UK, Ireland /
Irish Primary schools to teach Polish [223]
Irish Primary schools to teach PolishLet's get things into perspective; the 2008 schools census recorded 2,511 Polish children attending schools here out of a total school population of 136,804. Twenty five schools have signed up for this program estimated costs are £1.5 million the education budget is £1.9 billion.
Its proposed to teach Polish to local children by Polish Teachers
northernireland.gov.uk/news/news-de/news-de-april-2009/news-de-030409-ruane-updates-polish.htm
The Minister was interested in the potential use of schools to host Polish cultural events outside normal school hours and with Polish Week taking place in May this is an area to be investigated. We also discussed the feasibility of teachers from Poland gaining employment in schools in the North.
I dont see a problem teaching any language to children, it can only be beneficial, particularly if it helps children (who didnt ask to be here) integrate.
mafketisIts much more complicated than a simple linguist choice. In Ireland it was keep the language and die as a culture or survive. Seven hundred years of repression failed to kill the language.
There were two events which effectively killed it for the majority of the population. Firstly the Repeal of the penal laws and the church's discouragement of Irish and secondly The Famine.
The language was lost in one generation to ensure the survival of the people. Ireland had no one to help it, no luxury of Parisian Salons, no Enemy of my Enemy, Nada, Zip, Sweet FA. The fact that Ireland survived as such a strong identifiable nation is down to no one but themselves.
Contrary to being absorbed by a foreign culture Ireland took a foreign language and made it her own, retained its culture and survived.
Since partial independence the country has tried to ensure survival. Language comes second to survival.