Policy on Gaeltacht Education 2017-2022
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Published on
Last updated on
The Policy on Gaeltacht Education 2017-2022 responds to the objectives of the Government’s 20-Year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010-2030 and the 5-Year Action plan for Irish 2018-2022 to promote, revive and strengthen the use of Irish.
Policy on Gaeltacht Education 2017-2022
The main aim of the policy is to support and promote the use of the Irish language in Gaeltacht communities through strengthening Irish-medium educational provision in Gaeltacht language-planning areas.
The policy is the strategic response to address the linguistic challenges facing Gaeltacht language planning areas. The uniqueness of the Gaeltacht as an area of significant linguistic, cultural and economic importance is recognised in the policy. The aim of the implementation of the policy is to secure the vitality of Gaeltacht areas as the home of Irish-speaking communities.
The policy is set out under seven pillars, as follows:
1. Strengthening the structure of educational provision
2. Improving the quality of teaching through Irish
3. Building the capacity of school leaders and school management
4. Improving the curriculum for Irish
5. Improving language resources and supports
6. Strengthening early-years’ educational provision
7. Building awareness of the benefits of Irish-medium education, communicating with, and supporting parents in promoting the language.
The policy is designed to strengthen and ensure the provision of high quality Irish-medium education in Gaeltacht language-planning areas through a range of actions and targeted supports. The policy aims to build on the linguistic strengths which exist in the Gaeltacht in conjunction with local language-planning processes.
The Gaeltacht Education Policy Advisory Committee was established in March 2017 to support the phased implementation of the Policy on Gaeltacht Education 2017-2022 read more
All schools in Gaeltacht language-planning areas have been invited to apply to participate in a Scheme to achieve recognition as a Gaeltacht school. Schools that commit to becoming Gaeltacht schools will, through their school self-evaluation processes (SSE), develop a whole-school action plan for improvement that will demonstrate clearly how the school will fulfil the requirements of the recognition process in a staged way and how it will build linkages with its local community to foster the use of the Irish language.
Schools, whose action plans are approved, are eligible to access additional resources, including dedicated continuing professional development (CPD), to support them in working towards achieving Gaeltacht school recognition.
As part of the validation process to gain recognition as a Gaeltacht school, each school in the Scheme will receive an evaluation visit between October 2022 and Easter 2024. The guidance note was published in June 2021 to provide details of the steps involved in the process and advice for schools on how to prepare.
Details of the current stage of implementation are outlined in Circular 0020/2024 for primary and special schools participating in the Gaeltacht School Recognition Scheme and in Circular 0021/2024 for post-primary schools.
The details for schools in the Gaeltacht who may wish to take part in the Gaeltacht Schools Recognition Scheme in future ar available in Circular 0022/2024 .