Irish school for child with non-Irish-speaking parents?

BlackForestJule

Hi all,
my little one is only 16 months, but there seems to be a bit of a panic getting your child into the right school/pre-school facility around here, so I thought I better start inquiring early...
The situation is as follows: My partner's from Dublin, but his Irish is virtually non-existent. I'm German and determined my kids will grow up at least bilingually as I have strong ties to my family back home (and I'm a translator, so in my eyes it'd be a crime not to at least try my best). We thought about the German school (St.Kilian's), but I'm not sure we'd be able to afford the fees for more than one child (no 2 is on the way). Besides, it's on the wrong side of town (geographically, not ideologically speaking) as we are in Artane and the trip would be a bit much, especially as we are both working. Now I am wondering whether a gaelscoil would be an alternative. For one, I think it'd be very neat if the kids grew up to speak proper Irish and secondly I am under the impression that they might be a bit more...hm...academically ambitious. What are your experiences? Is that correct or am I making assumptions? Just thinking that around here (as in Dublin as opposed to gaeltacht) it'd be parents that care who'd send their kids to an Irish-speaking school...

Anyway, the questions are:
Do the parents have to be fluent in Irish to send their kids to a gaelscoil? I'm worried that I wouldn't be able to help them with their homework. And how dogmatic are schools when it comes to parent-teacher talks?
I'm willing to give Irish a go, but I haven't got a lot of spare time and I'm also trying to keep my other languages up for work purposes. Fluency might not be attainable... (and I really want my other half to learn German, so I won't even suggest Irish classes to him).
Does anyone have experiences sending their child to an Irish-speaking school even though they are not fluent themselves? Is it too much for the child? I'm convinced trilingual works fine for kids, it's more the fact that I can't speak it to give the necessary support...

Does anyone have any suggestions which schools to approach? Are there any good ones around here?

And thirdly, my partner's niece is in an Irish-language pre-school (naoínra, I think they call it - googled this as I had no idea about the spelling) so she would be able to attend an Irish primary. Hers is too far away, so does anyone know of a good one in Artane/Clontarf/Raheny/Killester?

Cheers,
BFJ

ecaf

I can only answer your question from my own point of view, sorry I don't live in Dublin so I can't answer on the Pre-schools around.
I went to an Irish speaking primary school, I can't say my mum would have the best of Irish but would have picked it back up again once I started learning it. I wouldn't say you would have to be fluent in order to help your child, although it might be helpful to have some basic words.
I know in my day the likes of maths books were in Irish but they were also available in English, so it is also an option for you to get a 2nd hand copy of these books if you feel you cannot help them or do not understand the text at all. We had an old Irish / English dictionary at home and it got take out a lot of the time. But your child will understand a lot from early on and will be able to translate the problem and you help them in English, where they can hopefully translate back to Irish.

I think it is very good to have Children with as many languages and opportunities as possible. I learned German in private classes while still in Primary school and this helped me when it come to learning French in secondary school. I think it is an added bonus that you already have 2/3 languages, and I don't think Irish is as hard to learn as I think English might be to non-English speakers.

I would like to see answers if any non-Irish speakers had any difficulties in sending their children to an Irish school. Best of luck with your decision anyway!

kelle

My children go to an all-Irish primary school. I'm fairly fluent myself, my husband isn't but he's getting there!

Most of the parents who send their children there don't speak Irish. They manage OK with the homework because it is written out in both English and Irish, and the children get better at the language as they get older and can manage the homework themselves. The teachers will speak in English to the parents, so there's no alienation.

It would be good if your children could attend a Naíonra, as it's a good introduction to children to learn what everyday things are in Irish. But it's not essential, because they're given a gentle introduction when they start school in the same way.

Our school holds Irish language classes in the local Community Centre and encourages the parents to attend. I know a parent from Hungary, and a parent from Slovakia attended and can speak Irish fairly well now.

professore

My wife is Belgian and we have 3 children in a Gaelscoil in Cork. I have some Irish but she had none; she went to some evening classes organised by the school and learnt some. The fun part is that your kids will start teaching you Irish very soon. It's never been a problem for us.

My eldest daughter also does Italian at the school and they all find that having 2 languages already makes it easier to learn a third.

Lillylilly

I think you are giving your child a fantastic opportunity if you send them to an Irish school. They have a great sense of community, and if your child goes onto an Irish Secondary school and completes their Leaving Cert in the Irish language, they can get extra points!
My parents sent me and my brothers to an Irish school, and to begin with, could not speak Irish. My mam began an Irish class run in the school a few mornings a week. Both of them picked it up a fair bit as the years went on. We also used to speak it a little at home, general things like "can I have the milk please" or "dinner time". Little words here and there- it helps both the kids and the parents.

I would highly recommend the school I went to but it's further away from where you are- it's Scoil an tSeachtar Laoch in Ballymun. There is also a fantastic school in Kilbarrack called Gael Scoil Míde.

cbyrd

My 2 go to Irish school i have verylittle, although i do make an effort:D The school they go to takes them in under the impression that they are non irish speakers and teach them from that level.
as regards the school reports and teacher meetings, we can request to have them in english as it the children that are studing irish not the parents, so far it's worked out brilliant. same with the homework sheets, everything is translated..
my eldest is in 5th class now and fluent and wants to go to the all irish secondary school, youngest is 9 weeks and has been enroled already cos the waiting list is getting longer:eek:
I'm not sure if every school is this lenient but you should call them and see what their policies are.

KnocKnocKnock

BlackForestJule wrote: »

Does anyone have any suggestions which schools to approach? Are there any good ones around here?


BFJ

Hey, I know it's not in the areas you mentioned but I know a family where all four kids go to Scoil Móbhí on Móbhí Road in Glasnevin and I've heard nothing but good things from the parents and kids as well as anyone else who knows it.

Deliverance

BlackForestJule wrote: »

Hi all,
my little one is only 16 months, but there seems to be a bit of a panic getting your child into the right school/pre-school facility around here, so I thought I better start inquiring early...
The situation is as follows: My partner's from Dublin, but his Irish is virtually non-existent. I'm German and determined my kids will grow up at least bilingually as I have strong ties to my family back home (and I'm a translator, so in my eyes it'd be a crime not to at least try my best). We thought about the German school (St.Kilian's), but I'm not sure we'd be able to afford the fees for more than one child (no 2 is on the way). Besides, it's on the wrong side of town (geographically, not ideologically speaking) as we are in Artane and the trip would be a bit much, especially as we are both working. Now I am wondering whether a gaelscoil would be an alternative. For one, I think it'd be very neat if the kids grew up to speak proper Irish and secondly I am under the impression that they might be a bit more...hm...academically ambitious. What are your experiences? Is that correct or am I making assumptions? Just thinking that around here (as in Dublin as opposed to gaeltacht) it'd be parents that care who'd send their kids to an Irish-speaking school...

Anyway, the questions are:
Do the parents have to be fluent in Irish to send their kids to a gaelscoil? I'm worried that I wouldn't be able to help them with their homework. And how dogmatic are schools when it comes to parent-teacher talks?
I'm willing to give Irish a go, but I haven't got a lot of spare time and I'm also trying to keep my other languages up for work purposes. Fluency might not be attainable... (and I really want my other half to learn German, so I won't even suggest Irish classes to him).
Does anyone have experiences sending their child to an Irish-speaking school even though they are not fluent themselves? Is it too much for the child? I'm convinced trilingual works fine for kids, it's more the fact that I can't speak it to give the necessary support...

Does anyone have any suggestions which schools to approach? Are there any good ones around here?

And thirdly, my partner's niece is in an Irish-language pre-school (naoínra, I think they call it - googled this as I had no idea about the spelling) so she would be able to attend an Irish primary. Hers is too far away, so does anyone know of a good one in Artane/Clontarf/Raheny/Killester?

Cheers,
BFJ

Totally in the same situation as you language wise. I'm Irish but I do not speak a word of it myself. I find it hilarious when my little one comes home and tries to teach me Irish, I learn Irish from her (4yrs old) and she enjoys teaching me the language.

Plus it is immersive learning as far as I know. Immersive learning is where the school teaches all subjects fully in Irish, math, geography etc.

Plus german is taught to the kids as another language later on. the theory is that if the child can learn the basics of language early and how it works then they can easily master many languages.

So far it is working, my daughter is speaking 2 languages so far and she finds it easy. By the time she finishes primary she will be multilingual, how bad is that;)

BlackForestJule

Thanks for the recommendation KnockKnockKnock! Mobhi Rd. is not too far from ours either, so I'll definitely check it out.
Ballymun might be a bit of a treck, what with the brilliant cross-connections in public transport we have around here, but thanks anyway, Lillylilly. We are renting at the mo, so who knows where we'll move to. (I'd like to stay on the Northside, though, as all my partner's family live here, so I'm keeping my enquiries relatively local for the time being.
In your experience, is it easier to get a place in a school when you move outside the city? What do people do when they move house and their kid hasn't been on the school's waiting list for the past 23 years?

@Deliverance
My thinking exactly! How lovely is that, a 4year-old teaching you a different language? With my job and the freedom it gives me when it comes to working from anywhere, plus the joys of being able to immerse yourself in a different culture a lot more deeply I cannot think of anything better than growing up multilingually. Especially as it cost me a lot of blood, sweat and tears to learn English and French in secondary. My daughter's already babbling away in both languages, even though she is obviously mixicng a lot. But I have noticed that for some things she uses the English word with her dad and the German equivalent with me. I do envy her a bit Fingers crossed it all works out as I'm planning it...

BlackForestJule

@katrien_ie (slightly off-topic)
did your wife find it easy to stick to F--- (French?/Flemish?) with all three kids? There are a few families I know where the eldest child is fluent in the "minority language", the second is still quite good and the third only reached an ok-ish level. Did you do go to any F--- playgroups to support the second language?

I might have to open a second thread for this, I think. I'm trying to read up on multilingual education as much as I can, but most of the literature out there is academic rather than practical. I'd be great to swap tips and experiences with other parents.

ashej

I was educated in the Uk so i have NO irish AT ALL - however my child goes to an Irish School. I had no problems - they learn it at such a young age they pick it up so easily and as a matter of a fact my little one is having problems with English rather than Irish.

tscul32

Hi there,

As someone already mentioned Gaescoil Mide is out your way, a friend in Raheny has her son starting there in september. He's also attending an independent naionra somewhere in Raheny at the moment. My own son will be starting in the one in Kinsealy in September but is in a local montessori at the moment as he didn't get a place in the naionra. My Irish is pretty ok, my husband's will come back to him over time, but I know other parents who also have children starting in september and have virtually no irish so it's not a prerequisite.
Just make sure that, especially for a gaelcoil around your area that you put your child's name down NOW as there is huge demand. You can put their name down in several schools and hopefully you'll get one.

This is the site you need
http://www.gaelscoileanna.ie/en/schools/primary-schools/

JAM3114

Hi there, we sent our daughter to gaelscoil even though neither of us have any Irish at all. She is now in an all Irish secondary school and loves it. We had no problem at all - both schools are quiet good non irish speaking parents - all newsletters were in both languages. I remember one parent teacher meeting the teacher spoke in English with us & automatically reverted to Irish when spoke to our daughter. The only issue we had is in secondary school & trying to help her with Maths homework - sometimes the words get lost in translation and don't make sense so we bought the english maths book too so less frustration all round - I would recommend it - we've just signed our son he's not even 1 yet but school is in high demand and we still have no Irish!!!;)