(English below)

Tá sé socraithe ag an Roinn Oideachais deireadh a chur le maoiniú na scéime for-rochtana Gaeilge do scoileanna Béarla i nDoire.

Tá díoma agus fearg an domhain orainn go gcaillfidh 1,600 páiste an seans rang Gaeilge uair an chloig gach seachtain a bheith acu. I gcás cuid de na páistí sin, is é seo an t-aon nochtadh don teanga a bheidh acu. Fágfaidh an cinneadh seo bearna ar an soláthar Gaeilge sa chathair, rud a éireoidh níos deacra a líonadh gan an maoiniú riachtanach.

Agus an Acht Gaeilge anois i bhfeidhm, tá dualgas ar an Roinn comhdheiseanna a chruthú don Ghaeilge. Ach in ionad infheistíochta, feicimd ciorruithe.

Chuimsigh an gealltanas don Chairt Eorpach do Theangacha Réigiúnacha nó Mionlaigh i gComhaontú Aoine an Chéasta gealltanais do mhionteangacha san oideachas. Is soiléir san chairt gur “Fachtóir ríthábhachtach maidir le caomhnú agus caomhnú teangacha réigiúnacha nó mionlaigh é an áit a thugtar dóibh sa chóras oideachais” agus d’aontaigh na páirtithe a shínigh Comhaontú Aoine an Chéasta “úsáid na teanga sa chaint agus i scríbhinn a éascú agus a spreagadh, go poiblí agus go príobháideach, nuair a bhíonn an éileamh cuí ann.”

Agus muid díreach i ndiaidh 25 bliain an chomhaontaithe a chomóradh, tá muid ag iarraidh ar an Roinn Oideachais leanúint ag freastal ar an éileamh soiléir sin. Níor cheart tábhacht na teanga, agus go háirithe a hinrochtaineacht i scoileanna, a mheas faoina luach. Ceanglaíonn scéim Léargas daoine óga le mórphobal na Gaeilge sa chathair, sa chontae, i dTuaisceart Éireann agus ar an oileán, agus ligeann sé dúinn ár bhfís do Dhoire a bhaint amach ina gceiliúrtar gach féiniúlacht, teanga agus cúlra cultúrtha.

Tá saibhreas eolais, paisean agus cúram taobh thiar den tionscadal seo, go háirithe in sna beirt mhúinteoirí Léargas, Sarah agus John. Má chaillimid na scileanna atá forbartha agus cothaithe ag na múinteoirí seo le blianta beaga anuas, caillfidh muid taisce ár gcathair.

Cuidigh linn le do thoil agus muid ag troid in aghaidh na gciorruithe atá beartaithe, leis an Ghaeilge a choinneáil beo inár gcathair. Sínigh an achainí, roinn le do chairde í, agus bígí linn ag troid ar son na Gaeilge. Ní neart go cur le chéile!

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The Department of Education have decided to end their funding of the Irish language outreach scheme for English-speaking schools in Derry.

This is a hugely disappointing decision that will see 1,600 children across 15 schools in the city lose access to their only hourly Irish class each week. For many of those children, this will be the only exposure to the language they will have. This will leave a gapping hole in Irish Language provision in the city, which without the necessary funding, will become more and more difficult to fill.

The recent introduction of an Irish Language Act places an onus on the Department to create a space of equal opportunity for the Irish language. Yet instead of investment, we are instead seeing cuts.

On top of that, the commitment to the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in the Good Friday Agreement included commitments to minority language in education. The charter makes clear that “A crucial factor in the maintenance and preservation of regional or minority languages is the place they are given in the education system” and parties signing the Good Friday agreement agreed to “facilitate and encourage the use of the language in speech and in writing in public and in private where there is appropriate demand.”

Having just commemorated the 25th anniversary of the agreement, we are calling on the Department of Education to continue to meet that clear demand. The importance of the language, and especially its accessibility in schools, should not be underestimated. The Léargas scheme connects young people with the wider Irish Language community in the city, county, Northern Ireland and the island, and allows us to realise our vision for a Derry in which all identities, languages, and cultural backgrounds are celebrated.

There is a wealth of knowledge , passion and care behind this project, not least in Léargas’ two múinteoirí, Sarah and John. If we lose the skill these teachers have developed and nutured over years, we lose a significant assest to our city.

Please help us in fighting against the proposed cuts, to keep Gaeilge alive in our city. Sign the petition, share it with your friends, and join us in fighting for the Irish language. Ní neart go cur le chéile!