Iarratais oscailte do scoileanna Iarthar Chorcaí amháin, GRMA
GA: Foirm Iarratais anseo
Applications open to West Cork schools only, thank you.
EN: Application Form here
9 Meán Fómhair 2025
DÍOSPÓIREACHT BHUNSCOILE
A chara,
Tá áthas ar Ionad Tacaíochta Oideachais Iarthar Chorcaí an ‘Díospóireacht Bhunscoile’ a thairiscint do scoileanna arís don bhliain scoile seo.
Comhghairdeas le Scoil Lárnach an Easpaig Uí Ghealbháin i mBaile Níos a bhí ima mbuaiteoirí Iarthar Chorcaí do 2024/2025. Táimid thar a bheith bródúil as na foirne uile a ghlac páirt. Maith sibh na scoileanna uile a ghlac páirt, bhí caighdeán na díospóireachta an-ard agus tá comhghairdeas ag dul do na scoileanna uile as a gcuid oibre agus a dtiomantas.
Tugadh isteach an ‘Díospóireacht Bhunscoile’ in Iarthar Chorcaí sa bhliain 2012 chun an díospóireacht a spreagadh i measc ranganna sinsearacha bunscoile agus tá fás tagtha uirthi le blianta beaga anuas. Léiríonn taighde go soiléir gurb iad páistí is fearr a fhorbraíonn scileanna smaointeoireachta criticiúla trí theagasc agus cleachtadh soiléir. Is féidir le comórtais díospóireachta struchtúrtha a bheith ina shlí den scoth chun é seo a dhéanamh. Reáchtálfar díospóireachtaí trí mheán an Bhéarla agus tá siad oiriúnach go príomha do dhaltaí Rang a Cúig agus Rang a Sé.
Tar éis cruinnithe le Stiúrthóirí Ionad Oideachais agus Concern, tá comhaontú déanta go reáchtálfar babhtaí tosaigh ‘Díospóireacht Bhunscoile’ ar líne arís trí chruinnithe beo Zoom do 2025/2026. Mhothaigh na geallsealbhóirí uile go raibh an comórtas an-rathúil le blianta beaga anuas agus tá cinneadh déanta acu gur cheart leanúint leis an gcleachtas seo ar feadh na gcéimeanna áitiúla den díospóireacht ar a laghad.
Cuirfidh Concern seisiún oiliúna múinteoirí ar líne ar fáil Dé Luain an 29 Meán Fómhair ag 4.30 san iarnóin maidir leis an modh díospóireachta ar líne agus cuirfidh siad cabhair agus tacaíocht ar fáil d’aon mhúinteoirí a bheidh ag glacadh páirte den chéad uair. Moltar do gach múinteoir atá páirteach freastal ar an seisiún Zoom seo mar go mbeidh siad ag caint faoi struchtúr an chláir, leideanna maidir le do rang a thosú agus conas dul i ngleic leis na rúin. Iarraimid ort a chur in iúl ar d’fhoirm chlárúcháin más mian leat freastal ar an seisiún oiliúna seo agus seolfar nasc chugat in am trátha.
Is féidir le scoileanna ar spéis leo clárú tríd an bhfoirm chlárúcháin atá i gceangal a chomhlánú agus í a sheoladh ar ais trí ríomhphost chuig
Tá teorainn leis an líon iarratas ar féidir linn glacadh leo i mbliana, mar sin ní féidir linn a gheallúint go mbeidh áit do chách ar an tionscadal. Bronnfar áiteanna ar bhonn céad isteach, céad freastail. Beimid i dteagmháil le gach scoil a dhéanann iarratas tar éis an dáta deiridh le haghaidh clárúcháin, arb é Dé Luain an 22 Meán Fómhair é , mar tá súil againn díospóireachtaí Babhta 1 a thosú láithreach. Tá súil againn go mbeidh Babhta 1 críochnaithe roimh lár téarma ionas gur féidir linn cloí le sceideal na ndíospóireachtaí agus buaiteoir ó Iarthar Chorcaí a bheith againn faoi thús an Earraigh 2026.
Tar éis an dáta deiridh, déanfar teagmháil leis na scoileanna rathúla le sonraí faoi Bhabhta 1 agus glacfar leis seo mar ghealltanas don tionscadal do 2025/2026 mar, mar gheall ar nádúr sceidealaithe na ndíospóireachtaí idir scoileanna, ní bheidh sé indéanta cealú déanach a dhéanamh.
Táimid ag tnúth le clár spreagúil díospóireachtaí arís i mbliana.
PRIMARY DEBATING
A Chara,
West Cork Education Centre is delighted to offer Primary Debating to schools again for this academic year.
Congratulations to Bishop Galvin Central School in Newcestown who were crowned West Cork winners for 2024/2025. We are extremely proud of all the teams who took part. Well done to all participating schools, the standard of debating was very high and all schools are to be congratulated for their work and commitment.
Primary Debating was introduced to West Cork in 2012 to encourage the use of debate for senior Primary School classes and has grown over the past years. Research clearly demonstrates that critical thinking skills are best developed by children through explicit instruction and practice. Structured debating competitions can be an excellent way of doing this. Debates will take place through the medium of English and are primarily suited to 5th and 6th Class students.
Following meetings with Education Centre Directors and Concern, it has been agreed that initial rounds of Primary Debating will run online again via live Zoom meetings for 2025/2026. All stakeholders felt that the competition was very successful in the last years and have decided that this practice should continue for at least the local stages of the debating.
Concern will offer an online teacher training session on Monday the 29th of September at 4.30pm around the online method of debating and will offer help and support for any teachers who may be taking part for the first time. It is advised that all teachers involved should tune into this Zoom session as they will be talking through the structure of programme, tips on getting your class started and how to approach the motions. We ask you to please indicate on your registration form if you would like to attend this training session and a link will be sent in due course.
Interested schools can register by completing the attached registration form and returning it by email to
We are restricted in the number of applications we can take this year so a place is not guaranteed on the project. Places will be awarded on a first come first served basis. We will be in touch with all schools who apply after the closing date for registrations which is Monday the 22nd of September as we would hope to commence Round 1 debates immediately. It is hoped that Round 1 will be completed before midterm so that we can keep in line with the schedule of debates and have a West Cork winner by early Spring of 2026.
Following the closing date, successful schools will be contacted with details of Round 1 and this will be taken as a commitment to the project for 2025/2026 as, due to the nature of the scheduling of debates between schools, late cancellations will not be possible.
We look forward to an exciting programme of Debates again this year.
Le gach dea-ghuí,
Dr Linda Dennehy
Stiúrthóir