Thàinig na leanas thugam an-diugh...
Highland council are to celebrate 25 years of GM this year and now the only local authority in Scotland to reduce GM teachers,Portree loses one teacher just now and sleat two!!.please sign the petition below.
Tha sinne, a chuir ar n-ainm ris an athchuinge seo, ag iarraidh gun cùm Comhairle na Gàidhealtachd ris na h-àireamhan thidsearan a bh’ aca mu choinneimh àireamhan sgoilearan Gàidhlig, agus nach atharraich iad an co-mheas airson àireamhan thidsearan/sgoilearan Gàidhlig gus a dhèanamh co-ionann ris a’ Bheurla. Tha feumalachdan sònraichte aig sgoilearan Gàidhlig a thaobh mar a dh’fheumas iad a bhith air am bogadh sa chànan, agus a thaobh mar a tha clann de dhiofar chomasan cànain san sgoil còmhla. Chan eil na h-aon ghoireasan no stuthan teagaisg ann agus a gheibhear le Beurla, agus tha a’ chlann ag ionnsachadh sgilean labhairt, sgrìobhaidh is leughaidh Gàidhlig, agus ri ùine sgilean labhairt, sgrìobhaidh agus leughaidh Beurla.
We the undersigned want Highland Council to maintain tha teacher/pupil ratios they followed for Gaelic Medium Education, and we do not want them to equalise Gaelic Medium ratios with those of English Medium Education. Gaelic Medium pupils have special requirements with regard to their immersion in the language, and with regard to the different levels of fluency in the language that pupils have when they enter Primary 1. Gaelic Medium Education does not enjoy anywhere near the same level of teaching resources and materials as English Medium Education, and children in Gaelic Medium Education are taught the relevant language skills for both Gaelic and English, adding another layer to their education and to the workload of the teachers
http://aireamhan.epetitions.net/
GM Petition/ Athchuinge
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Seonaidh
- Posts: 1486
- Joined: Fri Apr 04, 2008 8:00 pm
- Corrections: I'm fine either way
- Location: Faisg air Gleann Rathais
Re: GM Petition/ Athchuinge
Tha agam ri ràdh nach eil Fìobha a' gearradh GM idir - air sgàth 's nach eil GM sam bith ann am Fìobha!
Dè ceudad na Gàidhlig sa Ghàidhealtachd? 10% 's dòcha? Agus a bheil ceudad coltach dhen fhoghlam tro Mh na G? Cha chreid mi gu bheil. Mar sin, ma bhios gearraidhean feumail, bu chòir dhaibh a bhith gu foghlam tro Mh na Beurla.
Dè ceudad na Gàidhlig sa Ghàidhealtachd? 10% 's dòcha? Agus a bheil ceudad coltach dhen fhoghlam tro Mh na G? Cha chreid mi gu bheil. Mar sin, ma bhios gearraidhean feumail, bu chòir dhaibh a bhith gu foghlam tro Mh na Beurla.
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Níall Beag
- Rianaire
- Posts: 1432
- Joined: Sun Sep 23, 2007 6:58 pm
- Language Level: Fluent (non-native)
- Corrections: I'm fine either way
- Location: Sruighlea, Alba
- Contact:
Re: GM Petition/ Athchuinge
Everything I've seen about GME flies in the face of good educational practice. Every time I state my objections, I get showered with "Ah but"s. Ah but Gaelic is different. Ah but kids need this or that.
Basically, everyone agrees that kids should be given initial literacy (learning to read and write) in their mother tongue. For native Gaels, that's Gaelic, and like it or not, most of the kids in GME are not native Gaels, so they should be getting initial literacy via English.
Ah but... "You can't let English in or they'll never learn Gaelic."
And you reckon they're doing a good job of learning Gaelic now? I've seen high-schools kids on telly who can't tell the difference between alienable and inalienable possession despite being in Gaelic medium since nursery.
Maybe that proves that something is getting in the way of learning Gaelic.
Ah but... "it's all that English on TV that gets in the way."
No. Trying to teach them to write a language that they can't speak yet is what's getting in the way. That's a hell of a lot of work for a brain that doesn't really understand what writing is yet.
How about we do what the vast majority of bilingual education programs do and give kids initial literacy in their mother tongue, introducing the new language in spoken form only, then introducing writing in the second language after several years? From there you can be fully Gaelic medium by about P5. Which is completely the opposite of what they're doing now (in English speaking areas).
Ah but... "if we do that, English will always be their strongest language"
And it isn't now? Have you tried speaking to your kids recently mate? And besides, kids in multilingual schools the world over are perfectly capable in languages such as German, Italian and French when it is introduced that way.
Ah but... "German, Italian and French aren't minority languages."
They are in Spain. And Norway. And Bulgaria. Makes no difference. Kids learn them because they're taught them at a pace they can handle. They're not hammered with it so intensively that the teacher is forced to mangle their own language in order to be understood quick enough to get into some pretty complicated syllabus areas.
Ah but... "they went to the sràdagan and we speak Gaelic at home. We've done everything we can"
Yes, and we're speaking Gaelic now, and yours is even worse than mine. They are English speakers and their Gaelic is badly broken. (Also, why can't we talk about playgroups rather than "wee sparks" or whatever? It's a bit twee, you know.)
Ah but... "Shar gallick Breeshtch na gallick in a keeshtch"
Yes, but that's not the choice. They could actually be taught reasonably natural Gaelic if you weren't confusing them with that strange "pencil" thing while you were trying to teach them it. And if silly middle class do-gooders like yourself would get it into your thick skulls that you don't speak Gaelic, so you can't teach it. If you want them to learn it, leave it to someone who speaks it to teach it.
Ah but... "the people who speak it aren't teaching their kids."
Then the language will die. And if you believe this, you're teaching your kids a dead language. GME for the Gall isn't the answer. Why does no-one just tell Gaelic speaking parents the basic rules of the bilingual household?
Ah but... "our kids do better in the league tables anyway."
Only results I've seen published were for the Western Isles, where Gaelic is very much alive. In that circumstance, GME is the right way.
Ah but... "our kids are doing better in the league tables now."
The best early indicator of success in school is being born into a middle-class household. Pretty much every GME parent I've met is very middle class. It's a self-selecting set and proves nothing of the education benefits of being very confused indeed at an early age.
So that's why I ain't signing no petition on no GME.
Don't sacrifice kids to an ideological standpoint, folks.
Basically, everyone agrees that kids should be given initial literacy (learning to read and write) in their mother tongue. For native Gaels, that's Gaelic, and like it or not, most of the kids in GME are not native Gaels, so they should be getting initial literacy via English.
Ah but... "You can't let English in or they'll never learn Gaelic."
And you reckon they're doing a good job of learning Gaelic now? I've seen high-schools kids on telly who can't tell the difference between alienable and inalienable possession despite being in Gaelic medium since nursery.
Maybe that proves that something is getting in the way of learning Gaelic.
Ah but... "it's all that English on TV that gets in the way."
No. Trying to teach them to write a language that they can't speak yet is what's getting in the way. That's a hell of a lot of work for a brain that doesn't really understand what writing is yet.
How about we do what the vast majority of bilingual education programs do and give kids initial literacy in their mother tongue, introducing the new language in spoken form only, then introducing writing in the second language after several years? From there you can be fully Gaelic medium by about P5. Which is completely the opposite of what they're doing now (in English speaking areas).
Ah but... "if we do that, English will always be their strongest language"
And it isn't now? Have you tried speaking to your kids recently mate? And besides, kids in multilingual schools the world over are perfectly capable in languages such as German, Italian and French when it is introduced that way.
Ah but... "German, Italian and French aren't minority languages."
They are in Spain. And Norway. And Bulgaria. Makes no difference. Kids learn them because they're taught them at a pace they can handle. They're not hammered with it so intensively that the teacher is forced to mangle their own language in order to be understood quick enough to get into some pretty complicated syllabus areas.
Ah but... "they went to the sràdagan and we speak Gaelic at home. We've done everything we can"
Yes, and we're speaking Gaelic now, and yours is even worse than mine. They are English speakers and their Gaelic is badly broken. (Also, why can't we talk about playgroups rather than "wee sparks" or whatever? It's a bit twee, you know.)
Ah but... "Shar gallick Breeshtch na gallick in a keeshtch"
Yes, but that's not the choice. They could actually be taught reasonably natural Gaelic if you weren't confusing them with that strange "pencil" thing while you were trying to teach them it. And if silly middle class do-gooders like yourself would get it into your thick skulls that you don't speak Gaelic, so you can't teach it. If you want them to learn it, leave it to someone who speaks it to teach it.
Ah but... "the people who speak it aren't teaching their kids."
Then the language will die. And if you believe this, you're teaching your kids a dead language. GME for the Gall isn't the answer. Why does no-one just tell Gaelic speaking parents the basic rules of the bilingual household?
Ah but... "our kids do better in the league tables anyway."
Only results I've seen published were for the Western Isles, where Gaelic is very much alive. In that circumstance, GME is the right way.
Ah but... "our kids are doing better in the league tables now."
The best early indicator of success in school is being born into a middle-class household. Pretty much every GME parent I've met is very middle class. It's a self-selecting set and proves nothing of the education benefits of being very confused indeed at an early age.
So that's why I ain't signing no petition on no GME.
Don't sacrifice kids to an ideological standpoint, folks.
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Seonaidh
- Posts: 1486
- Joined: Fri Apr 04, 2008 8:00 pm
- Corrections: I'm fine either way
- Location: Faisg air Gleann Rathais
Re: GM Petition/ Athchuinge
Tha agam ri ràdh gun robh mi eòlach, o chion bliadhnaichen, air teaghlach Cuimreach far nach robh Cuimris aig na pàrantan bho thùs. An toiseach, fhuair iad dithis nighinn agus thog iad tro mheadhan na Bheurla iad. An dèidh sin, b' ann ionnsachadh Cuimris a rinn na pàrantan - uill, beagan - agus fhuair iad mac. Cha bhruidhneadh iad ris-san ach sa Chuimris - Cuimris, mar a dhealbh Niall a-nuas, gu leòr bhriste. Agus nuair a choinnich mi riutha - bhiodh am balach 6 no 7 a dh'aois - cha tuirt am balach càil, no Cuimris no Beurla no cànan sam bith. Nochd gun do smaoinich na caileagan gum b' ann beagan loopy a bha am pàrantan. Bhithinnsa ag aontachadh leotha.
Chan eil Genetically Modified Education ri fhaighinn ann am Fìobha - agus cha bhiodh mo mhac anns nam biodh. Ach chan eil foghlam Gàidhlig SAM BITH ann am Fìobha - mar sin, chan fhaod sgoilearan Fìobha Gàidhlig ionnsachadh sna sgoiltean idir, Beurla - gu dearbh. Fraingis - faodaidh. Gearmailtis - faodaidh. Spàinnis - faodaidh. Thug mo mhac fiù 's iomradh air ionnsachadh Sìonais - tha buidheann aig a sgoil. Ach Gàidhlig - aonar de chànanan oifigeil na h-Alba - chan fhaod.
'S dòcha, a-nis, gu bheil mi eòlach gu leòr air a' Ghàidhlig airson beatha làitheil a chumail air adhart san dachaigh amsaa, ach cha robh mi mar sin o chionn 2 no 3 bliadhna. Agus chan eil facal de Ghàidhlig aig màthair mo mhic. Mar sin, 's ann gorach a bhiodh dhuinn a chur-san tro GhME. Ach, dè mu dheidhinn Gàidhlig ionnsachadh tro mheadhan na Beurla? Bhiodh sin glè mhath air a shon. Ach s' ann do-dhèanta a tha sin an-dràsta.
Chan eil Genetically Modified Education ri fhaighinn ann am Fìobha - agus cha bhiodh mo mhac anns nam biodh. Ach chan eil foghlam Gàidhlig SAM BITH ann am Fìobha - mar sin, chan fhaod sgoilearan Fìobha Gàidhlig ionnsachadh sna sgoiltean idir, Beurla - gu dearbh. Fraingis - faodaidh. Gearmailtis - faodaidh. Spàinnis - faodaidh. Thug mo mhac fiù 's iomradh air ionnsachadh Sìonais - tha buidheann aig a sgoil. Ach Gàidhlig - aonar de chànanan oifigeil na h-Alba - chan fhaod.
'S dòcha, a-nis, gu bheil mi eòlach gu leòr air a' Ghàidhlig airson beatha làitheil a chumail air adhart san dachaigh amsaa, ach cha robh mi mar sin o chionn 2 no 3 bliadhna. Agus chan eil facal de Ghàidhlig aig màthair mo mhic. Mar sin, 's ann gorach a bhiodh dhuinn a chur-san tro GhME. Ach, dè mu dheidhinn Gàidhlig ionnsachadh tro mheadhan na Beurla? Bhiodh sin glè mhath air a shon. Ach s' ann do-dhèanta a tha sin an-dràsta.