The establishment of an Educate Together second level school in Galway may have taken a significant step forward now that nine Galway West candidates have pledged their support for the opening of such an institution.
Sitting TDs Derek Nolan (Labour ), Noel Grealish (Independent ), and Seán Kyne (Fine Gael ), along with senators Fidelma Healy Eames (Independent ), Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Féin ), and Hildegarde Naughton (Fine Gael ); along with candidates Niall Ó’Tuathail (Social Democrats ), John Connolly (Fianna Fáil ), and Seamus Sheridan (Green Party ) have all committed their support for the campaign, which is being run by the Galway Educate Together 2nd Level School – Startup Group.
There are currently Educate Together primary schools in Knocknacarra, Newcastle, Claregalway, Kilcolgan, and Tuam, which among them accept six classes of junior infants every year. To date, GET2LS has collected expressions of interest on behalf of 1,230 children - both those who attend the above-mentioned five schools, as well as pupils of 50 other national schools - whose parents would like them to attend an Educate Together second level school in Galway.
GET2LS will be holding a similar meeting with Galway East general election candidates on tomorrow. The group is also calling on “all voters who believe that parents and students should have the option of equality-based education” to ask their local candidates whether they would support the establishment of an Educate Together second level school in Galway.
There are currently four Educate Together second level schools in Ireland with another five due to open in September 2016. There are 77 Educate Together primary schools across the State.
