Gaelscoileanna

Wped14

Hi all,

I considering sending my child to the Gaelscoileanna in Waterford and was just wondering if it is a good school?
I'm also a little undecided whether to send my little one to a gael scoil as heard a child's english can suffer?

Thanks :-)

Odats

There's two one in Ballygunner and one in Gracedieu. Which one are you looking at as some boardies might have children in the school and be able to give you some feedback.

Wped14

I have him registered for both, just trying to decide which is the better school, thanks

lassykk

I personally have no experience of either school but am I correct in my understanding that all subjects would be thought through Irish?

If so I would feel that this would be a huge disadvantage when it comes to secondary school / further education.

Surely it is vital to learn subjects in English when that is what they will follow on to in secondary school.

I'm not slating the Irish schools or anything like that but I do struggle to see the logic of them

Baby4

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leopard trek

Baby4 wrote: »

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Don't be fooled.. It's 10% of every mark you didn't get. It should be worked differently to give a bigger advantage

leopard trek

OP I know a lot of people from Gaelscoil Baile Mhic gunair and the level of irish coming out of there is great but hard to compare the two schools.

Baby4

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Wped14

Thanks, I have heard that it is a great school but was just wondering if anyone has children going to the gael scoil in Gracedieu?


Thanks!

lassykk

Baby4 wrote: »

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Do you not think it would put a child at a distinct disadvantage having gone from ages 4 - 18 learning through Irish but then going out into college / business / trade and having to learn everything through English.

I feel that it would be a distinct disadvantage to a child even learning from the ages of 4 - 12 in primary school through Irish.

The bonus points in the leaving cert, to me, don't offset the disadvantages the child will face in college.

I reasonably enjoyed Irish in school but only as a standalone subject. I definitely would have questioned the logic of learning everything through it had I been sent to a Gaelschoil. I know my mother learned everything through Irish, as that was how things were done back in the 50s/60s and she felt it was a disadvantage.

leopard trek

Baby4 wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Hey there,
For example...
A student gets 66/100. They then take the 34 marks the student didn't get and take 10% of that... 3.4%. They then add the 66&3 together to make 69%, a very minute difference. The higher the mark the student gets the smaller the difference the extra 10% makes.
Hope it's easy to understand

Wped14

I've heard there are a lot of advantages in sending your child to a Gael scoil,
They will find it much easier to learn
another language
It's guaranteed honors irish for leaving cert
It can be used for some professions, e.g. Primary school teacher

I'm still a little unsure, just as it's completely new to us but from what I've heard, I think it can only be a good thing,

lassykk

Wped14 wrote: »

I've heard there are a lot of advantages in sending your child to a Gael scoil,
They will find it much easier to learn
another language
It's guaranteed honors irish for leaving cert
It can be used for some professions, e.g. Primary school teacher

I'm still a little unsure, just as it's completely new to us but from what I've heard, I think it can only be a good thing,

I'd be a little apprehensive about the negatives though that I alluded to previously. I'm completely open to correction on this but essentially Irish will become their primary language and English will be a stand alone subject only?

This would surely reduce their ability to write in English which to me would be far more important in later life.

It is definitely a bonus if it helps to learn a different language as this was something I struggled with in school with French.

What could be a way of developing foreign language skills is to allow the child to go to the Gaeltacht in secondary school (2nd year summer maybe) to allow them to improve their language skills. A friend of mine did this (albeit a French summer camp in Ireland) and got an A in Junior & Leaving Cert French as a result.

I wouldn't place huge importance on the results of one subject (Irish) to the detriment of others which are far more important for their future.

FWIW, I'm not trying to put you off in the slightest, not that some randomer on an internet forum should be able to sway your thoughts anyway! I'm just putting across the concerns I would have if I were sending a child to a Gaelschoil.

wmpdd3

I have my two kids signed up for Grace Dieu, I really struggled with languages in school and I would like my kids to have a crack at it earlier.

The child's use of English is monitored through out primary and tested annually.

I have two friends with kids in that school and they are very happy, neither family is fluent but has cupla focal. I have never heard either child speaking irish but come Monday morning at 9am, they are fluent(for their age!).

One child is 10 and has English, Irish and French.

I have their names down for the local secondary school, I think once they have the basics that wont struggle as I did.

MRnotlob606

Hope you're kids get on well ! I think it is a great Idea to send your kids to a Gaelscoil.

natnifnolnacs

I am a past pupil of the Gaelscoil in Ballygunner (a long time ago!!!).

Just to address the disadvantages mentioned - in my opinion, the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. In general, class sizes are much smaller which means more face time with the teacher which is of huge importance. I never had any trouble with English and the only issues I remember when moving from primary to an English secondary were adapting to the size of school (which would happen from any country school) and a few acronyms in maths. I remember doing my entrance exam and having to ask what lcd meant as I had learned the term in Irish, but apart from that I don't remember any other problems.

My cousins are attending the Gracedieu school at the moment and they really seem to love it there. I guess the best recommendation I can give is that I'll be registering my own child for both schools in the next few weeks.

Wped14

Thanks natnifnolnacs, I think we are making the right decision for all the reasons you said

taytobreath

my little one had to stay back a year in 1st babies because she was too young to understand the whole concept of learning irish. She's thriving now though and loves it and comes 1st in her class for tests (so she tells me!).

Flutterby80

Hi, I just wanted to reply as I have 3 nieces , 2 of whom have completed Gaelscoil primary school in Tramore and one who is about to start Gaelscoil playschool in September.
My eldest niece is now 21 and in college, she never had any problems with the transition from Gaelscoil to mainstream secondary school and got an excellent leaving cert.
My middle niece is 14 and has a disability, she did find the start of 1st year a little difficult as she was so accustomed to learning through Irish but she very quickly adapted. Recently she met one of her Gaelscoil teachers out and about and had a full conversation with them as gaeilge which was lovely to see.
To be honest I think it will very much depend on your child and their level of ability and also the role that you intend to play in their education. Do you speak Irish yourself for example? You have to remember that you will be helping them do their homework as gaeilge! My sister had no problems with this but you may find it difficult. Anyway just something to think about, I hope it helps.

Mountainlad

leopard trek wrote: »

Hey there,
For example...
A student gets 66/100. They then take the 34 marks the student didn't get and take 10% of that... 3.4%. They then add the 66&3 together to make 69%, a very minute difference. The higher the mark the student gets the smaller the difference the extra 10% makes.
Hope it's easy to understand

https://examinations.ie/index.php?l=en&mc=ca&sc=im

You are incorrect. It's 10% of the mark obtained up to 75% on selected subjects and 5% on other (importantly mainstream subjects like modern languages and maths).



I know the OP has probably gotten what they want from this already but I did my primary and secondary school education through Irish. When I did my leaving cert, I got an A2 in English.

I don't think there is a correlation between attending an Irish school and your standard of English. That will be likely dictated by your child's interest in reading and the standard of teaching in the schools I would imagine.

I found it a beneficial experience from a learning point of view. As was mentioned, small class size means extra attention from teachers. You have the bonus marks, which is nice but wouldn't let it be a deciding factor.

I think the fact that learning Irish will help them learn foreign languages easier (which is not just good for academics, but a really great asset to have in practical terms as a life skill) and by being immersed in it from a young age meaning fluency in Irish itself as major positives.

It's a compulsory subject all the way and so many people struggle with it despite how long we learn it. The only ever issues I had were the odd bit of grammar (urú and séabhú) and a bit of spelling. In terms of the spoken language, we would have been very good and this seems to be even more important now with the oral exam being worth 40%. Going through that it seems a foreign concept to me how people struggle with Irish, but obviously I could have the same problem if I went to an English school and it's a big concern with students starting out.


Negatives might be the social side of a small school and it is a growing challenge to meet the subject demands of students in schools with such small numbers and few teachers (my primary was big enough, but secondary was new). I'm definitely glad I went to both though.

afee_wils81

My two kids go to Gaelscoil na nDeise and it's a lovely school. They are all about the children. No school politics there. I worried about my son because he was slow to speak when he was small that he wouldn't pick up Irish very well and when I got his first school report he had came top of the class in everything!!! I was thrilled. My daughter loves Irish. It is fantastic to see them speak fluently in Irish.

leopard trek

Mountainlad wrote: »

https://examinations.ie/index.php?l=en&mc=ca&sc=im

You are incorrect. It's 10% of the mark obtained up to 75% on selected subjects and 5% on other (importantly mainstream subjects like modern languages and maths).



I know the OP has probably gotten what they want from this already but I did my primary and secondary school education through Irish. When I did my leaving cert, I got an A2 in English.

I don't think there is a correlation between attending an Irish school and your standard of English. That will be likely dictated by your child's interest in reading and the standard of teaching in the schools I would imagine.

I found it a beneficial experience from a learning point of view. As was mentioned, small class size means extra attention from teachers. You have the bonus marks, which is nice but wouldn't let it be a deciding factor.

I think the fact that learning Irish will help them learn foreign languages easier (which is not just good for academics, but a really great asset to have in practical terms as a life skill) and by being immersed in it from a young age meaning fluency in Irish itself as major positives.

It's a compulsory subject all the way and so many people struggle with it despite how long we learn it. The only ever issues I had were the odd bit of grammar (urú and séabhú) and a bit of spelling. In terms of the spoken language, we would have been very good and this seems to be even more important now with the oral exam being worth 40%. Going through that it seems a foreign concept to me how people struggle with Irish, but obviously I could have the same problem if I went to an English school and it's a big concern with students starting out.


Negatives might be the social side of a small school and it is a growing challenge to meet the subject demands of students in schools with such small numbers and few teachers (my primary was big enough, but secondary was new). I'm definitely glad I went to both though.

Thanks ever so much.

wmpdd3

afee_wils81 wrote: »

My two kids go to Gaelscoil na nDeise and it's a lovely school. They are all about the children. No school politics there. I worried about my son because he was slow to speak when he was small that he wouldn't pick up Irish very well and when I got his first school report he had came top of the class in everything!!! I was thrilled. My daughter loves Irish. It is fantastic to see them speak fluently in Irish.

I am glad to hear this, my daughter will have no issues but my 31 month old son is non verbal, I choose the gealscoil mainly because I want them to go to a mixed school.

All his support workers seem to think he will pick up both Irish and English at the same time, but I just can't see it.

I have put his name down for the local catholic boys school but really I'd love both kids to school together.

AnneSam

Is there a waiting list for the gaelscoileanna?? Also are there fluent native speakers teaching?? I'm fluent, and I want my son speaking as we do with our colloquialisms not just the "book Irish"!

reni10

Does anyone have any more recent experience of sending their child to the Gaelscoil primary in Ballygunner?

I would be very interested in any experience from a parent who does not have any or much Irish as the one major concern I have is not being able to help the child with their homework as it would be mostly in Irish
I think it is very important that parents can help kids with work they bring home as that is ultimately what will help them the most in the long run.

I do really like the idea of learning another language as I think that helps tremendously with learning more languages and also rewires a childs brain to potentially learn things differently and more efficiently.

So any real work opinions on the pros and cons would be great...

Wped14

Hi Reni 10, I don't have much irish either & that was also one of my concerns. I've looked into it & WIT do a night course in conversational irish level 1 & 2. I'm not sure but I think ballygunner also do their own course for parents. If you would like your little one to go to irish school, all it takes is a little effort & you'll be able to help them.

reni10

I think I would find it very difficult to go back to learning Irish and it is not the fact that my child would be learning Irish that I like, it is more that they would be learning a second language that would then stand to them in learning further much more useful languages and concepts etc.

I am not a fan of the Irish language at all in truth!

There is the choice in Ballygunner of an Irish or English speaking school but I would not even consider the Irish one if they were not basically in the same vicinity.

Thanks for your thoughts though.

Wped14

I think it's important if you are sending your little one to an irish school to make a little effort as you are right , it is important to be able to help them with their homework. I have heard the ballygunner English speaking school is excellent school too, it's really just a personal choice.