A school in which all subjects are taught through Irish in an attractive encouraging environment. That is the environment that is created at Scoil Raifteiri, Castlebar.
Irish is the language of the school community, of children, teachers, management, and parents. A wide ranging curriculum aims to develop each child's full potential. Homework tasks are prepared and concepts learned in class are revisited at home enabling children to complete homework independently. The Gaelscoil functions under the normal rules and regulations of the Department of Education and Science. There are 139 Gaelscoileanna at primary level in the 32 counties, outside Gaeltacht areas. There are 22,000 children attending these bilingual schools. The bilingual approach in child education is now a world-wide movement and is especially promoted in Europe. One of the great advantages of children learning a second language at a very young age is that they can acquire native-like pronunciations and complex linguistic ability with apparent ease. Research in this country shows that learning does not adversely affect ability in the first language.
Why send your children to a Gaelscoil?
1. Your children will learn Irish through music, play, gestures, and rhymes. They will enjoy learning the language and they will be proud to be able to speak it.
2. International research shows that being bilingual helps intellectual and cognitive development.
3. Children who are bilingual can often have higher self-esteem.
4. Children who speak Irish understand their own cultural identity as Irish citizens and as Europeans. There is a better chance that they will understand and respect people of other races and cultures who speak different languages.
5. Children who attend a Gaelscoil at primary level are at an enviable advantage when they reach secondary school as studies have shown that Irish is an exam subject in which they excel.
