Bunscoill Ghaelgagh

Bunscoill Ghaelgagh

2006

The winner of the Reih Bleeaney Vanannan for 2006 was the Bunscoill Ghaelgagh; the Manx Language Primary School that is based at the old school in St Johns. Established in 2001, there are now 71 primary aged students who attend the school.

Children at the school follow the same curriculum as other primary schools in the Island but that curriculum is delivered through the medium of the Manx language. Parents send their children to the school for two main reasons, to provide the students with a deep knowledge of the language and culture of the island but also to take advantage of the well attested benefits of bilingual education.

The revival of interest in the language of the Island is one of the great cultural achievements of the last thirty years and Culture Vannin has played a key role in this through its funding mechanisms. The award of the RBV to the school, it was felt, reflected the hard work and commitment of staff, parents and children alike to not only the language of Mannin but also its identity and future.

More information about the Bunscoill, its achievements and contribution to the culture of the Island can be discovered in this series of videos:

The school's page on the Isle of Man government site can be found here.