An Comunn Gàidhealach Publications > Sruth > Volume 2 > No. 59, 26 June 1969

Four
Sruth, Di-ardaoin, 26 latha de’n Og-mhios 1969
Comhradh ’San Tigh-Ceilidh
Is iomadh ni a bhios an mar seo? Bha a chionin gur e die mus biodh iad air am
fheadhamn a tha’n diugh aosda tochradh a bha ris an aire aig milleadh leis cho dona ’sa bha
a cuimhneachadh air, a chual’ na parantan. Ma bha aon aca an„oidhche- Cha robkh Domh.:
iad ’nuair bha xad og ’san tigh- bochd na iosai ann an cran- nal1, airsi)a 50 . ach. cumai1
cheilidh re a Gheamhraidh. nch h.araidh an ni hean5 romhpa. Bha an m a rrnn e cho
Nam biodh suim againn dha cha rogh math dhan hille cruaidh leis na shealladh, aig
aig an am, ni nach robh, bha smao>neachadh a dhol air adhart an am, ach thug a chompanaich
iomadh ni a bha sinn ag eisd- kis m bha na bheachd. Chuir- ai,r a . f10.1 c0”lhla nutl?a-
eachd ns ann an comhradh nan eadh a pharantan air shuilean Bhuai1 iad ai§^ldorus agus^
seann daoine a bha na theagasg dha nighFean a 5>aithne ^bh an mghean a .dh fhosgail dhaibh.
dhuinn, ged is ann an diugh a lds am faigheadh e crodh is (t55Ԥh ^ h:aithghearr ars ise
tha sinn ’gan tuigsinn. Cha caoirich a6chuireadh ^ a Tha sibh air ar imlleadh air a
dean math dhomh cumail orm chasan e Qha robh e seasamh ^onadl! ,? ^
mar seo ged a b’e seo mo ni an robh an te sin a cordadh dh °idhche. Chaidh Domhnail
mhiann, a’dol an deidh mo ris, ged nach b’e roghainn i, cha air ais ach, Thmrt 1 "s
chuimhne ceum air cheum air robh truas sam bith riS} >se an a steaeh s gum faigh-
ais gu laithean “oir na h-mge” tochradh a bha cunntais, ged eadh e fasgadh is coibhneas mar
anns an tigh-cheilidh. Tha nach biodh ’san te a bha a gheibheadh each,
dochas agam gum faigh mi Sealladh a pharantan ach leth- . Threoinch i cheann shuas an
fhathast cothrom air a dhol a luid So mar a tha ^ sgeul a tighe tad agus thug i dhaibn
steach ann mar a bu mhiann tha mi a dol a dh.^e dhuibh aodach tl0[amIule
learn an ceart uair. Feumaidh a nocbd
mi tionndadh ri aon no dha de ,Se mac tuathanaich choro.
sgeulachdan a chuala mi, agus maich a bba >sa hil]e ach cha
faodaidh gur e as fhearr Q - -
brathair, biadh is coibhneas
agus anns a mhaduinn thainig i
gan ionnsaigh an deidh dhith
p as rnearr a . . t • , , , an oidhche a chaithris a’ tior-
chordas ris an luchd leu^haidh robb Parantan na h-ighne a bha machadh an aodach. ’Nuair a
^aath=S dh,fh?®
air a chleachdadh a bh’ann bhl?_ ^ n ac a bne[re f}11 umn se a cheud tacal a thuirt
’san t seann aimsir agus chluinn ^ seachad ann an tochradh. Domhnail “O nach bochd nach
san t seann aimsir, agus cniuinn Bha parantan a ghille’sa chair- f i hr TOnaisp far am faighte
sinn aithns air mmadh uair deanKsios air airton cho eorac!1 *aigMf tonaisg rt amL.^ai8me
’nuair a tha cnisir cruinn ’san ?a ^Tan radT bha e StOC mna01’ ‘ Blthldh an
latha ’n diugh. a ^anamh a kigdl seachtd St°C far T b,! dlth na t0nai8g
Ma hha caraid oe a faicinn a. dheanjani‘15 a leigeb seacnaa 1S mar a bl thusa a seo seach-
freaearrach dhaibh fciin a dhol a!r .^odb. 18 caoin<:h’ rud 1 ruinn a nochd bithidh mise ann.
ireagarracn onaion lem a unoi gheibheadh e le mghean an Hf. rr,CThi,;rm» “Ri misp
comhla ann an ceangall-posaidh, trh:h a bha ’san t-sea'- ^ „ d(Lro§u ai?f'« ^ -^Se
’ep PPC.H rinm narantam a ^ua™aicn f Dna san 1 ,sca‘ seo,” ars Domhnail, “agus sibhse
. • j . rhruaidhe a bha adb aig a pbarantan sa chair- comhla rium. Rinn an oidhche
cheisd bu chruaidhe b dean Mu dheireadh dh aontaicn raoir an gnothuich dhomhsa
e leotha, mhmgh tad air gus an ajrson seasamh air a bheachd a
do dh’aontaich e gum posadh e bha nam> inntinn ged a bhuadh-
nighean an tuathanaich chorom- ^ comhairlean orm cho mor’s
aich leis am faigheadh e toch- gun robh ^ geilleadh dhaibh.”
radh math agus b’e na cumhpa- phos e fhein >sa nighean
natan gun rachadh e dh’fhuir- bhochd >s tha sinn an dochas
each comhla rithe o chionn nach gun robh saoghal fada, sona
robh mac san teaghlach. Mar a aca comhla gun eis sam bith
tha an seannfhacal as trie °
rompa. Carson a bha a chuis
Cuil nan deist-6
6—Eoin Ghcddhealach
1. Chualas bho chionn
ghoirid gun robh osprey air
fhaicinn ann an Uibhist-a-Deas.
De an t-ainm Gaidhlig a th’air
an eun annasach seo?
2. Canaidh luchd-amhairc
nan eun Phalacrocorax carbo
ris; de an t-ainm a th’aig
muinntir nan Eilean air an eun-
mhara seo a tha blasda r a
itheadh?
3. De na h-eoin air an robh
na baird a£ deanamh iomraidh
aims na sreathan a leanas:
(a) “Fhuair mi nead aig
Aig ceann shios na pairce.”
(b) “ amaiseach a’s t-
earrach Staigh an caraibh
tir e.”
(c) “A nan craobh,
nach truagh leat mo cha-
oidh,
’G osnaich ri oidhche cheo-
thair?”
4. De an t-eun a bh’aig
Caliim Cille airson a bhith ’ga
dhusgadh aig am na h-urnuigh?
5. De an t-eun a thubhairt
“Is bigead e sud,” is e a’ toirt
lan a ghuib as a’ mhuir?
Fuasgladh air t. d. 9.
Text for
the Times
Now faith is the substance of
things hoped for, the evidence of
things not seen.
Hebrews c. 11 v. 1.
A Nis is e creidimh brigh nan
nithe ri’m bheil dochas, dearbh-
chinnte nan nithe nach faicear.
Eabil c. 11 r. 1.
PROVERB
Mi eiridh subhach gnuis shuil-
glad heart makes a cheerful gUJ. “
iimtenance.
chuala sinn—“g’e fada an dan
ruigear a cheann.” So mar a
thachair do Dhomhnall. Thainig
oidhche reiteach—b’e so an
oidhche a bhiodh gach cuis air
a thabhairt as an rathad, agus
oidhche na bainnse air a suid-
heachadh. Dh’fhalbh Domhnali
’sa bhrathair a bha gu bhi na
fhleasgach comhla ris agus
gille eile a bha na choimhears-
nach. Cha robh an latha a
coimhead ro ghealltanach—bha
gaoth is uisge ann ach ’nuair a
rainig iad fasgadh is comfhur-
tachd an tighe cha robh suim air
an aimsir a bha muigh he biadh
is deoch am pailteas a stigh.
Chaidh gach cuis a shuidheach-
adh airson oidhche na bainnse
an ath sheachdhuinn. Thainig
an t-am dha na fir an aghaidh
a chuir air ais dhachaidli.
Fhuair fear na bainnse cuireadh
esan fhuireach, ach bha n
dithis eile a faiehinn cead falbh
cho ole gu robh an oidhche.
Thubhairt Domhnall gum biodh
iad nan cuideachadh comhla air
an astar. Dh’fhalbh iad. Cha
robh Domhnall riaraichte idir
leis an rud a rinn e. Bha tam-
ailt air gun robh e cho faoin is
gun do dh’eisd e ri daoin’ eile,
a’ comhairleachadh dha ni nach
robh gnothuich sam bith aca
ris.
Ma leth slighe air an rathad
dhachaidh bhiodh aca ri dhol
seachad air tigh na h-ighne a
bh’air a fagail airson a cran-
nchur a bhi bochd. Thubhairt
companaich Dhoinhnaill nam
b’urrainn dhaibh cumail romhpa
iarradh iad fasgadh na h-oidh-
STRONG AND STEADY
PROGRESS ’
(Continued from front page)
next few months and pay¬
ments arising from them will
use up a substantial part of
the £1.8 million budget for
this part of the Board’s work.”
Sir Robert emphasised that
new applications would con¬
tinue to be accepted for in¬
vestigation in the normal way,
but that it would not be pos¬
sible to guarantee payment
until April next year on any
new applications approved.
“ So far,” Sir Robert went
on, “the Board have approved
grants and loans totalling
more than £5.2 million to 992
applicants for industrial, com¬
mercial and other ventures.
When the private contribu¬
tion is added, the total invest¬
ment in the Highlands and
Islands is of the order of
£9.3 million and it is estim¬
ated that this will result in
over 3,750 additional jobs
once all the projects are
under way.
“ The £5.2 million repre¬
sents only the Board’s invest¬
ment in grants and loans and
does not take into account
the substantial sums spent on
other development projects
such as Moray Firth develop¬
ment promotion, tourism pro¬
motion and publicity, the fish
factory in Stornoway, re¬
search into mineral resources
and the experimental bulb
project in the Uists.”
Stornoway School For
Lewis Children
Disastrous effects on the social
life of rural Lewis are foreseen
by the Lewis branch of the Wes¬
tern Isles Crofters’ Union in a
memorandum on secondary re¬
organisation in the area. The
executive council of the union
comprises crofters who are also
teachers.
The memorandum which will be
submitted to Ross and Cromarty
Education Authority and to the
Scottish Education Department,
expresses deep concern at the
future policy for education en¬
visaged for Lewis in accordance
with the proposals of the Sec¬
retary of State for Scotland for
reorganisation of secondary edu¬
cation.
If implemented, the memoran¬
dum states, the policy will have
disastrous effects on the social
life of rural Lewis, which has a
population in the region of 16,000.
Quoting Scottish Education De¬
partment Circular 600 on the pre¬
sent system of separating pupils
into junior and senior secondary
schools, namely that “ the Sec¬
retary of State for Scotland be¬
lieves that a system whicn
segregates children into separate
schools at the age of 12 is wrong,”
the memorandum continues —
“ Giving effect to the circular,
education authorities throughout
the country have been reorganis¬
ing secondary schooling into a
system of comprehensive educa¬
tion whereby pupils of differing
abilities are taught together in
very large schools. While‘accept¬
ing the fallibility of segregation
at the age of 12, the union con¬
siders that the policy building up
in Lewis of transferring all pupils
at the age of 12 into one massive
school in Stornoway will have
dangerous educational and social
consequences.
“ Policy of Ross and Cromarty
Education Authority ta imple¬
ment Circular 600 is seen as fol¬
lows. Primary schools within easy
travelling distance of the Nicolson
Institute. Stornoway, have already
had the promotion examination at
the age of 12 discontinued. Thus
all children aged 12 in these near-
urban schools transfer to the
Nicolson Institute, although the
“ qualifying ” or promotion ex¬
amination continues in all other
rural schools with consequent
segration into junior secondary
schools and the Nicolson Institute
as before.
“ In August next year, depend¬
ing on the progress of the hostel
building programme, the junior
secondary departments of Gravir,
Valtos, Lemreway, Bernera. Breas-
clete and Laxdale schools will be
discontinued and all pupils there¬
from will be absorbed into the
Nicolson Institute. Meanwhile
segregation at the age of- 12 will
continue at the larger junior
secondary schools — Back, Lionel.
Bayble, Leurbost, Aird and Shaw-
bost. Under phase two, dependent
upon hostel construction, these
schools will have their third year
nupils absorbed into the Nicolson
Institute, but will continue as two
year junior secondaries involving
non-certificate pupils. For several
years to come therefore, segrega
tion at 12, officially declared un¬
warrantable, will be the practice
in some areas of Lewis and not
in others.
“The third phase of reorgani¬
sation in Lewis will deal with the
future of the six remaining junior
secondaries. Planning for this
phase is believed to be still un¬
decided. The union, however, con¬
siders that on the basis of current
arguments tor comprehensive edu¬
cation, the future trend is clear.
These junior secondaries, in spite
of extensive and costly building
in recent years of three of them,
will eventually be reduced to pri¬
mary departments. Thus, unless
the trend will be modified, no
child over the age of 12 will; in
the future thereafter be educated
anywhere in rural Lewis.
“The union is not convinced
that a massive, comprehensive
school in Stornoway for all over-
12 Lewis children is the educa¬
tional solution for a pre-domin-
antly rural area. Urbanisation by
removal from parental influence
and the rural environment will, it
is thought, be detrimental for
many children. The aim of edu¬
cation is development of the child
to full capacity. The tundamentals
of comprehensive education are
not exclusively educational.”
The union recognises the dilema
facing Ross and Cromarty edu¬
cation Authority in implenting a
policy applicable nationally to an
island region in the circumstances
of its financial commitments.
Nevertheless it urges that the
trend for absolute centralisation
be halted by the provision of un¬
segregated secondary education in
landward Lewis based on some
of the existing larger junior
secondaries. Present policy will
seriously jeopardise rural employ¬
ment. social life and thereby
population retention, besides dis¬
rupting family life and killing a
valuable culture.
“ The most pressing objections
to such a decentralisation policy
advocated by the union are diffi¬
culties of staffing and that such
relatively smaller junior high
schools would be uneconomic.
The union contends that no pos¬
sible solutions to the first objec¬
tion have been given adequate
and determined treatment for re¬
mote areas such as ours. Con¬
sideration should be given where¬
by landward junior high schools
could be linked in federal system
with the Nicolson Institute as the
governing unit and its principal
teachers as principals of the fede-
’-a] unit. Teachers will be attracted
if housing incentives and sub¬
stantial increases in remote area
dement of salary are provided.
There are also new techniques
which might with advantage be
used to solve the problems of
smaller rural schools such as pro¬
grammed learning and the elec¬
tronic video recording svstem,
newly introduced, of displaying
video-tane cassettes through a
nc-mal television receiver.”
The memorandum was adopted
bv a maiority. While agreeing
with criticism of the policy
for centralisation, the minority
favoured the alternative solution
of retaining the existing junior
secondary schools.
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