Concerned Oranmore parents are calling on the board of management of their local secondary school to suspend its new admission policy which they claim deprioritises siblings of pupils attending the facility who are from the catchment area.
They are also calling for additional school accommodation to be provided to cater for the growing number of children who want to attend Calasanctius College. They are anxious that it will provide school places for their children most immediately in 2010, 2011 and beyond.
More than 200 parents attended a public meeting in the village earlier this week to discuss the situation. They claimed the policy change in May ‘09 was not “properly made known/advertised to the necessary people - parents and principals of primary schools”. “It therefore had the net effect that people were applying for places for Sept 2010 under the previous policy.” It was claimed that three boys from the village, now in sixth class, were refused places for September 2010.
Oranmore Fine Gael senator Fidelma Healy Eames explains there were 283 applications for 150 places at the school.
“Calasanctius College can no longer meet the requirements of the local community. The school was built for 625 pupils but now has 733. The Department [of Education] did a report in 2007 called the Commission on School Accommodation. It said Calasanctius should grow to 800 pupils and get accommodation to match it.
“The school changed its admission policy in May 2009. Now siblings of children from outside the seven feeder schools have been put into category one. This means they are being given equal priority with children in local schools. Three children from the village who are now in sixth class and want places in September have been refused because there is no space for them. The school has admitted that 18 siblings from outside the catchment area got places.”
She says action needs to be taken on two fronts to solve this problem. “Things are at crisis point. I don’t know when I was at a meeting in Oranmore when there were so many people present. Parents have asked the school to suspend the admission policy it brought in in May 2009 and revert to its previous policy. This puts siblings from outside the catchment area into category two. Calasactius College must be a school for the whole community and it must meet its needs.
“I will be looking to the Minister to sanction extra space. Otherwise, how will the school serve the community? I have a motion down which is going to be heard by him shortly. I am asking the school to accept additional temporary accommodation now on the basis that it will be made permanent in two years.”
Fianna Fáil TD Frank Fahey said he discussed the needs of the school with Minister for Education and Science, Batt O’Keeffe TD and senior officials from the Department of Education and Science.
“On meeting with Minister O’Keeffe and his officials I put to them the details which emerged at the meeting of the critical situation with regard to shortage of places for first year students in September 2010 and subsequent years.
“I proposed to the Minister and his officials that funding be provided for the rent or lease of temporary accommodation adjacent to the school. Minister Batt O’Keeffe informed me that he is prepared to consider in principal an application from the school’s board of management for funding towards this accommodation next September.
“Extra funding will also have to be provided for the additional teaching staff and other requirements.
“I have today suggested to the board of management that they consider renting suitable accommodation adjacent to the school as a temporary measure to ensure that all students from the school catchment area can be accommodated in September and in subsequent years.
“I have also put to Minister O’Keeffe that the proposed extension to the school must be given the greatest priority. He has agreed to my request to meet the Board of Management and parents’ group in the near future to discuss the immediate requirements of the school and the longer term provision of new accommodation.”
The school’s board of management said it was “very aware” and “deeply concerned” about the difficulties which the lack of school places is creating for students and their families.
“The board is committed to exploring all options to try to meet the needs of the local area while maintaining ongoing provision of a quality education to existing and incoming students.
“A meeting is being scheduled with officials from the Department of Education and Science and with the Minister Batt O’Keeffe as a matter of urgency. The board will continue to meet regarding this matter.”
