THE MURDER MACHINE – State Sponsored Language Extinction? HD

Padraig Pearse: Poet, Educator, Rebel. Pearse’s highly-regarded paper “The Murder Machine” was published in the fateful year of 1916 http://bit.ly/MurderMachine-Pearse http://bit.ly/Pearse-Language-Education Scoil Éanna, an innovative Irish-speaking school, was set up and run by Pearse and Thomas Mac Donagh betweem 1908-16 In his paper, Pearse strongly advocates against rote learning, pointless & irrelevant content and poor student engagement. His criticisms of early 20th Century education could easily apply to the way that Gaeilge is mistreated in our “modern” education system. “What the teacher should bring to his/her pupil is not a set of ready-made opinions or a stock of cut-and-dried information, but an inspiration and an enthusiasm so infectious as shall kindle new enthusiasm”. The Dept.& Minister for Education inherited and now oversee, what is undoubtedly, the world’s worst language learning program albeit the most expensive (proportionally) to run. The 13-year program results in school leavers that are mostly unconnected to and without a sense of ownership/responsibility towards the language. Learning / acquiring Gaeilge is a simple enough process that requires teamwork, curiosity, vision, passion, enthusiasm, playfulness, imagination & creativity along with a willingness to reach out. Young people have these attributes in abundance. The state run Irish language program should aspire to be the spark and propellant for “Tine na nGael” This is easier to get right than not. Ní Ghéillfidh Muid Ár dTeanga A bheabaí Mo chréacht nimhe A bheabaí Mo chréacht nimhe Ciaptha’s céast(a) Trí bliana déag A’ marú an spraoi ‘tá inti. Níl bun ná barr A’ n-athóidh se go brách? Fiú más toil gach éinne Do dhiaidh, do dhiaidh Chaith mé a raibh a’am A’ rith do dhiaidh Cé hé an té ‘bhfuil tú leis anois? Cé hé, ce hé? Níl mé ‘g iarra’ ach aon seans Tú a choinneáil docht i mo ghreim Geabh amháin nó níos mó Sula dtéann tú ar fán uaim go deo Níl mé ‘g iarra’ ach aon seans Tú a choinneáil docht i mo ghreim Geabh amháin nó níos mó ‘S tú ar fán uaim go deo A bheabaí, a bheabaí Mo chréacht nimhe A bheabaí, a bheabaí Mo chréacht nimhe Is tú’n macalla i mo ghlór ‘N-airíonn tú mé? I gcónaí liom Istigh ionam Briseann an dúchas tríd na deor(a) Gu do bhuíochas Ar d’aghaidh ‘Bhfuil muid in ann? ‘Bhfuil muid in ann? ‘Bhfuil muid in ann? ‘Bhfuil se uilig ina bhrionglóidín? ‘Bhfuil muid in ann? Tá sé in am a’ainn éirí ‘s tabhairt faoi ‘Bhfuil muid in ann? Atlantis Tír óg na saoi Tír óg na saoi ‘Bfuyil muid in ann? Ní brionglóid í Tá’n dóchas gu mo ardú taobh istigh Is féidir Is féidir Le neart Is féidir