The Cork Life Centre is in danger of closing
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The Cork Life Centre is in danger of closing 
05/05/2014 14:06 - Education Cutbacks (Locality: Cork)
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The Cork Life Centre was established in 2000, with two similar centres operating in Dublin and another in Belfast. The purpose of each of the centres is to provide an alternative source of education and support to young people for whom the mainstream education system did not work, for one reason or another.
For 14 years now, the Cork Life Centre has provided early school leavers an alternative place of education, a safe haven, a close community, and most importantly the time and space for them to develop: not just academically, but socially; not just as individuals but as members of the community.
From this year on our trustees, the Christian Brothers, are no longer in a position to grant us the €90,000 per annum they have generously funded us with. Closure might seem inevitable, but to simply accept this would be to abandon the very purpose the Centre exists for in the first place.
We have begun a Save The Centre campaign, launching it with an online petition for people to add their voice to the growing calls for the Department of Education and Skills to step in and provide for the Life Centres, institutions which are ensuring the academic and social education of young people the mainstream system was unable to accomodate.
As teachers, as students, and as parents, we can all already recognise that no one system is able to suit everyone. This is why subjects have different levels, why we have resource teaching, why schools offer different option subjects for students. The Life Centres are simply an extension of that recognition. We would be extremely grateful if you would sign this petition and share the story of the Life Centre. Thank you.
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/save-the-cork-life-centre.html
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