The struggle against "Apartheid"

Many people have bridled at an article, "To see real educational apartheid, look no farther than your local Gaelscoil," which appeared recently under the byline of the Education Editor of the Irish Times, Seán Flynn.

Gaelscoileanna in Ireland

Apartheid
That there is a certain misunderstanding, not to say hostility, to Gaelscoileanna is clear from reading certain newspaper columnists. Nevertheless they have grown steadily since the sixties and seventies not always with the blessing of the Department of Education.  Indeed sometimes with their strong discouragement.  They have, I think it may be said, in all cases sprung from the desire of Parents rather than from any desire of the Government - of whatever complexion! Could their attitude be described as "Apartheid?"

The fact that many primary schools were "de facto" Gaelscoileanna up to the fifties tells it own story on Government encouragement. Because of lack of support, such as the lack of text books and lack of staff in the Department unable to transact business in any language other than English. Thus by the early sixties there were only one or two real Gaelscoileanna left.  "Apartheid?"

Struggle
Parents in various locations fought long, hard, dispiriting battles with the Department of Education before in many cases, after years of struggle managed to wring approval from a reluctant Department. My personal recollection is of the struggle to establish the school in Ballymun and how it did not grow from the work of the "Gaeilgeoir Establishment," but from "ordinary" parents in the tower blocks of Ballymun. Their school is a monument to their endurance as well as their idealism. Not my understanding of the term "Apartheid!"

Letters
There were two letters published following the article in the Irish Times. (Gaelscoileanna 'apartheid' 25/10/2012). Today, the following letter has appeared from the Acting CEO of Gaelscoileanna, the national, voluntary organisation  supporting the development of Irish-medium schools at primary and at post-primary level. Its stated aim is "to establish and sustain a high standard of Irish-medium education throughout the country as well as to develop and strengthen the Irish speaking community and culture"

Here is the text of her letter:

A chara,

The “To Be Honest” column by a parent (Education Today, October 23rd) was such a misrepresentation of Irish-medium schools that it cannot be allowed to go unchallenged. Its publication in the Education section of The Irish Times lends it an authority that is very damaging to the public perception of Irish-medium schools.

Irish-medium schools are united by their language ethos, but as diverse as any other arbitrary grouping of schools in every other way. A gaelscoil may operate under any patron body and may be denominational or not. Gaelscoileanna exist in every county in Ireland including Northern Ireland and they serve populations as diverse as their geographical locations; small towns, socially disadvantaged suburbs, rural communities, city centres or a “middle-class area of South Dublin” – wherever the local community has campaigned for a gaelscoil to be established.

Irish-medium schools are open to all pupils regardless of their linguistic and social background or their level of ability. They are as willing and well-equipped as any English-medium school to cater for all pupils’ educational needs. Communicating this to parents is made difficult when opinion pieces such as the aforementioned are published without information of substance on what an Irish-medium school is and how school enrolment policies work.

Parents and patrons alike have been calling for plurality and diversity in our education system for years. To have an inflammatory and misleading opinion piece about schools of a particular ethos published in the paper of record at a time when the Department of Education and Skills has committed to providing for parental choice in the form of the surveys on diversity of patronage runs counter to everything the education community has been working towards.

The column did not recognise that many Irish-medium schools face considerable challenges. More than a third of Irish-medium schools are without a permanent school building; 39 per cent of primary and 36 per cent of post-primary Irish-medium schools. Ten per cent of Irish-medium schools are recognised as DEIS schools by the Department of Education Skills and are focused on addressing and prioritising the educational needs of young people from disadvantaged communities. That the demand for new gaelscoileanna remains high in spite of the difficulties the established schools often face speaks volumes about how parents have faith in the immersion-education model and community-led education.

While it’s true that most of the parents who choose Irish-medium education for their children do not speak Irish themselves, it does a great disservice to the parents of the 45,000 children who are attending Irish-medium schools at present to assume that their decision to enrol their child in a gaelscoil was made for elitist reasons. It does an even greater disservice to those parents who have chosen Irish-medium education for their children despite having neither Irish nor English as a first language, parents who appreciate that their children will start school on an even footing with other pupils who will also be learning through a language that is new to most of them, in a school where linguistic diversity is truly valued.

The story of how Irish-medium schools have grown and are flourishing is one rooted in community spirit and a sense of common purpose and the schools deserve to be celebrated for all they have achieved.

Is mise,

NÓRA Ní LOINGSIGH,
Acting CEO,
GAELSCOILEANNA TEO,
Institiúid Oideachais Marino,
Ascaill Uí Ghríofa,
Baile Átha Cliath 9.

This Gaelscoil in Cabra learned that after seventeen years in prefabs the Department has plans at last to build a school for the over 200 pupils! 

Ross de Buitléir of Gaelscoil Bharra gives news of their new school building the thumbs-up 

Adams modestly hits the nail on the head!

A correction to Miriam Lord, a backhanded compliment for Enda Kenny and a short exposition of his philosophy on speaking Irish.

The following appeared in Miriam Lord's inestimable column in the Irish Times (Dáil Sketch 10/10/2012):

"..Gerry doesn’t like people criticising him for trying to improve his Irish on the floor of the Dáil. He particularly doesn’t like sketch writers drawing attention to his efforts to speak the first language during Leaders’ Questions. In fact he went out of his way to point this out in no uncertain terms to this particular writer during a recent encounter in the corridors. We should be “encouraging” him, was Gerry’s view. It’s “lazy journalism”, he sulked..."

Image: Mark Stedman/Photocall Ireland

She was talking about Gerry Adams, President of Sinn Féin, who is possibly responsible for more Irish being spoken, albeit sometimes not perfect Irish, in the Dáil Chamber certainly in the past fifty years. Indeed he is possibly the person responsible for the most Irish being spoken in either chamber of the Oireachtas since the late Pól Ó Foigheal was a senator. Hopefully he will be eclipsed by some other deputies and senators, especially those whose mother tongue it is!

However back to the case in point. Mr Adams it appears read Ms Lord's column (don't we all?) and chose to take issue in a well reasoned response which I reproduce in full here:

A chara, – 

I am a fan of Miriam Lord. I enjoy her colour pieces and admire her writing skills. I do take issue with her, however, on the matter of Irish in the Dáil (Dáil Sketch, October 10th). 

For the record I did not ask her to encourage me. I put it to her in a perfectly reasonable way that she should be encouraging the use of Irish in the Dáil. I think all of us should do that. And not only in the Dáil. And not only during Seachtain na Gaeilge. 

It is a matter of puzzlement to me that Oireachtas members with much more Irish than me do not speak the language more often in the chamber. Of course the English language media generally does not use the Irish language contributions. So maybe that is the reason why many TDs, including Ministers, use only English. 

The Taoiseach is the exception. He will respond to questions in Irish though his answers are no clearer or informative than his responses in English. Ach sin scéal eile. 

For my part in my modest way I use Irish whenever I can. With my Sinn Féin colleagues and other Oireachtas members. In my everyday life. With my family and friends. That is what language is for. So, I will continue in my humble way to put questions in Irish to our Taoiseach. I encourage other TDs and Seanadóirí to do likewise. This is not a competition. Everyone who has Irish should use it. Everywhere. 

– Yours, etc, 

 GERRY ADAMS TD, Sinn Féin President, Kildare Street, Dublin 2.

As someone myself, it has always been a "puzzlement" to me to how people, including those whose cardle language it is, choose not to use it in public fora. I feel this letter from one of our political leaders gives a philosophy of use which is sadly lacking in virtually all public figures in whatever walk of life, political, eclesiastical, business, or academic etc.

Adams has hit the nail on the head. "Everyone who has Irish should use it. Everywhere."

As the old saying has it "Beatha teanga í a labhairt!"

• Féach ar seo chomh maith (Look at these too!)
No Irish for the Irish Parliament - An Sionnach Fionn
In praise of Gerry Adams and the Fáinne - Slugger O'Toole

We can't afford to fund Gaeilge!

This is a letter sent to the Sunday Independent last week but not published by them. I don't blame them for not publishing, the task of a letters editor is unenviable and I always respect a decision taken by him as totally unbiased.

Dear Sir

I find Mr Dryhurst's letter (29 July 2012) interesting and almost laughable.  It reflects the ignorance of the journalists he finds so brave and angry. The "cost of Irish" which they decry is in fact in no small measure due to a decision made by a former Fine Gael/Labour coalition (Cosgrave/Corish Administration:1974) who abolished the need for Irish in people who enter the civil service. (See Blog: Richie Ryan decision made language marginal! Feb 2012)

Where I live Irish is by no means virtually dead though the Government (despite the "millions" Mr Dryhurst alleges it costs) can hardly be said to be one of the agencies which supports it by providing anything like a full service in that language.

As an example, the bulk of the work of the Department of Education was conducted in Irish prior to the 1974 decision. Now only 1% of the staff of that department are capable of conducting business in Irish. This means they must contract out translations if they are to comply with their constitutional responsibilities. If competent staff are employed who are fluent in both languages there would be no increase in staff costs of this expensive Department and indeed a reduction in overall costs due the lack of need for out-sourcing of translations if required.

The same applies mutatis mutandis to other Government Departments. Using the figure he quotes 5% of the population which speaks Irish, (which by the way is incorrect unless he feels that the CSO is involved in some pro-Irish conspiracy!) then is it not logical that 5% of the Departments should be capable of conducting business in what is after all the only language we can call our own? A language that was here before English was thought of and which hopefully will be here long after "the Googles, Intels, Microsofts, GlaxoSmithKlines etc" are forgotten?

Incidently many corporations, including Microsoft, Google, as well as Facebook, Apple, and Samsung,  think enough of our language to invest money in developing programs ifor their platforms. Is it possible that they understand something that Messrs Dryhurst and the brave and angry journalists, Lynch and Hanafin do not?

Yours etc

PS The original article was sparked by the information that Vodafone charge extra if a "fada" (Long sign) is used while texting in Irish. 
Vodafone state: "As per the standards set by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute, texts sent in Irish or Mandarin languages will be charged for three text (SMS) messages if they included a single 'sineadh fada' in a text of 160 characters. Also note that a very short text, of less than 70 characters, can include multiple fadas and still be charged as one text. However, additional costs arise if the text is what the industry considers a standard length, or 160 characters."
One gasps at the comparison of Irish with Mandarin rather than another indo-european language say French, German, Danish or Polish.

Bullying from government!

A frightening event has taken place in the last few days. It has been reported in the Irish Daily Mail this morning!

As many are aware a Bill on the Gaeltacht is being rushed through the Oireachtas by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Junior Minister Dinny McGinley. Few if any Gaeltacht Voluntary body, community group or Irish Language organisation or indeed Language Planning Expert is in favour of this bill with Senator Seán Barrett describing it as the worst prepared and worst intentioned Bill to come before the Seanad in a long time. A good examination on the legislation appeared in the Irish Times recently.

Indeed this bill, is the first bill on Irish or the Gaeltacht has not been passed unanimously by the Oireachtas. Acht na Gealge in 2003 was painstakingly put together and debated in each house and passed with the full agreement of all parties.

Today we learn that a spokesperson for Guth na Gaeltachta, Dónal Ó Cnáimhsí, a gardener in Glenveigh National Park, and who recently spoke strongly advocating the postponement of the passing of this bill on radio, has received a threatening letter, in English, from his employer, the self-same Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. This letter stated that his comments could be interpreted as contrary to his contract with the Department.  


In a discussion on the matter spokesmen for various voluntary bodies referred to the fact that many people who disagreed strongly with this bill and afraid of its impact on their districts felt unable to speak out because they were in receipt of funding from the Department. It appears that their fears were very well founded indeed! (See also account on Highland Radio!) 



This later article by Conchubhar Ó Liatháin, in the Sunday Independent (22/7/2012) says that The Gaeltacht Bill deserves to be thoroughly debated in every detail.


One wonders how many teachers who protest at the policies of the Department of Education, or nurses who speak out about the HSE, receive letters like this? If they don't why should a gardener receive such a letter from his employer?

Are we living in a fascist state?

See also story in Donegal Daily: "Outrage over over claims that Dept tried to gag Donegal gardener!" (17/7/2012)

New directer for language umbrella body

Comhdháil Náisiúnta na Gaeilge has announced the appointment of Mr. Kevin De Barra to the position of Director.  An Chomhdháil acts as an umbrella body for 24 Irish language voluntary organisations.  Mr. De Barra will succeed Mr. Pádraig Mac Criostail who held the role since 2007.

Kevin De Barra hails from An Spidéal, in Conamara.  He attended NUI, Galway where he was awarded a Commerce Degree, as well as a Masters in Business Studies and Marketing, and also a Diploma in Irish, and a Diploma in Translation Skils. Recently he completed a Masters in Applied Irish with DIT. 

He has been working with Comhdháil Náisiúnta na Gaeilge sin 2007, firstly as Marketing and Communications Manager, then as Secretary to the Board, and since February of this year as Acting Director.

Prior to working with An Chomhdháil, De Barra worked as an International Marketing Manager with QTEK Manufacturing Ltd. whose headquarters are based in Galway.

Speaking on the appointment of Mr. De Barra, President of Comhdháil Náisiúnta na Gaeilge, Pádraig Mac Fhearghusa siad: “This appointment will allow An Chomhdháil to give leadership and direction to the Irish language voluntary sector in the challenging times ahead.  Kevin De Barra has unique skills and experience which will greatly benefit An Chomhdháil, its member organisations and the Irish language speaking community”.

Guards flaunt the law with impunity!

“There can be but one conclusion: this important element of the language legislation is now, for all intents and purposes, in crisis:” the Coiminsinéir Teanga!


I've just attended a press briefing given by the Coimisinéir Teanga as he launched his annual report. As usual this is a model of its kind, clear, succint and complete. Indeed it shows just how much can be done with a budget of €670,000 of which only €629,285 was required.

More important is the near disregard and lack of respect not only for the language but for the law as enacted by the Oireachtas of so many Government Departments and State bodies, including the Gárda Síochána. In some of his investigations he has gone as far as the law allows his office to go. None of his adjudications have been contested in law, as the Act allows, but in some cases his recommendations have been ignored. In these cases the only thing that he can do is lay the case before the Houses of the Oireachtas and allow them to take whatever action they wish to defend the integrity of the law.


“It is scandalous that the Gardaí, the Department of Social Protection, and other Government Departments can flout the law, and that the Government is disregarding their conduct” declared one member of the Seanad.

And a umbrella organisation for Irish Language organisations remarked: "The latest annual report of An Coimisinéir Teanga exposes ‘massive shortfalls’ in the implementation of the Official Languages Act."
(These and other reports on Rialtas ag déanamh neamhaird ar sárú dlí na tíre! (Irish)

See also the blog of An Sionnach Fionn - Institutionl Descrimination.. 
Negative reaction to Irish report (Éanna Ó Caollaí, Irish Times 24/4/2012)
Irish language legislation in crisis (Lorna Siggans Irish Times 25/4/2012).
Most Gaeltacht gardaí lacking an cúpla focail (Conal Ó Fátharta, Irish Examiner 25/4/2012)
Official Languages Act falling into disuse in the Republic? (Mick Fealty Slugger O'Toole 25/4/2012)
Council guilty of language breach (Galway Independent 25/4/2012)
Mind your tongue (Irish Independent Letters 26/4/2012)


The press release is worth reading in its entirity (as is the Report itself) - Headings are ours. (This release in Irish). Here is the release:

Garda non-complience
Garda management failed to comply with the law when eight out of nine Gardaí assigned to serve in Gaoth Dobhair in the heart of the Donegal Gaeltacht could not carry out their duties through Irish, according to an investigation by An Coimisinéir Teanga, Seán Ó Cuirreáin.

A report of an investigation (formal inquiry), published today in An Coimisinéir Teanga’s Annual Report for 2011, found that the Garda Commissioner failed to comply in this instance with a provision of An Garda Síochána Act 2005 which requires that members of the force stationed in the Gaeltacht should be sufficiently competent in Irish to enable them to use it with ease in carrying out their duties. A
further statutory provision of An Garda Síochána’s language scheme under the Official Languages Act was also breached.

The investigation arose from a complaint from a native Irish speaker who was unable to conduct his business through Irish with Gardaí in Gaoth Dobhair.

The investigation, which commenced in February 2011, was temporarily set aside when Garda authorities increased to three the number of Irish speakers assigned to the station. However, the investigation was recommenced when no further progress was reported and a formal finding of non-compliance was made by An Coimisinéir Teanga in December 2011.

An Coimisinéir Teanga made a series of recommendations to be implemented by the Garda authorities within a nine-month period to ensure full compliance with the statutory requirements.

What can be implied!
Speaking at the launch of his Annual Report for 2011, An Coimisinéir Teanga, Seán Ó Cuirreáin, said that the status of Irish as a community language in the Gaeltacht was more vulnerable now than at any time in the past and that the State can hardly expect the Irish language to survive as a community language in the Gaeltacht if it continues to force people in those areas to carry out their business with the State through English.

Number of complaint rise
An Coimisinéir Teanga’s Office dealt with 734 new complaints about difficulties with state services in general through Irish during 2011, an increase of 5% on the previous year. Half of the complaints came from Dublin City and County and a further 21% came from Gaeltacht areas. The vast majority of complaints were resolved informally without resorting to statutory investigations.

Department of Social Protection reveals "flawed approach!"
An Coimisinéir Teanga also published a special report today which he has now laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas. The report relates to the Department of Social Protection which was found to be in breach of statutory language provisions but failed to take corrective action. Two separate investigations found that the Department did not comply properly with its statutory language obligations with regard to the awarding of bonus marks for proficiency in Irish and English in specific internal promotion competitions.

The system for the awarding of bonus marks for proficiency in the two languages was established in 1975 to replace the previous system of “compulsory” Irish. The investigation found that the Department had a statutory duty to award bonus marks for competence in Irish and English to suitably qualified candidates and that the Department was in breach of this provision when it limited the award of the bonus marks to candidates who had progressed to the final stage of promotion competitions. “The flawed approach adopted by the Department appears to be mirrored across the Civil Service and is clearly partly to blame for the marginalisation of Irish within the workforce in the sector,” according to An Coimisinéir Teanga.

The Department did not appeal An Coimisinéir Teanga’s findings to the High Court on a point of law as permitted by legislation, but, neither did it implement the recommendations of the investigations. “In reporting this matter to both Houses of the Oireachtas, I have concluded my work on the issue and it now falls to the Oireachtas to take whatever course of action, if any, it deems appropriate in the circumstances” said Mr. Ó Cuirreáin.

Other business
In addition to its ombudsman service, the Office of An Coimisinéir Teanga also carried out a series of audits of Government departments and other public bodies during 2011 to verify compliance with provisions of language legislation.

The Office also published a series of recommendations in relation to amending provisions of the Official Languages Act which is being reviewed as part of the programme for Government.

Collapse of scheme system

Mr. Ó Cuirreáin said that the system of confirming language schemes which is at the  heart of the Official Languages Act has all but collapsed. During 2011, the Minister  for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht confirmed only one new language scheme. 

In total, 105 language schemes have been confirmed by the Minister to date, but by  the end of 2011, 66 of these had expired. This means that no second scheme has been  confirmed for two thirds of public bodies. While the first scheme remains in force, no plan was put in place for an increase in the supply of services through Irish from those public bodies. 

At least 20% of the language schemes had expired for more than three years and a further 20% for more than two years. 

The following were among the public bodies whose language schemes had expired for more than three years at the end of 2011: the Office of the President, the Arts  Council, Office of the Ombudsman, the Courts Service, Galway County Council, the Revenue Commissioners, and the Department for Education and Skills.  

In addition to the above, 28 other public bodies had been asked to prepare a first  draft scheme but by the end of 2011 these schemes were not yet confirmed by the  Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. In the case of ten of those, more than  five years had elapsed since they were initially asked to prepare a draft scheme. The  report also notes that four years and seven months had elapsed since the HSE on a  national basis was requested to prepare a draft language scheme and almost three  years had passed since An Post was asked to do likewise. More than two years had passed since the Office of the Houses of the Oireachtas, RTÉ and the National Roads Authority were asked to prepare draft language schemes. 

By year end, no language scheme had been confirmed for the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, which was formally established on June 1st 2011. 

“There can be but one conclusion: this important element of the language legislation is now, for all intents and purposes, in crisis,” according to An Coimisinéir Teanga. 

"Thy sports are fled, and all thy charms withdrawn..."

I know what it is like to think small schools are a waste of money and that amalgamation is only sensible. I know what it is like to think that rural communities are parochial and need to be modernised and "get real".

Bríonglóid Ruairí Quinn!  - Ruairí Quin's Dream.

The most dangerous peril facing all the Gaeltacht Areas is the actions of the current Minister of Education, Rúairí Quinn, to close by amalgamation the priceless community treasure in these areas of the local school. This action will complete the work commenced in the statutes of Kilkenny in eliminating finally the use of Irish as a community language. However it also will have effects in the other areas of rural Ireland making them even more isolated than they are by sucking the life blood of the laughter of little children from them. A dead district!

If I may quote the poet,
"...Thy sports are fled, and all thy charms withdrawn; 
Amidst thy bowers the tyrant's hand is seen, 
And Desolation saddens all thy green: 
One only master grasps the whole domain, 
And half a tillage stints thy smiling plain. 
No more thy glassy brook reflects the day, 
But, choked with sedges, works its weedy way; 
Along thy glades, a solitary guest, 
The hollow-sounding bittern guards its nest; 
Amidst thy desert walks the lapwing flies, 
And tires their echoes with unvaried cries: 
Sunk are thy bowers in shapeless ruin all, 
And the long grass o'ertops the mouldering wall 
And, trembling, shrinking from the spoiler's hand, 
Far, far away thy children leave the land. "

 I have come across these two letters, addressed to our Public Representatives,  a real cri de coeur from a desperate primary school teacher (I have the name!) concerning the plight being visited by the anti-rural policies of this Government. The effects of these decisions of the urban-biased minister Ruairí Quinn will be particularly devastating in the Gaeltacht but in fact no rural area will be uneffected and they herald the further demise of our unique rural life. Will the Public Representatives pay any heed? Will the minister heed the cry of the rural students, "Éist Linn Ruairí Quinn!" or will he continue to reinforce the urbanisation of Ireland through the virtual elimination of the unique Irish rural and Gaeltacht  identity?

The first letter was written in January:

Dear Public Representative,

Change in pupil-teacher ratio in small schools
This will affect every school with an enrolment of 86 or less. 
The retention figures for small schools will be applied retrospectively to last September's enrolment figures and will mean that to keep your teacher, schools will have to have an enrolment of:

The idea is to force smaller schools to amalgamate or close, by making it more and more difficult to teach larger groups, with fewer teachers having to teach more classes. This, with all the attendant paperwork and preparation, coping with the special needs pupils in larger classes etc. will force many schools into a situation where closure or amalgamation is the only option.

It will also affect the GA support provision for the school, which will be based on the number of mainstream teachers.
A school with three teachers will be entitled to 15 hours, but when they lose a teacher, it goes down to 10. Pupils will lose out on support because of this.
This is an attack on rural Ireland. It seeks to discriminate against rural communities, because the majority of small schools are in rural and/or Gaeltacht communities.
It is also an attack on minority schools, such as non-Catholic schools. These also tend to be small schools.

It is with deep regret that I am contacting you on behalf of the children of rural Ireland, whose very futures are being dismantled by misguided and anti-rural policies being pursued by the current minister for education and others in the current administration. Below this e-mail, I have attached a copy of a letter I e-mailed to every school in Galway, Roscommon and Westmeath, outlining what the increase in Pupil:Teacher ratio will mean and asking them to attend a public meeting in Gullane's Hotel, Ballinasloe, Co. Galway on 20th January at 8.30pm


The people of rural Ireland are being discriminated against, in a very targetted and cynical way. Our way of life is being eroded by successive anti-rural measures. I will not go into these at present, as to do so would distract from the purpose of this e-mail.


However, these measures have culminated, recently, in a very cynical attempt by the minister for Education, to force small schools into amalgamation or closure, by raising the pupil-teacher ratio IN SMALL SCHOOLS ONLY. This will result in a loss of teachers, which will mean larger classes, greater numbers of class groupings having to be taught by one teacher (with all the attendant paperwork and preparation), larger numbers of special needs children in one classroom, and all the attendant difficulties which this will inflict on smaller schools.

The idea, of course, is to make it so impossible to teach in these circumstances, that the schools are forced into closure or amalgamation.


The McCarthy report recommended "rationalisation" ie. the closure or amalgamation of all schools with 100 pupils or less, starting with all schools of 50 or less, then moving on to the 100 or less schools.


The government knows this would cause uproar, so they want the request for amalgamation to come from the schools themselves.


Hence the sneaky, cowardly, cynical and discriminatory attack on small schools P:T ratios, in an attempt to force schools into an impossible choice.


They can try to carry on with fewer teachers, larger classes and more class groups, struggling with special needs - or they can go and ASK the minister for amalgamation - the very thing he is trying to achieve by the back door.


The new rules on the arrangements for learning support will further exascerbate the situation, as, when a school loses a teacher, they will also lose four or five hours of learning support as well, as the number of hours support is linked to the number of mainstream classroom teachers in the school.
I would have had more respect for the minister if he just came straight out and said he was closing all schools with 86 or less pupils and faced the outcry from the people in a straight and honest way!!!


At least then, the anti-rural bias in this administration would be seen for what it is, and people could fight it in every way possible, at least knowing what they are up against.
Instead, we have this sneaky, cowardly chipping away at everything which makes a rural community worth living in. They took away the post offices, the Garda Stations and now they want to remove the heart of every community - the local school.


This is not for the good of the children, but for the bottom line-cash, and Ms Merkel's opinion that the Irish people are unable to choose their own lifestyle, and should be shown the error of their ways.


"We haf vays of making you urbanise!"
Actually, Ms Merkel, and this spineless government, who are happy to do as they are told, we like our rural way of life! Others have come and gone, trying to make us fit into their mould and see things their way, and frankly, even Cromwell didn't manage to tame us, so what makes this government think they can change us?


In the words of the song "The strangers came and tried to teach us their ways, and they scorned us just for being what we are. But they might as well go chasing after moonbeams, or light a penny candle from a star".


Sadly, however, this doesn't just apply to outside forces like our "friends" in Europe, but to a government, so far removed from and out of touch with the realities of life in rural Ireland, that they are willing to rip the very heart out of rural communities. If this measure is not reversed, small schools which have been a feature of rural Ireland and of Ireland in general, for generations, and which have provided educational excellence for hundreds of years, will be a thing of the past.
Parents should have the right to have their child educated in their own community if that is their wish. I, personally, lived and worked and taught abroad for many years, but made the decision to come home to Ireland when we had children PRECISELY so that they could be brought up in a rural community and educated in a small school. I have first-hand experience of large schools and I made the choice that this is not what I wanted for my children. I believe I should be entitled to make that choice for myself and my family. I believe the right to make that choice should be a fundamental right for EVERY parent in the country. Large urban schools are fine for those who wish to attend them, but that model should not be forced on those who choose to live otherwise. If small schools disappear from our landscape, it will be a tragic loss to this country.


There is a further issue. I don't know if you have considered how discriminatory this measure is.
It only applies to small schools. This means that it applies mainly to rural schools and non-catholic schools. This is discrimination. It should be seen as such, and resisted by whatever means possible.
You will face a bitter fight if you try to implement the forced closure or amalgamation of small schools, by the back door or otherwise.


This attack on small schools and the rights of parents to bring up their children in Rural Ireland and have them educated in a local small school, must not be allowed to happen. Laws and decisions made by people who do not understand rural life and who do not respect our right to live in the countryside if we wish, should not be forced on us.


The second letter more recently (March 2012)

As many of you will know, because I contacted you either directly, or through networking, I have been campaigning strongly for this increased P:T ratio in small schools to be reversed. I feel passionately that the future of rural Ireland, our links to the past and our culture, the Gaeltacht, the islands and all that makes us unique in the world is at risk if we take the small school out of the system and force a homogenised, pasteurised, one-size-fits-all educational system onto our children. I say this, not out of any romantic notions, but as a former emigrant and as a person who grew up not appreciating my own education. 

You see, I know where Ruairi Quinn is coming from. 

I, myself, as a teenager, felt disdain for the "peasant" rural way of life which I felt I was forced to lead. I couldn't wait to get away and become really cosmopolitan and rich and live in a city somewhere with everything to hand. Like the characters I used to watch in Dallas and Dynasty, I wanted the fancy dresses and the cocktails and all the rest! I put myself through college, with the help of a grant, as we had no money. I worked three jobs. I studied morning and night, and I got my degree, found a flat and a good job and enjoyed the high life. I travelled and I moved to England. Was I happy? Yes, for a while. But I soon realised how hollow and empty it all was. 

I trained as a teacher in England and worked in several schools, both at secondary and primary level. All were large schools, some very large. I worked with children of all ages and all races, with and without special needs. They all had one thing in common - a fierce pride in their own culture and identity. I slowly began to see what was actually valuable and important in life. I began to look at my parents and see the sacrifices they had made so I could become "posh".  I also began to see that what I spent my teens looking down on, was actually what I wanted most for myself and any children I might be blessed with. I met my husband, got married, and when it came time to have children, we decided to move back, so they would be at the heart of their community, near their grandparents, and educated in a small rural school. 

I now have five beautiful children who are all in my lovely rural three-teacher school, except for one, who has moved on to the local, reasonably small, secondary school. I feel they are getting an excellent education as I am blessed with the finest team of dedicated teachers it has ever been my pleasure to work with. They lack nothing (except a GP room/ hall, which I would kill for, but then again, they have three acres and a playground with swings and slides, so I shouldn't complain), and are happy and well rounded, as are all my pupils, thank God. There are no bullying issues or social problems, like the ones I faced daily in England. No drugs,no knives, no obesity, no major problems. I have many with special needs, but they are accepted and supported by both teachers and their peers. 

Why am I telling you all this? Because  you see, I know what it is like to think small schools are a waste of money and that amalgamation is only sensible. I know what it is like to think that rural communities are parochial and need to be modernised and "get real". 

However, having seen all possible sides, sizes and levels of education in Ireland and abroad in my twenty plus years as a teacher, I now understand the jewel we have in our small schools and our tight knit small communities. 

I now understand that what makes us uniquely Irish and special, is something which must be protected at all costs. 

If this next batch of emigrants come back in a few years to raise their children in a rural area, close to their communities, as I did, along with many others, there is a good chance that if this government gets their way, they will not have a small school in their area for the children to come back to. Will they ever forgive us if we have let that happen without a whisper of protest? 

Those of you who advised against "divide and conquer" are absolutely right. In a modern Ireland there is a need for large schools, and highly populated areas need large, modern, well run schools. However, small schools are also modern and well run, and are also badly needed by their communities. 

It took me a while to realise it. We don't have the time to wait for Ruairi Quinn to see it. By the time he realises the importance of small schools (and DEIS schools for that matter), they could be consigned to the history books. 

We, the leaders in the education sector, MUST stand in his way, but we must do this together. "Divide and conquer" would be playing right into the hands of a short-sighted administration intent on selling off the family silver and ( if you'll pardon one more cliché) are quite willing to throw the baby out with the bathwater. 

I'm sure you are aware of the planned protest in Loughrea on Saturday 24th March at 2pm and the handing in of petitions to Ciaran Cannon's office at 3pm. I would appreciate anything you could do to promote and support this protest. If you have any connections with the GAA or the IFA who could be persuaded to come along and get involved, that would be great. 

We are also in the planning stage of a huge, nationwide rally, coordinating all of the various local groups which have sprung up all over the country. We hope to converge on Dublin from all parts of the country and cause maximum disruption, on all the various county roads on the way up, and then, once in the city, to  come in from as many different angles as possible, so as to ensure as many different areas are disrupted as possible. With Dublin at a standstill, it will be impossible for the media to ignore us, as they have done in the past. 

The date is not set yet, but it will be at least a couple of weeks, so we intend to use that time to plan the rally very carefully. 

I'm attaching the letter and petition I sent to all the schools I can reach. It lays out the purpose of the protest and there is a page to print off and fill with signatures. If you could help with getting signatures - maybe passing it on to your party members etc, it would also be a huge help. 

Rural Ireland is valuable, and worth saving. Our children are just as important as those born in a highly populated urban area. This discrimination must not be allowed to stand. 

YOU WERE ELECTED TO REPRESENT YOUR COMMUNITY-SO REPRESENT US!!! REPRESENT OUR CHILDREN!!! STAND UP AND FIGHT FOR THEIR FUTURE!!!