"CéN dóigh atá oraibh, a chairde?" How's things with yous, folks? "Tá na soilse lasta, agus tá an Nollaig faoi lánseol." The lights are on then, and Christmas is now in full swing. "Rinne muidne cuid mhór siopadóireachta na Nollag Dé Sathairn seo caite" we did a lot of our Christmas shopping last Saturday, and the great thing about it is that we didn't have to leave Strabane at all.
Normally we get most of our things in Derry, and pick up a few bits and pieces in Strabane. "Tá an baile mór ag fás as cuimse" the town is really growing. "Ach níl mí na Samhna istigh go fóill" but we haven't got to the end of November yet, so I should restrain myself from this subject.
"Shuigh an iníon is sine againn an scrúdú aistrithe an tseachtain seo caite", our oldest girl sat the 11 Plus exam last week. "Dálta cuid mhór tuismitheoirí eile, níl barúil againn cad é mar a éireoidh léi" like most parents, we haven't a clue how she will get on. "Bhí an chéad scrúdú an-deacair" the first exam was very difficult, she said.
"Tá mé idir dhá chomhairle faoin scrúdú aistrithe" I have mixed feelings on the 11 Plus. On the one hand, it really focuses the child, and we have seen our daughter become increasingly knowledgeable and confident in a number of areas, as she prepared for the exam.
"Dúirt muid léi nach raibh aon ghá di an scrúdú a dhéanamh", we told her that she didn't really have to do the exam, but it is something she wanted to do herself. While the exam is ruthless in its consequences, there is something "fair" about it, insofar as any child, regardless of their social background, can succeed in it.
However, the central element of the 11+ that I can't agree with is that your child is not actually being judged on their own work, nor on how well they've progressed in the areas they've studied. Your child could technically score 90% and still get a D.
This is because your child is being judged against other children, and if a certain percentage of other children score over 90%, then your child loses out, in spite of the tremendous work and effort. "Rinne na páistí sa Ghaelscoil an scrúdú trí mheán na Gaeilge" the children in the Gaelscoil sat the exam in Irish, an achievement in itself. Those who didn't do the exam also put in tremendous work over the past year. "D'amharc mé orthu uilig ag dul go seomra an scrúduithe" I watched them make their way to the examination room. "D'amharc mé ar a gcuid tuismitheoirí ag fágáil slán acu" I watched their parents say goodbye to them, wishing them the best. "Bhí na páistí uilig an-tógtha" the children were all very excited, and chatting to each other and supporting one another. And I felt sad that the best education system that we could come up with is one that actually was setting them against each other.
"Ansin, fuair muid litir ón scoil Dé Máirt" and then we received a letter from the school on Tuesday, inviting us to an "Oíche Oscailte" open night in Coláiste Ailigh in Letterkenny. Coláiste Ailigh is an Irish language secondary school college. "Bunaíodh é sa bhliain 2000" it was founded in the year 2000, with only 25 pupils in the first year.
"Tá 153 dalta ar an choláiste anois", the school now has 153 students, which we found out from our daughter who really wants to go there. "D'fhreastail muid ar an oíche oscailte aréir" we attended the open night last night. "Seanfhoirgneamh agus botháin atá ann", the College is an old building and a number of prefabricated classrooms, certainly not for the parent impressed by glitz and futuristic architecture. "Cuireadh fearadh na fáilte romhainn" we were given a very hearty welcome, "agus thug Mícheál agus Úna, príomhoide agus leasphríomhoide na scoile, cuntas dúinn ar éiteas an choláiste" and the Principal Mícheál and Vice-Principal Úna gave us an account of the ethos of the school, the education they offer, the impressive achievements of the students in every area, the huge extracurricular involvement, and the strong sense of community, almost family-like, in the college. Irish is the language of the school, and education is the priority. In many ways they are so like the Gaelscoil in Strabane.
There is a natural reticence towards large schools in this household. My own experience of education was that I was very very successful and fully engaged at primary school, but then I disappeared off the radar in a large secondary school with 1,000 students.
"Shiúil muid thart ar sheomraí an choláiste" we toured the College classrooms, the "seomra adhmadóireachta" woodwork room, the "seomra ealaíne" art room, the "seomra ceoil" etc. "Chuir an iníon s'againne suim mhór i seomra na staire", our girl got really exited with the history room, her favourite subject.
She enthusiastically named all the people on the timeline on the wall, there's "Seán Mac Réamoinn" John Redmond, "Pádraig Mac Piarais", "Countess Markievicz", "Kevin Barry" "James Connolly", "Eamon De Valera" "Michael Collins" "John Hume" and even "Ian Paisley". "Má bhí Winston Churchill ann, níor thug muid faoi deara é". If Winston Churchill was up there, we didn't notice him. It was clear to us that the centre of gravity of the history class was Ireland and Irish people, and the founders of the Irish state. This is something we were very comfortable with, and so different from the history we received ourselves.
"Ba chóir Bobby Sands nó Gerry Adams a bheith ansin fosta" Bobby Sands or Gerry Adams should have been up there as well, remarked Gina on the way back about the timeline in the history room, given their historical importance to the nationalist community in the Six Counties. If they get the first 800 years right, I said, we can always sort out the other 30.
Mícheál the Principal knew all the young people by their first name, their backgrounds, their achievements, what universities they are currently attending and what subjects they are doing. The College has won national awards and national recognition in the young scientist awards, school dramas, sports, music etc. "Agus beidh ceolchoirm acu sa Ghrianán anocht" and they have a school concert in the Grianán Theatre tonight. A new school building will be built within the next two years. Choosing a secondary school is not the same as choosing a primary school. Your child has a bigger say in the matter. "Cad é a shíleann tú den choláiste sin?" what do you think of that College, we asked our daughter. "Líon isteach an fhoirm" fill in the form, she said.
