoirí dá leithéid.  Is mian linn é seo a léiriú.  Níl sé maith go leor. Ceap magaidh atá ann nuair nach bhfuil an múinteoir in ann Gaeilge a labhairt nó sásta í a labhairt gan trácht. 

Ní ionsaí pearsanta é seo, áfach, ar aon mhúinteoir atá sa bhád sin.  Is mian linn an fhadhb seo a léiriú sa tslí cheart go soiléir is go macánta.      

Thug an Roinn le fios is léirigh an Roinn go soiléir gurb í an Chomhairle Mhúinteoireachta atá freagrach as caighdeán na múinteoirí i ndeireadh na dála agus iad ag iarraidh clárúchuige sin; agus mar sin is cuma cén chéim atá acu ón gColáiste Oiliúna féin.    

Dá bhrí sin, is mian linne na ceisteanna seo a leanas a chur ortsa/oraibhse:  

1. Cén fhianaise atá ag an gComhairle Mhúinteoireachta go bhfuil Gaeilge de chaighdeán áirithe ag múinteoirí nua is iad ag dul isteach sa chóras oideachais? An bhfuil aon tslat tomhais ann?  
2. Cén caidreamh atá idir an Chomhairle agus na Coláistí Oiliúna chun a dheimhniú go bhfuil Gaeilge labhartha agus scríofa ag na múinteoirí seo atá díreach tar éis céim a bhaint amach?  
3. An ndearna an Chomhairle aon imscrúdú faoin scrúdú agus faoi leibhéal an scrúdaithe sin sna Coláistí Oiliúna chun a dheimhniú go bhfuil na múinteoirí céanna cáilithe chun Gaeilge a mhúineadh? An bhfuil aon ionchur ag an gComhairle sa phróiseas seo?  
4. Cén freagra a bhí ag an gComhairle Mhúinteoireachta maidir leis an aiseolas ó na cigirí sin agus ar an ráiteas ón bPríomhchigire go raibh laigí ollmhóra i múineadh na Gaeilge i gcóras oideachais na hÉireann?   

Táimid den tuairim gur ag dul in olcas atá an scéal is baolach agus táimid an-bhuartha ar fad faoi thodhchaí na Gaeilge nuair nach bhfuil fiú Gaeilge labhartha ag múinteoirí na linne seo agus iad ag múineadh ranganna timpeall na tíre.

Tá príomhoidí bréan den fhadhb seo a bheith ann bliain i ndiaidh bliana agus táimid ag lorg freagra éigint ón gComhairle. Má tá an Chomhairle freagrach as caighdeán na múinteoirí i ngach réimse eile den chóras oideachais, tá siad freagrach as caighdeán Gaeilge na múinteoirí chomh maith.

Ní mór don Roinn Oideachais beart a dhéanamh de réir a bhriathair.  Ní mór do dhaoine labhairt amach is a rá go mb’fhéidir nár cheart do dhuine dul le múinteoireacht muna bhfuil Gaeilge cuíosach maith ag duine.  Táimid ar thóir aiseolais ón gComhairle. 

Táimid ag súil go mór le cloisteáil uait / uaibh. 

Is sinne le meas,  

Gael-Taca, Corcaigh

Misneach

Adrian Breathnach  (Príomhoide, Gaelscoil Pheig Sayers) 

Íde Ní Dhubhagáin (Príomhoide, Gaelscoil Mhachain)