Money talks - in Irish...at last
By Sean O'Tuama
After decades of vigorous campaigning the Department of Education
has at last granted £2 million to Bunscoil Phobail Feirste. The
money, long fought for by Irish language enthusiasts, parents and
politicians, means that Irish language education has been given a
much-needed boost and ensures that a new school will replace the
present prefabricated structures.
The announcement came after the Board of Governors of the
Bunscoil and SF MPs Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness with party
colleague Bairbre de Brun met Direct Ruler Mowlam and education
minister Tony Worthington on Tuesday 11 May.
Despite some opposition from Department of Education civil
servants the funding was agreed. However, as the meeting was
breaking up one of the civil servants present said to the school
architect who attended the meeting that ``we'll get you in the
long grass.'' This blatant threat comes on the heels of a leaked
NIO document which exposed the covert advice given by high
ranking civil servant, Tony Canavan to his minister Worthington.
The advice which was a clear attempt to dilute, if not destroy,
the proposals in the Good Friday document to enhance the status
of the Irish language in the six counties.
Afterwards the British government announced that £3m would be
made available - £2m for the Bunscoil and Naiscoil and £1m for
Meanscoil Feirste.
Gerry Adams welcomed the move as a ``significant first step on the
road to full equality for the Irish language in West Belfast
which will have to be replicated throughout the rest of the Six
Counties.'' He went on to commend the parents, teachers, pupils
and Irish language activists who have ``fought a long and
difficult battle for the recognition and equality that they
deserve.''
Although this funding will provide a school for the Bunscoil,
after 27 years of campaigning, the money for the Naiscoil falls
well short of the amount actually needed.
There are 13 medium level Irish language schools in the North,
this funding is only being given to one of them. Six of the rest
receive no British funding at all due to the gerrymandered
criteria of the Education Department. Under their rules only
medium level Irish language schools which can achieve and
maintain an enrolment of 100 pupils are eligible for funds. It
usually takes a few years for any school, English or Irish, to
attain that figure as children come through from nursery and
primary schools. However the Education Department will not
provide any money for Irish language nursery schools thus making
it virtually impossible for the medium level schools to reach the
100 pupil requirement.
Jake MacSiacais, development officer of Gaeloiliuint - The
Council for Irish Medium Education - said in response to the
funding announcement that ``we give it a very guarded welcome as a
faltering step in the right direction but it still leaves a
dearth of funding. We are encouraged by it and hope it leads to
the belated recognition of the needs of Irish education. However
we will continue our campaign to get full equality for the Irish
language.''
![[An Phoblacht]](http://republican-news.org/graphics/title_gifs/aprn.gif)