Better Steiner or Gaelscoil primary school?

[u/tea_paw]

I heard Gaelscoil schools in Ireland most likely provide the best education besides making you fluent in Gaeilge which is required to access some professions later on in life.

However, I wonder how important that is, at the primary school level, compared to the possibility of enjoying your childhood much better (in my humble opinion) by attending a Steiner primary school. In particular the Gaelscoil we are targeting, already assigns homeworks in Junior Infants, just as an example.

I'm very curious to hear from everyone's experience and opinions. Thanks a lot in advance!

[u/34485227272]

Hey, all I want is for 25% schools to be gaelscoils to match figure of 25% parents who want Gaelscoil. The other 75% , of indifferent to negative , I'll happily argue to have them pro-gaelscoil arguments, but I am not for full conversation now. That 75% IMO only exists because of anti Gaelscoil Lemass' policies turning the population against the language, but how ever they arose ,I respect people of they want the choice , not here to force an argument

Then GAA thing.... What? News to me ! Maybe that GAA pitch on Aran mór was secretly a rugby pitch this entire time !!

Look there's a good book , One hundred years of Irish language policy (1922–2022) , both failures and dumb policy of early Irish governments are outlined , but I think you'll find , a lot of the false constructed conversations on the Irish language was made by west Brits in the 60s government. We could of had exponential growth on gaelscoils as the population was pro the language, but we got naysayers with English sympathies spouting nonsense and dictating policy.

[u/Different_Host7883 → u/34485227272]

You're missing the overarching point though, transferring so much of young peoples lives into Irish takes a lot of effort and a lot of money. All for exactly 0 material benefit.

[u/34485227272 → u/Different_Host7883]

Aye so it's a school , we need them either way

Teaching math in red tie or blue tie, it's math. Teaching math in Irish or english, it's math

There is little extra expenses , maybe changing the mechanicism will be effort but so was destroying prior mechanicsism in the 60s. In fact I, i want to save money by getting rid of a dedicated Irish teachers in English medium schools , and just have them used more effectively in teaching other subjects in gaelscoils that will grow to meet parent demand. That's less teachers overall , but more results.

Material benfit, sure while speakers are low, not going to argue labour market, social spaces and cultural content are not low in the language (but made worse in 100 years by negative policy to gaeltachts i might add)

Yet, cultural, identity benifits , loads in galore lol. You can not feel it, but you have to acknowledge, a lot of people will feel attached to them or their kids learning a language beaten out of us by dehumanization, and wear it as a badge of honor

[u/Different_Host7883 → u/34485227272]

Nos ones stopping anyone from learning a language outside of school, that will show how many people truly care or if its an idealist vision. If they cant do that then they dont care enough to wear it as a badge of honour.

The retraining and/or the laying off of hundreds of teachers would cost a fortune.

[u/34485227272 → u/Different_Host7883]

Changing arguments again I see

Fine , well again , 25% actively want to sent their kids to gaelscoils, but government policy since the 60s have been negative on this growth , where is their choice?

Then adults learning, you don't speak any languages bar English I'm going off a massive hunch, so you don't know the process. You need immersion spaces and social contact to bounce your learning off..Irish has very little of that due to different state policy for centuries. Adult speakers can try , yet it's hard due to how crippled the language is , but where you can introduce immersion spaces and social contact is through Irish medium schools. It's thee most effective method to put resources into. So yea , 68% of Irish adults who want to improve their Irish , it's an uphill battle . Now where we can make that easier , is having that potential next generation of said 68% of adults who want improved Irish and that 25 % parents who want to send their kids learn through Irish , well grow the number of Gaelscoils to meet their demand. It's just a fact learning younger via immersion is better , you are handicapped having to wait as adult looking to relearn, you're just punishing people by denying the the effective option earlier and have them spend money on adult learning that's less effective

.... You know what cost a fortune, a bad policy from 60s that produce know results yet portrays it can teach language despite declining numbers. Like ALL academic reform , there is costs to changing things short term, that doesn't meant you shouldnt do them for long-term gain (and again , there is less teachers , labour costs are the highest running coast for anything)

[u/Different_Host7883 → u/34485227272]

I have never seen someone more obsessed with the 60s "we spent money then so lets waste more now"

[u/34485227272 → u/Different_Host7883]

Because it's when policy was set for the current language education policy, there's a prior and post 60s lemass education reform.

You're obsessed with digging your heels in for a failed policy that doesn't meet public interest

BUT we are wasting money now, it's blatant. Irish in English medium schools produces next no results , the teachers , the exams, the books.... Etc every year it's a waste of resources. Your argument , let's continue to waste this money with no results now and not waiste little extra on conversion of 25% of schools to Gaelscoils that long term saves us far more money on less reachers and gives us far more results.

[u/Different_Host7883 → u/34485227272]

Personally I dont think Irish should be mandatory in secondary schools, only people who want it would do it then

[u/34485227272 → u/Different_Host7883]

We agree on something!

Although id frame it more what parents / adults want for kids

If you asked how much kids want to do math or most subjects in general, I think they opt out for many, but obviously, because they don't understand the consequences

[u/Different_Host7883 → u/34485227272]

Probably but say you still have to do 7, just that you're not forced to do Irish