A Chara, - It was with interest that we read David McWilliams's article, "An Irish solution to the best schools question" on the growth of the Gaelscoileanna movement (Dec 13th).
The article correctly identifies a certain stratum of the Gaelscoileanna movement: the well-to-do Hibernian Cosmopolitans (HiCos) of Dublin 4 and 6 "Dia dhuiting each other", but fails to acknowledge that this constitutes a very small percentage of Irish-medium schools.
The large-scale extension of the movement into the middle classes is glossed over by Mr McWilliams and no reference at all is made to the one third of the Gaelscoileanna in Dublin, Cork and Limerick that are situated in disadvantaged areas.
Indeed Gaelscoileanna cater for all sectors of society and are situated in small and large towns as well as in some rural areas in the 32 counties.
Mr McWilliams attributes the growth of Gaelscoileanna to the Hibernian boom of the mid-1990s, punctuated by Riverdance, the IRA ceasefire and the Celtic Tiger economy: in 1994, eight Irish-medium schools opened their doors to the public.
This hypothesis, however, is a little simple, as the Irish-medium sector began to prosper in the mid-1980s and has continued to grow since (involving considerable efforts on the parts of parents, teachers, the Irish-medium schools organisation, Gaelscoileanna Teo. and patrons, in particular, Foras Pátrúnachta na Scoileanna Lán-Ghaeilge).
We, like Mr McWilliams, believe that Gaelscoileanna are both Hibernian and cosmopolitan, but we reject the thesis that they are merely "the school of choice for the sophisticated elite in Dublin's southside suburbia".
Gaelscoileanna are not the preserve of the elite.
Irish-medium education is available to all: Irish children and children of other nationalities, (many of whom attend both primary and secondary Irish-medium schools), and "gnáth daoine" from all social classes and backgrounds.
Anyone looking for further information can find out more at www.gaelscoileanna.ie or contact 01-6398431. - Is mise,
NÓRA NÍ LOINGSIGH,
Príomhfheidhmeannach Gníomhach,
Gaelscoileanna Teo.
7 Cearnóg Mhuirfean
Baile Átha Cliath 2.