I've heard some parents say that the reason they have opted to send children to gaelscoil is the more favourable pupil:teacher ratio rather than any other consideration.

I know of one family where the parents do not have gaeilge, and have no intention of taking it up. Is their child not at a disdavantage, attending school through one medium, but having nothing to reinforce this at home.

Another question? Is the gaelscoil ethos compromised if there are children who are being sent there for reasons other than exposure Gaeilge

Any thoughts?

No they're at an advantage being fluent in two languages and using both. Children pick up languages as quick as sweeties!
There is HUGE demand for places in Gaelscoileanna so i'd be surprised if they turned away students just to keep ratios down..

Care to elaborate on your last question?

A Dhomhnaill

You have addressed my last question in your response. My concern was that children from English-only families might be at a disadvantage, learn less quickly and perhaps hold up progress for the class as a whole. But on reflection, the same might be said of any children where the langauge at home may not be the language of school (children of non-English speaking immigrants, for example)

I think the benfits of bi-lingualism have been debated on another thread by Aonghus and others.

I just think that it is a pity if a parent's sole reason for choosing a gaelscoil is becuase of the pupil:teacher ratio

I don't. Gaeilge was injured when Irish-speakers chose english institutions due to practical reasons (Irish had been so kept down that it couldn't compete for educational or economic opportunities by the late 18th/early 19th centuries, and likely many, many years before).

This is simply a strengthening of Gaeilge using the same mechanisms in reverse that injured it in the first place. That, in the end, will prove a more permanent bolstering than artificial laws/stipends/name changes/etc.

Would that more english-speakers saw practical benefits to Gaeilge institutions (media, computer software, businesses)...

They are also likely to be dissappointed.

Gaelscoileanna are geneally more crowded. Smaller numbers perhaps - but only in new schools, which generally have smaller spaces.

There were 35 children in each of my sons junior infant classes.

but aren't they typically reported as having better performace than the regular schools?

Acording to that article that was put up a bit back and is still up here, Gaelscoilanna do very well on scores and college attendance rates etc. If this is what it takes to get parents excited about sending their children to Irish medium education schools then so be it. At least it is increasing fluency rates among kids and that is the important thing. If I can find that Irishman to marry and we live there I definitely want my kids in a Gaelscoil for the simple reason that I want them to have very very very very especially good Irish.

Beir bua agus beannacht

Performance yes - because it takes extra work to be a gaelscoil teacher, and therefore the teachers are more likely to be enthusiastic. I suspect the back up from home is more likely to be better too.

There is something of a crisis in providing teachers though - and the Dept of Education [sic] is on the record as saying it is not their role to cater for the specific needs of gaelscoileanna for teachers who are a) fluent, and b) understand immersion education.

Pay more and you'll have more people interested. Free-market at work...

Hm...having to pay teachers more...funny concept. We need to be careful because the more money we dump into mundane things education the less there will be for important careers like professional sports and movie actors. After all, they get the summers off, right?

(okay, rant over)

Pay isn't enough.

Skills are also needed; there is a lack of training in education through Irish or immersion in general; and a lack of fluent speakers of irish who are interested in teaching.

There was some research done recently on this, but I haven't been able to find it online.