Gaelscoil vs Girls School Maynooth.

Patser

Battle Royale!!

Actually much more prosaic, our daughter has now been offered a place in both. Initially she was way down Gaelscoil list, and so attended an open day in Girls' school, we gave them deposit etc. But today we got a call saying there was a space in Gaelscoil now as well.

She has a few friends off the road attending the Girls school but none in her year, whereas her 1 friend starting school at same time will be going Gaelscoil. With all else being equal - travel distance etc - what are people's recommendations? Have heard good things about both.

Moonbeam

Having 2 working languages will always be an advantage when it comes to learning future languages.
It is Co-educational which is a huge advantage.
They both have modern facilities,they are both good schools.
I can't think of many more because the girls school was never an option for us.
I have a son starting in September too.

Orion

Moonbeam wrote: »

It is Co-educational which is a huge advantage.

This.

I don't get the whole concept of separating kids based on gender. It's anachronistic at best.

Giuseppe90

If you have the choice definitely Gaelscoil for the co-ed factor - unfortunately didn't get that choice as too late applying

Saying that we are quite happy with our daughter's progress in the Girls' school - very well run and good experiences with her teachers there so far

yellow hen

Just out of curiousity, do you mind me asking why was the educate together not an option for you?

Giuseppe90

Same reason - too late applying for Educate Together unfortunately

Patser

yellow hen wrote: »

Just out of curiousity, do you mind me asking why was the educate together not an option for you?

Can't really place the reasoning. I'm only a recent blow in to Maynooth, whereas my wife has family nearby. Think it was the glowing recommendations that the Gael scoil got had it top of our list, while other schools were all seen as good too. The Girls school was the 1st one to offer us a place, and we'd been down for an open day there since, and were telling the Little One that'll be your school.

Initially we were told by the Gael Scoil she was 28th on the waiting list, and as late as last week a letter had arrived saying 5th, to the point that we were already dismissing it in our head. Even have a deposit on Girls school. So delighted to get Gael Scoil offer but it's involving a head shift from what we thought was the plan.

Educate Together would have been acceptable but all local advice for it has never been as glowing as the Gael Scoil or Girls School.

yellow hen

Thanks for the reply. We have chosen not to apply to the gaelscoil as we're not gaelic speakers at home and our son has a speech delay so I think it adds further difficulties to him. I absolutely do not want my son going to a single gender school though so feel like we should have put his name down for the gaelscoil anyway.

Moonbeam

The Educate together will be becoming a 2 stream school,there is planning permission in.
From experience you will need the childs name down in the Gaelscoil before they are 6 months old and in the ET before they are 1(other parents have told me) and you still might not get a place.
There are alot of parents with little irish in the Gaelscoil.

yellow hen

Moonbeam wrote: »

The Educate together will be becoming a 2 stream school,there is planning permission in.
From experience you will need the childs name down in the Gaelscoil before they are 6 months old and in the ET before they are 1(other parents have told me) and you still might not get a place.
There are alot of parents with little irish in the Gaelscoil.

This is my worry. His name only went on the lists at 2.5yrs old as we only moved here. I'm hoping the second ECCE year is still staggering school starts so he might have some hope.

Personally, I cannot fathom why parents with very little irish put their kids through a gaelscoil. How do they do homework etc?

van_beano

Also there may be an issue with the lack of places in the Irish secondary schools in the North Kildare area as well due to Colasite Cois Life in Lucan being over subscribed due to the 2 Gaelscoil feeder schools around it now.

van_beano

yellow hen wrote: »

Personally, I cannot fathom why parents with very little irish put their kids through a gaelscoil. How do they do homework etc?

Just on this one, children are generally fluid in Irish by the time they reach Christmas time in Senior infants due to the way Irish is taught through total immersion. My young fella, now 7 y/o, would just translate what the question means into English if I don't understand it. Generally speaking though my school level Irish comes back to me, may get stuck on a few words.

L1011

van_beano wrote: »

Also there may be an issue with the lack of places in the Irish secondary schools in the North Kildare area as well due to Colasite Cois Life in Lucan being over subscribed due to the 2 Gaelscoil feeder schools around it now.

There's a full Irish stream in MPPS/MCC (not sure which does it now) and I suspect that when MEC opens the existing overflow capacity at Manor Mills will be used for the site they're apparently looking for for a Gaelcholaiste

I wouldn't recommend full Irish language secondary education for kids who have even the vaguest notion of wanting to get in to a STEM career, though. First year of college (or work) will be spent re-learning honours science subjects in English! No such issues at primary.

Moonbeam

yellow hen wrote: »

This is my worry. His name only went on the lists at 2.5yrs old as we only moved here. I'm hoping the second ECCE year is still staggering school starts so he might have some hope.

Personally, I cannot fathom why parents with very little irish put their kids through a gaelscoil. How do they do homework etc?

Similar to our issue,the eldest was 12 months old when we moved here so ended up having a 50km of daily trips to and from school for the the 1st year,eventually she got in because 2 kids were kept back and one left.

Moonbeam

L1011 wrote: »

There's a full Irish stream in MPPS/MCC (not sure which does it now) and I suspect that when MEC opens the existing overflow capacity at Manor Mills will be used for the site they're apparently looking for for a Gaelcholaiste

I wouldn't recommend full Irish language secondary education for kids who have even the vaguest notion of wanting to get in to a STEM career, though. First year of college (or work) will be spent re-learning honours science subjects in English! No such issues at primary.

It really depends on the child and how much STEM exposure they get outside of school. Things like CTYI,Coder Dojo,doing computer stuff at home is all done through english so I have 0 worries when it comes to any of them going on to full immersion in secondary school and in to STEM subjects after.

Orion

L1011 wrote: »

There's a full Irish stream in MPPS/MCC (not sure which does it now) and I suspect that when MEC opens the existing overflow capacity at Manor Mills will be used for the site they're apparently looking for for a Gaelcholaiste

It's MCC that has the Aonad. Not oversubscribed as far as I know.

L1011

Moonbeam wrote: »

It really depends on the child and how much STEM exposure they get outside of school. Things like CTYI,Coder Dojo,doing computer stuff at home is all done through english so I have 0 worries when it comes to any of them going on to full immersion in secondary school and in to STEM subjects after.

Its the terminology that's the problem realistically, not exposure - the exposure they'll get in school would be the same.

Pat Kenny - he was a science lecturer before broadcasting - has told how he had severe problems in first year due to not understanding anything of the more advanced mathematics when it was written in English, but I'm basing it on people I know (who went to Cois Life pretty much solely, one or two from Gaeltachts)

Some of these subjects are taught (in secondary) in English in countries where it isn't the native language for that reason - you are hampering the student hugely by using translated terminology.

Rathkenny

Apologies for hijacking the thread but does anyone have any experience of the Educate Together? It is currently my preferred option but I have not spoken to anyone with experience of the school.

ixus

I don't really get the "must be a co-ed" vibe. I mean, I went co-ed and it would be a preference but, I can't recall any issues when I started secondary in Maynooth when the boys, girls, Mulhussey and Kilcloon schools came together. Sure, we found the Meath kids a bit odd!

I think there'll be such a mix of primary schools in secondary, it won't matter.

On the Gaelscoil, while I would be happy to have my kid go there, I didn't put them on a waiting list. Part of me wonders if Irish people send their kids there to avoid the more multi-cultural schools. It's kind of unspoken, but it's def a thing imho. Not tarring anyone with a brush here but something I have picked up on over the years.

ixus

Oh, and on secondary level Irish schooling, I have a friend from the Gaeltacht in Galway, did LC in Irish. Found engineering very tough in first two years due to the language issue.

Moonbeam

ixus wrote: »

I don't really get the "must be a co-ed" vibe. I mean, I went co-ed and it would be a preference but, I can't recall any issues when I started secondary in Maynooth when the boys, girls, Mulhussey and Kilcloon schools came together. Sure, we found the Meath kids a bit odd!

I think there'll be such a mix of primary schools in secondary, it won't matter.

On the Gaelscoil, while I would be happy to have my kid go there, I didn't put them on a waiting list. Part of me wonders if Irish people send their kids there to avoid the more multi-cultural schools. It's kind of unspoken, but it's def a thing imho. Not tarring anyone with a brush here but something I have picked up on over the years.

There are a few different nationalities there but if names didn't have to be down at birth I think that it would be a lot better.
It creates huge issues for people that move house.
Personally , I would not even consider a single sex school even if it was a gaelscoil.

wirelessdude01

ixus wrote:

Part of me wonders if Irish people send their kids there to avoid the more multi-cultural schools. It's kind of unspoken, but it's def a thing imho. Not tarring anyone with a brush here but something I have picked up on over the years.

This 100%. Totally unspoken but most definitely a thing.

wirelessdude01

ixus wrote:

Oh, and on secondary level Irish schooling, I have a friend from the Gaeltacht in Galway, did LC in Irish. Found engineering very tough in first two years due to the language issue.

I know someone who lectures in DCU who sent their kids to primary gaelscoil but no way would they go secondary gaelscoil. Their DCU experience is those that go to secondary gaelscoil really struggle with academic writing in 3rd level.

Moonbeam

There are quite a few lectures of STEM subjects with kids in the school, it would be quite interesting to get their opinions.

L1011

The issue is about terminology and technical language, not exposure. You could train a maths genius and they'd have trouble doing it in another language - and the world language of STEM is English. Which handily we offer education via.