Sinn Fein attacks British Government over attempts to devalue Irish Language
Sinn Féin's Education Spokesperson Michael Ferguson MLA has expressed dismay at
the devaluing of the Irish Language in the British Government's Education (NI)
Order 2006 and claimed that it will be detrimental to the future development
of the language.
Commenting today at a meeting of the Party's
Education Advisory Forum Mr Ferguson said:
"Sinn Féin have been
to the forefront of defending the new post primary transfer procedures
because the system will offer a quality education through equality of
access. We have also defended the new curriculum because it widens
entitlement by offering every young person a choice of 24 subjects at the
age of 14.
"However, Article 18D of the Education Order 2006
coving choice of languages which states, 'At least one shall be a course in
an 'official language of the EC' (other than English and Irish)' undermines
the teaching of Irish in our schools..
"While all other sectors
are experiencing falling rolls the Irish Medium sector, which is the most
dynamic growth sector in education, has ever increasing rolls. In a society
that has a growing Irish-medium sector and an ever-increasing number of
Irish speakers this curriculum change will act as a barrier to children
taking Irish as a subject in the English-speaking sector.
"The
devaluing the Irish language in English medium schools will be detrimental
to the future development of the language. It will undermine the
efforts of the Irish speaking community to promote Irish among children in
English-medium schools and further alienate those who would want their children
to have some knowledge of their native language.
"A school must
be about more than preparing children for the work place. Those parts of the
curriculum that help develop their social well-being, sporting endeavours
and inter-personal relationships, their sense of their own history and
identity will be lost in the pursuit of delivering work ready young adults.
"The
Irish language is an integral part of our identity and we need to ensure
that it is at least recognized as such by our children in our own schools
with it's place secured as a part of the curriculum dealing with equality of
access. If we do not do this then we may perhaps prepare children for
the workplace but we will not promote the personal development of complete
persons with an understanding of their past and an appreciation
of
their worth."ENDS