Leathanach cruthaithe ag coiste tuismitheoirí chun cur i gcoinne cinneadh na Roinne Oideachais & Scileanna gan an dara rang naíonáin Shóisir a cheadú do Ghaelscoil Chnoc na Ré i Sligeach, cinneadh a bhainfidh rogha na Gaelscolaíochta dá gcuid bpáistí uathu. A page set up by parents of children who may be denied a place for their child in Gaelscoil Chnoc na Ré, Sligo due the Department of Education
& Skills refusal to sanction a second Junior infant class for 2014 and beyond. The purpose of this page is to highlight a recent decision of the Department of Education & Skills which will hinder the growth of Gaelscoil Chnoc na Ré and deny many children in Sligo the opportunity of attending the school and receiving an Irish-medium education in the coming years. There were 22 children enrolled in the first class and 192 now attend the school. The school is located in temporary accommodation since its inception and in St Mary's GAA clubhouse since 1999. Despite every effort to source a permanent solution to the long running ‘temporary’ accommodation situation, it is obvious that the Gaelscoil and Irish-medium education in Sligo are not seen as a priority by the Department nor by the Government. It is clear that this unwillingness (to address the problem of accommodation) inhibits the growth of the school. Despite this, the demand for school places has increased in recent yearsThe Department has further hampered the school's organic growth by denying a sizeable number of parents the right to select Irish medium education for their children this year and, by extension, in future years. The Department is not allowing the school to enrol a second infant class, a decision which means that the school is limited, according to its Enrolment policy, to accept one class of 30 this coming year. As almost all of these 30 children are siblings of children already in the school, the Gaelscoil, through no fault of its own, will be forced to turn away 29 children of parents who seek Irish-medium education as the preferred option for their child. This is shameful and unjust in so far as:
(1) The state is obliged to preserve the Irish language and encourage its use (Section 8 of the Constitution)
(2) The decision of the Department of Education and Skills runs contrary to a parents’ constitutional right to seek an Irish-medium education for their children (Section 42 of the Constitution);
(3) The provision of ‘a school place’ which is not in an Irish-medium setting does not satisfy the demand for the provision of Irish-medium education in accordance with the parents’ wishes;
(4) Other schools in the area cannot meet the demand for Irish-medium schooling - there are no other all-Irish schools available as an option for these 29 children;
(5) As an Irish-medium school, we serve a wider area than the town itself (all of the County) and it is essential that the Department recognise that this lends itself to a greater demand;
( 6 ) The decision impacts in particular on children that are the oldest child in the family - siblings are given priority according to the school's admission policy and this, through no fault of the school, is denying new families access to the school. Help us to oppose the Department's decision. Spread the word....
Is ar mhaithe le aird a tharraingt ar chinneadh na Roinne Oideachais & Scileanna bac a chur ar fhás na scoile atá an leathanach seo cruthaithe, bac a bhainfidh an deis freastal ar an scoil agus oideachas trí mheán na Gaeilge a fháil ó go leor leanaí i Sligeach sna blianta atá le teacht. Bunaíodh Gaelscoil Chnoc na Ré i 1996 chun freastal ar an éileamh don scolaíocht trí mheán na Gaeilge i Sligeach. Bhí 22 páistí sa chéad rang a chláraigh agus anois tá 192 ag freastal ar an scoil. Tá an scoil lonnaithe i gcóiríocht shealadach ó bunáiodh í agus i gClubtheach CLG Naomh Mhuire ó 1999. In anneoin gach iarracht socrú ‘buan’ a fháil ar an staid sealadach, is léir nach bhfuil an Ghaelscoil ná an Ghaelscolaíocht i Sligeach mar thosaíocht ag an Roinn ná ag an Rialtas. Is cinnte go gcuireann an easpa tola seo (tabhairt faoin bhfadhb cóiríochta) bac ar fhás na scoile. In anneoin seo, tá an t-éileamh ar áiteanna sa scoil méadaithe le cúpla bliain anuas. Tá an Roinn ag cur bac eile ar fhás orgánach na scoile tríd chosc a chur ar cearta tuismitheoirí a rogha oideachais dá gcuid páistí a roghnú i mbliana agus amach anseo. Níl an Roinn ag ceadú don scoil an dara rang a ghlacadh, cinneadh a chiallaíonn go bhfuil an scoil teoranta rang amhaín de 30 a ghlacadh i mbliana, de réir an polasaí iontrála. Tá nach mór gach duine den 30 seo ina siblíní de leanaí atá sa scoil cheana féin. Tá ar an scoil mar sin, de bharr cinneadh na Roinne, ag diúltíu do 29 páistí, páistí gur mian lena gcuid tuismitheoirí oideachas trí mheán na Gaeilge a bheith curtha ar fáil dóibh. Tá seo náireach agus éagórach i gcomthéacs:
(1) Go bhfuil iallach ar an stát an Ghaeilge a chaomhnú agus úsáid na teanga a spreagadh (Alt 8, Bunreacht na hÉireann: Ós í an Ghaeilge an teanga náisiúnta is í an phríomhtheanga oifigiúil í);
(2) Go dtéann cinneadh na Roinne Oideachais & Scileanna glan i gcoinne cearta an tuismitheora oideachas de réir a gcuid sainmhianta a roghnú dá bpáistí (Alt 42, Bunreacht na hÉireann);
(3) Nach ionann soláthar scolaíochta agus soláthar ar ghaelscolaíocht de réir cearta agus mianta tuismitheoirí;
(4) Nach féidir leis na scoileanna sa cheantar freastal ar éileamh mar is éileamh ar scolaíocht lán-Ghaeilge atá ann – níl aon scoil lán-Ghaeilge eile ar fáil mar rogha don 29 páiste sin,
(5) Mar scoil lán-Ghaeilge, déanaimid freastal ar cheantar níos leithne ná an baile féin agus is gá go n-aithneodh an Roinn go mbeidh breis éilimh orainn dá bharr ,
(6) Go bhfuil leatrom ar leith ar pháistí gurb iad an páiste is sine sa chlann – tugtar tús áite do shiblíní de réir polasaí iontrála na scoile agus tá sé seo, gan aon locht ar an scoil, ag cur bac ar teaghlaigh nua freastal ar an scoil. Cabhraigh linn cur i gcoinne cinneadh na Roinne.
