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Small Irish primary schools could close to save money
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 18/01/2011.
Tags: Primary School News Teachers NewsSmall primary schools in Ireland could be shut in an attempt to save the government money.
The Irish Independent has reported that some of the country's two-teacher facilities will be looked at as part of the Department of Education's value-for-money review.
There are 570 of these rural schools in the Irish education system, according to documents obtained by the Irish Independent under the Freedom of Information Act, making up one-sixth of the country's primary facilities, despite some having only seven pupils.
As well as only a few children attending these schools, they are also located near to other larger establishments, which is forcing the government to review the monetary value in keeping them open.
While the department has said it does not plan on carrying out a large-scale programme of school closures at the moment, many of the two-teacher facilities receive more than 30,000 euros a year in grants, costing the government more than 20 million euros a year.
Earlier this month, the Irish Times revealed that a draft report released by senior Department of Education officials has called for primary schools to share sites to be part of a "campus development", in an attempt to reduce the number of small schools in the nation.
Written by Donal Walsh
SoNS
(16-03-2012 01:27)
Dear Supporters of our children, we call on you once again. Please share socially or verbally our goal to protect our small schools with family, friends and wider community. Simply distribute our online posters/flyers or word of mouth. We the people have our children's future in our hands. Lets us make the correct decision where our representatives fail us all. Thank you. SoNS.
Deborah McMahon
(25-03-2011 16:22)
I agree that some small primary schools should be closed especially if they only have one or two classes but not unless the department provides free school buses to take these children to a new school every day ... totally ridiculous to expect parents to pay
Paula
(10-04-2011 14:41)
A public meeting will be held at the Radisson Hotel in Sligo at 8.30 to discuss the possible closure of small schools in Sligo.
jennifer flynn
(24-03-2011 20:05)
dept trying to close small schools but before they do this they re making changes to the school transport system and abolish the closed school rule! this gives the children a right to transport to the new school!!! if abolished well no transport needs to be provided! not many people are aware of this! please read the new school transport proposals and be aware of what they are trying to do!!!!!!!!!
Paula
(06-04-2011 15:02)
I am a parent with 2 young children at a 2-Teacher School in Castlegal Co Sligo. Our school is an integral part of our community. It is where we see our friends and neighbours in the morning when we drop the kids off, and in the afternoon when we pick them up. Parents, grandparents and Aunts and Uncles all meet each other at the school gate.
The school is in an excellent state of repair, thanks to the hard work of the Board of Management, who are investing every year into improvements for the school. My children are getting a top-class education, from high quality teaching staff. To lose our school would not only break up an intrinsic part of the Castlegal community but would also mean a decline in the delivery of all our children's education, and not only the education of pupils from small schools, but the education of the children in the larger schools, who would have to accommodate the new pupils.
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maria1970
(28-03-2011 00:43)
Maria Noonan
See Bus Eireann Notice issued to parents recently - Changes to School Transport under CSR (Central/Closed School Rule.
Under the CSR, where a primary school closed and amalgamated with another, pupils residing in the closed school area are currently eligible for free transport to the school of amalgamation even though they may reside less than 3.2km (2 miles) from this school.
Where a number of schools closed and amalgamated into one new school, free transport is currently provided for eligible pupils residing not less than 1.6km (1 mile) from the central school, this arrangement is referred to as the Central School Rule.
Don't forget to apply for your childrens' bus tickets before the deadline 31st March, 2011.