Tá obair leanúnach ar siúl i mo Roinnse faoi láthair chun polasaí nua a fhorbairt don oideachas lán-Ghaeilge lasmuigh den Ghaeltacht. Tógfaidh an polasaí nua seo ar an méid atá bainte amach ag an bPolasaí don Oideachas Gaeltachta.
Tá an tAonad um Oideachas Gaeltachta freagrach as forbairt an pholasaí nua don oideachas lán-Ghaeilge lasmuigh den Ghaeltacht a chomhordú. Tá an taithí atá ag an Aonad um Oideachas Gaeltachta ar chur i bhfeidhm an Pholasaí don Oideachas Gaeltachta an-luachmhar agus an polasaí nua á fhorbairt.
Cuireadh próiseas comhairliúcháin poiblí ar bun chun tuairimí agus taithí pháirtithe leasmhara a fháil – daoine óga, tuismitheoirí, gairmithe oideachais, páirtithe leasmhara oideachais agus eagraíochta Gaeilge ina measc. Bhí trí thréimhse sa chomhairliúchán seo – ceistneoir ar líne agus glao ar aighneachtaí scríofa, sraith grúpaí fócais, agus cruinnithe déthaobhacha idir mo Roinn agus páirtithe leasmhara. Phlé ceann de na grúpaí fócais go sonrach le scoileanna ag aistriú ó scoileanna meán-Bhéarla go scoileanna lán-Ghaeilge.
Rinne Sealbhú, ionad taighde i DCU, anailís ar an eolas ar fad a bailíodh le linn an chomhairliúcháin agus tá sraith tuairiscí curtha i dtoll a chéile chun bonn eolais a chur faoi fhorbairt an pholasaí nua. Tugann na tuairiscí seo léargas ar na tuairimí, dearcthaí agus moltaí a roinneadh leis an Roinn le linn na tréimhsí éagsúla den chomhairliúchán poiblí. Tá sé ar intinn na tuairiscí sin a fhoilsiú ar-líne in am trátha.
Chomh maith leis sin, tá réimse gníomhartha glactha le cinntiú go mbeidh an polasaí nua bunaithe ar thaighde reatha:
- Tá athbhreithniú ar an litríocht maidir leis an tumoideachas trí mheán mionteangacha coimisiúnaithe trí phróiseas soláthair phoiblí agus déanta ag Sealbhú, DCU.
- Scríobhadh agus foilsíodh tuarascáil a thugann léargas ar sholáthar don oideachas lán-Ghaeilge lasmuigh den Ghaeltacht ag mo Roinn.
- Tá taighde maidir le haonaid agus sruthanna lán-Ghaeilge i scoileanna meán-Bhéarla ar bun.
- Foilsíodh dhá thuarascáil ilchodacha ar thorthaí cigireachta ar chaighdeán soláthair oideachais i nGaelscoileanna agus i nGaelcholáistí in Earrach na bliana 2021. Tugann na tuarascálacha seo léargas cabhrach ar chleachtais i scoileanna. Tá tuarascáil ar thorthaí cigireachta ar naíonraí á ullmhú chomh maith.
Answer
Work is continuing in my Department on the development of a new policy on Irish-medium education outside of the Gaeltacht. This new policy will build on the achievements of the Policy on Gaeltacht Education.
The Gaeltacht Education Unit is responsible for the coordination of the development of the policy on Irish-medium education outside of the Gaeltacht. The experience of the Gaeltacht Education Unit in implementing the Policy on Gaeltacht Education is invaluable in developing the new policy.
A public consultation process was conducted to obtain the views and experiences of stakeholders, including young people, parents, education professionals, education stakeholders and Irish-language organisations. There were three phases to this consultation – an online questionnaire and a call for written submissions, a series of focus groups, and bilateral meetings between my department and stakeholders. One of the focus groups specifically looked at schools transitioning from English-medium to Irish-medium schools.
Sealbhú, a research centre in DCU, has carried out an analysis of the information gathered throughout the consultation and has compiled a series of reports on the consultation to inform the development of the new policy. These reports provide an overview of the views, opinions and recommendations shared with the Department in the various stages of the public consultation. It is intended that those reports will be published on-line in due course.
Additionally, a range of actions have been taken to ensure that the new policy will be based on current research:
- A review of literature on immersion education through the medium of minority languages has been commissioned through public procurement process and has completed by Sealbhú, DCU.
- A report giving an overview of provision for Irish-medium education outside of Gaeltacht areas was compiled and published by my Department.
- Research on Irish-medium Aonaid and Sruthanna (Units and Streams) in English-medium schools is being carried out.
- Two composite reports on inspection findings on the quality of educational provision in Gaelscoileanna and Gaelcholáistí were published in Spring 2021. These reports provide a helpful insight into school practice. A report on inspection findings on early years settings is also being prepared.
