A detailed submission was made on 15 October 2014 to the forward planning section of the Department of Education and Skills by An Foras Patrúnachta, with the support of the committee established to revitalise the long fought campaign for a Gaelcholáiste in North Kildare.
The Department are currently reviewing the location of new secondary schools for the next two years. The campaign for a Gaelcholáiste in the North Kildare region seized this opportunity to highlight once again to the Department of Education and Skills the fact that North Kildare students have now found themselves without an all Irish full immersion secondary school to go to because of capacity issues in the secondary school that they have supported to date.
Last week, Coláiste Cois Life, the Irish medium secondary school in Lucan, confirmed to students of Irish medium primary schools from Kilcock, Leixlip and Maynooth that they will continue to be relegated to a lower level of admission, giving priority to students of the more newly established Lucan based schools which have grown considerably over more recent years. Students from the North Kildare region were instrumental in the establishment of Coláiste Cois Life in 1989, supported it throughout its life and currently represent 51% of its population. From the foundation of the school parents were assured that Coláiste Cois Life was established to meet demand from the North Kildare area and this was written into the record of the Dáil on many occasions.Ignoring this, the admissions policy was altered so that students of North Kildare are in effect no longer welcome to their nearest all Irish full immersion secondary school.
This is despite there being c.200 students currently in 6th Class in Irish language primary schools in the North Kildare region.
An Foras Patrúnachta in its submission last week to the Department has emphasised that this demand urgently needs to be met by the establishment of a Gaelcholáiste in North Kildare.
The submission, with detailed statistical analysis, demonstrates the significant and established demand together with the absolute sustainability of an all Irish full immersion secondary school in the North Kildare region for many years to come based on the current enrolment figures in the five Irish medium primary schools in the region.
With a mere c.17 places available in September 2015 in Coláiste Cois Life to the c.200 students from the area,this will have a knock-on effect on enrolments to English medium secondary schools in North Kildare and will result in immense pressure on capacity in those schools.
The committee is asking parents to show their support for the campaign to establish a Gaelcholáiste in North Kildare through Twitter and on their Facebook page. You can also contact them direct by email to gcnorthkildare@gmail.com
For further information:
Contact: Bronagh Geraghty
Facebook: Gaelcholaiste North Kildare
Twitter: @GC_NorthKildare
Editor’s Note:
An Foras Pátrúnachta is the patron body established to develop education through Irish and is the largest patronage body of Irish medium schools at first and second level.
Ar an 15 Deireadh Fómhair 2014, sheol An Foras Pátrúnachta aighneacht mhionsonraithe chuig an An Rannóg um Pleanáil Chun Cinn sa Roinn Oideachais agus Scileanna le tacaíocht ó choiste a bunaíodh chun athbheochan a dhéanamh ar an bhfeachtas do Ghaelcholáiste i gCill Dara Thuaidh, feachtas atá ar an bhfód le fada.
Tá athbhreithniú ar bun ag An Roinn Oideachais i láthair na huaire ar na háiteanna ina lonnófar meánscoileanna nua sa dhá bhliain atá romhainn. Thapaigh na feachtasóirí do Ghaelcholáiste i gCill Dara Thuaidh an deis seo le meabhrú don Roinn arís go bhfuil daltaí i gCill Dara Thuaidh nach bhfuil an deis acu freastal ar mheánscoil ina bhfuil tumoideachais iomlán sa Ghaeilge ar fáil toisc nach bhfuil spás dóibh sa mheánscoil a bhfuil tacaíocht tugtha ag an Roinn di go dtí seo.
An tseachtain seo caite, dheimhnigh Coláiste Cois Life, an mheánscoil lán–Ghaeilge i Leamhcán, do dhaltaí a fhreastalaíonn ar Ghaelscoileanna i gCill Coca, i Léim an Bhradáin agus i Maigh Nuad, go bhfuil ísliú céime tugtha dóibh sa pholasaí iontrála. Tabharfar tús áite do na scoileanna nua i Leamhcán a bhfuil fás suntasach tagtha orthu le blianta beaga anuas. Bhí ról lárnach ag daltaí ó Chill Dara Thuaidh i mbunú Choláiste Cois Life sa bhliain 1989. Tá tacaíocht leanúnach tugtha acu do scoil agus faoi láthair, is as Cill Dara Thuaidh iad 51 faoin gcéad de na daltaí. Ó bunaíodh an scoil, deimhníodh do thuismitheoirí na scoile gur bunaíodh Coláiste Cois Life le freastal ar an éileamh i gCill Dara Thuaidh agus scríobhadh an méid seo i dtaifead na Dála go minic. Tá neamhaird déanta air seo agus tá athrú déanta ar an bpolasaí iontrála, athrú a chiallaíonn nach mbeidh fáilte roimh dhaltaí ó Chill Dara Thuaidh sa scoil is giorra dóibh ina bhfuil tumoideachas iomlán trí Ghaeilge ar fáil.
Tá sé seo ag tarlú in ainneoin go bhfuil thart ar 200 data i rang 6 i nGaelscoileanna i gCill Dara Thuaidh.
Léiríonn An Foras Pátrúnachta san aighneacht atá curtha faoi bhráid na Roinne, go bhfuil géarghá le freastal a dhéanamh ar an éileamh seo trí Ghaelcholáiste a bhunú i gCill Dara Thuaidh.
Léiríonn an aighneacht, ina bhfuil anailís staitistiúil sonrach ar fáil, an t-éileamh suntasach agus bunaithe atá ann chomh maith leis an inmharthanacht atá ann do mheánscoil lán-Ghaeilge i gCill Dara Thuaidh. Tacaíonn na figiúirí rollacháin ón gcúig bhunscoil lán-Ghaeilge sa réigiún leis seo.
Níl ach 17 áit ar fáil i gColáiste Cois Life do Mheán Fómhair 2015 do thart ar 200 dalta ón gceantar. Beidh tionchar ollmhór aige seo ar rollúcháin sna meánscoileanna Béarla i gCill Dara Thuaidh agus cuirfear brú ar na scoileanna seo dá bharr.
Tá an coiste ag iarraidh ar thuismitheoirí a dtacaíocht a thaispeáint don bhfeachtas chun Gaelcholáiste a bhunú i gCill Dara Thuaidh trí Twitter agus ar a leathanach Facebook. Chomh maith leis sin, is féidir dul i dteagmháil leis an gcoiste go díreach trí ríomhphost a sheoladh chuig: gcnorthkildare@gmail.com
Tuilleadh eolais:
Teagmhálaí: Bronagh Geraghty
Facebook: Gaelcholáiste North Kildare
Twitter: @GC_NorthKildare
Nóta don Eagarthóir:
Is pátrún scoile é An Foras Pátrúnachta a bunaíodh chun oideachais trí Ghaeilge a fhorbairt. Is é An Foras Pátrúnachta an pátrún is mó ar scoileanna lán-Ghaeilge ag an gcéad agus ag an dara leibhéal.