Bunscoill Ghaelgagh
Encyclopedia
Bunscoill Ghaelgagh is a Manx-language
primary school in St John's, Isle of Man. It is currently (as of 2011) the only school in the world where children are taught their lessons solely in Manx and which allows children to learn the language fluently. Students go on to QEII High School or their catchment area's high school, where GCSE
Manx is offered from the age of 12.
school. That year they approached the Isle of Man
's Department of Education
with their request. The school opened in September 2001. At the time it had one class and shared premises at Ballacottier School in Douglas
. In January 2003 it moved to its own building in the old St John's School.
The school won the annual Reih Bleeaney Vanannan award in January 2006 because of its efforts in preserving and promoting Manx language, culture and heritage. It was presented by the then Speaker of the House of Keys
James "Tony" Brown
, chairman of the Manx Heritage Foundation
.
's Alice in Wonderland
(Ealish ayns Cheer ny Yindyssyn) is read in translation after 30 copies were presented to the by the Manx Gaelic Society when the book was officially launched.
The school itself refers to studies that have been made in Finland that demonstrate advantages from bilingual education. Researcher Aini-Kristiina Jäppinen examined the achievement of 334 pupils in 12 schools on 'content and language-integrated learning' programmes and compared them with 334 pupils studying only in Finnish. She concluded that a foreign language adds to the learning process and seems to improve results. According to Jäppinen, "When pupils have to conceptualise and grasp issues in a foreign language as well as their mother tongue, it will help develop an ability to understand complex and multifaceted relationships between various themes." The Finnish research used students who were studying three different languages (French, Swedish and English) and found that "the choice of (Second) language did not seem to have a major impact on performance" in a number of subjects including maths and geography. As the school notes this conclusion is not universal to other previous studies. Studies at Luton University have shown that there can be a "trivial" delay in language development but the overall benefits in the long run outweigh this temporary disadvantage.
Manx language
Manx , also known as Manx Gaelic, and as the Manks language, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, historically spoken by the Manx people. Only a small minority of the Island's population is fluent in the language, but a larger minority has some knowledge of it...
primary school in St John's, Isle of Man. It is currently (as of 2011) the only school in the world where children are taught their lessons solely in Manx and which allows children to learn the language fluently. Students go on to QEII High School or their catchment area's high school, where GCSE
General Certificate of Secondary Education
The General Certificate of Secondary Education is an academic qualification awarded in a specified subject, generally taken in a number of subjects by students aged 14–16 in secondary education in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and is equivalent to a Level 2 and Level 1 in Key Skills...
Manx is offered from the age of 12.
History
In 1999 a parents' society, Sheshaght Ny Paarantyn, was formed with an interest in establishing a Manx-languageManx language
Manx , also known as Manx Gaelic, and as the Manks language, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, historically spoken by the Manx people. Only a small minority of the Island's population is fluent in the language, but a larger minority has some knowledge of it...
school. That year they approached the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
's Department of Education
Department of Education (Isle of Man)
The Department of Education and Children is a department of the Isle of Man Government.-History:The Department of Education was renamed during the Government shake up of April 2010 as Department of Education and Children....
with their request. The school opened in September 2001. At the time it had one class and shared premises at Ballacottier School in Douglas
Douglas, Isle of Man
right|thumb|250px|Douglas Promenade, which runs nearly the entire length of beachfront in Douglasright|thumb|250px|Sea terminal in DouglasDouglas is the capital and largest town of the Isle of Man, with a population of 26,218 people . It is located at the mouth of the River Douglas, and a sweeping...
. In January 2003 it moved to its own building in the old St John's School.
The school won the annual Reih Bleeaney Vanannan award in January 2006 because of its efforts in preserving and promoting Manx language, culture and heritage. It was presented by the then Speaker of the House of Keys
Speaker of the House of Keys
The Speaker of the House of Keys is the principal officer of the House of Keys, the lower house of the Isle of Man legislature. The Speaker is elected from the membership of the house at its first sitting after an election. He is responsible for controlling the procedure of the House and for...
James "Tony" Brown
James Anthony Brown
James Anthony "Tony" Brown is a Manx politician, former businessman and electrician, Who was the Chief Minister of the Isle of Man, from December 2006, until October 2011, When he stepped down from office following his decision to retire....
, chairman of the Manx Heritage Foundation
Manx Heritage Foundation
The Manx Heritage Foundation was established by the Isle of Man Government to promote Manx culture, heritage and language. Its offices are based in Douglas, the capital city of the Isle of Man....
.
Manx language
The school is considered successful and is part of the Manx language revival. Lewis CarrollLewis Carroll
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson , better known by the pseudonym Lewis Carroll , was an English author, mathematician, logician, Anglican deacon and photographer. His most famous writings are Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel Through the Looking-Glass, as well as the poems "The Hunting of the...
's Alice in Wonderland
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is an 1865 novel written by English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. It tells of a girl named Alice who falls down a rabbit hole into a fantasy world populated by peculiar, anthropomorphic creatures...
(Ealish ayns Cheer ny Yindyssyn) is read in translation after 30 copies were presented to the by the Manx Gaelic Society when the book was officially launched.
The school itself refers to studies that have been made in Finland that demonstrate advantages from bilingual education. Researcher Aini-Kristiina Jäppinen examined the achievement of 334 pupils in 12 schools on 'content and language-integrated learning' programmes and compared them with 334 pupils studying only in Finnish. She concluded that a foreign language adds to the learning process and seems to improve results. According to Jäppinen, "When pupils have to conceptualise and grasp issues in a foreign language as well as their mother tongue, it will help develop an ability to understand complex and multifaceted relationships between various themes." The Finnish research used students who were studying three different languages (French, Swedish and English) and found that "the choice of (Second) language did not seem to have a major impact on performance" in a number of subjects including maths and geography. As the school notes this conclusion is not universal to other previous studies. Studies at Luton University have shown that there can be a "trivial" delay in language development but the overall benefits in the long run outweigh this temporary disadvantage.
See also
- Bilingual educationBilingual educationBilingual education involves teaching academic content in two languages, in a native and secondary language with varying amounts of each language used in accordance with the program model.-Bilingual education program models:...
- Gaelic medium educationGaelic medium educationGaelic medium education is a form of education in Scotland that allows pupils to be taught primarily through the medium of Scottish Gaelic, with English being taught as the secondary language. Education projects in other Gaelic countries; Ireland Gaelic medium education (G.M.E. or GME; Scottish...
- Scottish Gaelic medium education - Gaelscoileanna - Irish Gaelic medium education