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Fine Gael agus a gCogadh ar an Teanga

24/02/11

(English version follows.)

Beidh impleachtaí ollmhóra ag polasaí Fhine Gael ar an Ghaeilge don teanga náisiúnta agus do phobail Ghaeltachta ar fud na Sé Chondae Fichead.

D’fhógair na Léintí Gorma ní ba luaithe sa mhí go ndéanfaidís ábhar roghnach den Ghaeilge i ndiaidh an Teastais Shóisearigh dá dtoghfaí iad, rud a chiallódh nach mbeadh an Ghaeilge mar chroí-ábhar don Ardteistiméireacht. Mhaígh an páirtí gur theip ar an Ghaeilge mar ábhar riachtanach an teanga a athbheochan.

Dhamnaigh eagraíochtaí Gaeilge polasaí Fhine Gael agus dúirt Conradh na Gaeilge go n-ísleofar stádas na Gaeilge má bhaintear í mar ábhar riachtanach don Ardteistiméireacht agus gur féidir go ndímholfadh tuismitheoirí dá bpáistí ó aos óg aird a thabhairt ar an teanga, ar an tuiscint nach mbeadh orthu leanúint léi i ndiaidh an Teastais Shóisearaigh.

Rinne an Coimisinéir Teanga Seán Ó Cuirreáin comparáid idir polasaí Fhine Gael a cuireadh i bhfeidhm sna luath-1970í, maidir le riachtanas na Gaeilge chun obair i státseirbhís na Sé Chondae Fichead, agus an polasaí seo is déanaí ar an Ghaeilge sa chóras oideachais. Chaith rialtas Fhine Gael an polasaí ar an Ghaeilge sa státseirbhís tharstu in 1974 agus, ó shin i leith, thit líon na foirne riaracháin le cumas na Gaeilge i Roinn Oideachais agus Scileanna na Sé Chondae Fichead ó 100 faoin chéad go 1.5 faoin chéad.

Theip ar an pholasaí seo agus tarlóidh an rud céanna lena bpolasaí ar an Ghaeilge i gcóras oideachais na Sé Chondae Fichead.

Beidh bagairt mhór ann do na Gaeltachtaí sa stát má chuirtear polasaí Fhine Gael i bhfeidhm. Má thiteann líon na ndaltaí ag dul don Ghaeilge mar ábhar don Ardteistiméireacht, tarlóidh an rud céanna leis an mhéid daoine a fhreastalaíonn ar na coláistí samhraidh sa Ghaeltacht, agus mar thoradh air sin beidh druidim choláistí samhraidh beaga agus cailliúint phost do dhaoine áitiúla a gcoinníonn na daoine ar na coláistí ina dtithe. Mar thoradh ar na cailliúintí post seo, níl amhras go mbeidh ar dhaoine ón Ghaeltacht a mbaile a fhágáil ar lorg poist sna cathracha, agus rachaidh an scéal loechaileach sna Gaeltachtaí in olcas arís.

In ainneoin na díospóireachta ar fad cé acu ar chóir go mbeadh an Ghaeilge mar ábhar riachtanach nó nár chóir, taispeánann suirbhé a rinne Gaeloideachais, Comhar na Múinteoirí Gaeilge, Conradh na Gaeilge, Gael Linn, Gaelscoileanna agus Comhdháil Náisiúnta na Gaeilge go bhfuil 61 faoin chéad ar son an Ghaeilge a choinneáil mar ábhar riachtanach agus mhothaigh 65 faoin chéad gur chóir tuilleadh ábhar sna bunscoileanna a theagasc trí mheán na Gaeilge le páistí óga a spreagadh chun na teanga. Léiríonn an tromlach seo go soiléir nach nglacann daonra na Sé Chondae Fichead le polasaí Fhine Gael ar an Ghaeilge, d’ainneoin ráiteas an pháirtí nár chothaigh Gaeilge riachtanach fás ná grá don teanga.

Theip ar Fhine Gael dul i gceann teip chóras oideachais na Sé Chondae Fichead maidir le teagasc na Gaeilge don uile dhalta ag caighdeán ard agus chinn siad an fhadhb seo a chur as radharc na súl in áit dul i ngleic leis an fhadhb ag a croí. Ó bhunú stát na Sé Chondae Fichead, bhí tuilleamaí i gcónaí leis an chóras oideachas chun Gaeilgeoirí líofa a chruthú, ach tá díreach 3.5 uair d’am teagaisc sa bhunscoil riachtanach agus is é rang Gaeilge amháin sa lá ar an uasmhéid an rud is coitianta ag an dara leibheál.

Ní chruthóidh an leibhéal íseal teagmhála seo leis an teanga na Gaeilgeoirí líofa a bhfuiltear ag dúil leo ón chóras oideachais, agus sháraigh sé iarrachtaí mhúinteoirí Gaeilge ar fud an stáit le blianta fada. In áit droim a thabhairt don fhadhb seo, caithfidh Fine Gael aghaidh a thabhairt ar cén dóigh ar theip ar fhoghlaim teanga sa chóras oideachais agus aird a thabhairt ar ghlaoch ó eagraíochtaí Gaeilge faoin chóras oideachais a fheabhsú.

Chuir Conradh na Gaeilge a moltaí féin os comhair na bpáirtithe go léir, ag moladh go dteagascfar ábhair eile trí mheán na Gaeilge ag an bhunleibhéal agus an dara leibheál araon le cinntiú go bhfuil deis ag daltaí an teanga a úsáid taobh amuigh den rang Gaeilge, in áit bheith ag brath ar ranganna Gaeilge amháin chun líofacht a bhaint amach.

Ghlac Fine Gael rith bodaigh le fána áfach agus níor chuir said san áireamh na himpleachtaí ollmhóra a bheas ag an pholasaí seo don teanga agus don dóchas faoi athbheochan teanga.

Tacóidh éirígí le cách a chuireann in aghaidh an pholasaí seo agus oibreoidh leo siúd ag obair i dtreo athbheochan na teanga agus leo siúd ag dúil le deireadh an impiriúlachais chultúrtha in Éirinn.

Fine Gael and its War Against the Language

Fine Gael’s policy on Irish will have huge implications for the national language and for Gaeltacht communities across the Twenty-Six Counties.

The Blueshirts announced earlier this month that, if elected, they would make Irish an optional subject after the Junior Certificate, meaning it would no longer be a core subject for the Leaving Certificate. The party has claimed that having Irish as a compulsory subject has failed in reviving the language.

Irish language organisations have condemned the Fine Gael’s policy and Conradh na Gaeilge have said that removing Irish as a compulsory subject for the Leaving Certificate will lower the status of the language and could result in parents discouraging their children from a young age from paying attention to the language, considering it will not need to be pursued after the Junior Certificate.

Seán Ó Cuirreáin, an Coimisinéir Teanga, drew comparisons between the Fine Gael policy implemented in the early 1970s regarding Irish being required to work for the Twenty-Six County civil service and the latest policy on Irish in the education system. The policy on Irish in the civil service was dropped by the Fine Gael government in 1974 and, since then, the number of administration staff with proficient Irish in the Twenty-Six County Department of Education and Skills has dropped from 100 per cent to 1.5 per cent.

This policy has failed and so too will their policy on Irish in the Twenty-Six County education system.

The Gaeltachtaí in the state will also face a huge threat if Fine Gael’s policy is implemented. If the numbers taking Irish as a subject for the Leaving Certificate drop, so too will the numbers attending Irish summer colleges in the Gaeltacht, resulting in closures of summer colleges and job losses for locals who keep young people attending the summer colleges in their homes. These job losses will, no doubt, result in people from the Gaeltacht having to leave their homes to look for employment in the cities, causing the already fragile situation in the Gaeltachtaí to go further into decline.

Despite all of the debate on whether Irish should be a compulsory subject or not, a survey carried out by Gaeloideachais, Comhar na Múinteoirí Gaeilge, Conradh na Gaeilge, Gael Linn, Gaelscoileanna and Comhdháil Náisiúnta na Gaeilge shows that 61 per cent are in favour of Irish being kept as a compulsory subject and 65 per cent felt that more subjects in primary schools should be taught through the medium of Irish to encourage young children with the language. This majority clearly shows that Fine Gael’s policy on Irish has not been accepted by the population in the Twenty-Six Counties, despite the party’s claim that compulsory Irish has not fostered the growth or a love of the language.

Fine Gael have failed to address the failure of the Twenty-Six County education system in terms of teaching Irish to all pupils to a high standard and have decided to brush this problem under the carpet rather than face it head on and tackle the problem at the heart of it. Since the foundation of the Twenty-Six County state, there has always been a high dependence on the education system to produce fluent Irish speakers, yet only 3.5 hours of teaching time at primary school is required and a maximum of one Irish class per day is the norm at secondary level.

This low level of contact with the language will never produce the fluent Irish speakers desired from the education system and has frustrated efforts by Irish teachers throughout the state for many years. Fine Gael, instead of turning away from this problem, needs to address how language learning has failed within the education system and heed calls from Irish language organisations on changing the education system for the better.

Conradh na Gaeilge have put their own proposals before all parties, suggesting that other subjects be taught through the medium of Irish at both primary and secondary level to ensure pupils are given the opportunity to use the language outside of Irish class, instead of solely relying on Irish classes to acquire fluency.

Fine Gael, however, have chosen to take the easy way out and have not factored for the massive implications this policy will have for the language and for any hope of a language revival.

éirígí will support all those opposing this policy and work with those working towards the revival of the language and those looking to end cultural imperialism in Ireland.

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