Folúntas: Scoil Náisiúnta na Rinne
Meán Fómhair 9, 2014
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Folúntas: Scoil Chaitríona
Meán Fómhair 9, 2014
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Folúntas: Scoil Uí Riada
Meán Fómhair 5, 2014
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Huge difference in costs of educating our young people
Meán Fómhair 5, 2014
THE costliest schools to run in Femanagh, per capita, are state secondary schools and the county’s only Irish medium primary school, it can be revealed.
The cost of educating individual pupils in Irish medium primary schools have almost tripled in the last ten years while student costs in Controlled (mainly non-Catholic) secondary schools have risen by over £3,400 per child in the same time period. This is in stark contrast to other schools in the county – including (mainly Catholic) Maintained and integrated at secondary level and mainstream primary schools – which saw an average cost rise of £1,322 per pupil since 2004.
Irish Medium schools at primary level experienced the biggest jump from £2,257 per pupil in 2004 to £6,419 last year. The figures were revealed after local UUP MLA Tom Elliott tabled a question to the Education Minister John O’Dowd. He also highlighted the divide in capital spending between Protestant and Catholic schools over the last seven years. Since 2006, there have been over £18m spent on Maintained primary, secondary and grammar schools, whereas Controlled schools have received less than £5m during the same time.
The local MLA has called for more funding to go into the Controlled sector schools, particularly Devenish College, Enniskillen, which has been earmarked for a new building. “These figures would point to an imbalance in capital spending between the maintained and controlled sectors,” he said. “However, while I’m sure there are reasons for this, the controlled sector, especially Devenish, needs more spending.
“We have already used these figures in debates and I’m hoping to meet with the Education Minister about this issue. I want to bring this case to him, particularly Devenish.
“There’s a clear imbalance in capital spending and we need to press on with Devenish College and not let anything stand in the way for its new-build.
“But I’m sure there’s an imbalance everywhere and a similar situation in other places like Tyrone. The integrated sector had almost £4m in capital spending and when we think of the amount of pupils attending integrated schools compared to the controlled sector.
“It’s not about the amount spent on the maintained sector but the amount that hasn’t been spent in the controlled sector – that’s the real problem.
“I want to know is there enough money going into controlled sector and how it compares to spend per pupil.”
The MLA also stated the rise in pupil costs in Irish Medium schools could be because of smaller student numbers. He went on to say that other schools which have similar student numbers are often at risk of closing. He concluded:
“The Controlled sector is slightly above average pupil costs, but I don’t see anything highly significant in difference accept for the Irish Medium. Any other school would be under huge pressure to close if they had similar numbers attending Irish medium schools.”
Huge protest expected in Fermoy over lack of progress on new gaelscoil
Meán Fómhair 5, 2014
A North Cork community will be out in force this morning to demand that the Government presses on with plans to provide a new facility for an overcrowded school in their town.
Up to 1,000 people are expected to march at 11.30am from the gates of Gaelscoil de hÍde, Fermoy, into the centre of the town in protest at the lack of progress developing a new primary school building.
Gaelscoil de hÍde principal, Seán Mac Gearailt, said that contrary to reports suggesting a breakthrough had been reached in the ongoing saga, the protest will still go ahead. Mr Mac Gearailt said that the last communication received by the school’s Board of Management from the Department of Education was a July letter saying a preferred site for the new school had been selected.
“The march is going ahead,” Mr Mac Gearailt confirmed. “The last we were told is that a preferred site had been selected. You cannot get planning permission on a preferred site.
“The bottom line is that, as far as we know, the Department of Education does not own a site in Fermoy for a new building for the Gaelscoil,” he said.
Mr Mac Gearailt said that while both local and national politicians “of all colours” have lobbied in support of a new building, there has been a lack in transparency in how the proposed new school development is progressing.
“We are being kept in the dark,” he said.
Meanwhile parents in Ballincollig are similarly fearful that new school facilities are required to cater for the hundreds of children from the area who are due to enter secondary school in the coming years.
A committee of parents from Gaelscoil Uí Riordáin primary school in Ballincollig has lodged a formal application with the Department of Education calling for the construction of a new, fully independent, 800-place, second-level gaelcholáiste in the town.
The campaign was launched following a public meeting in May at the gaelscoil, one of Ireland’s largest where pupil numbers will break the 600-barrier in September, to discuss the immediate lack of second level, all-Irish education places in the town.
The meeting was told that the boards of management of Choláiste Choilm and Gaelcholáiste Choilm adopted a new admissions policy earlier this year.
For the first time, pupils graduating from Gaelscoil Uí Ríordáin this year are not guaranteed a place in Gaelcholáiste Choilm’s Aonad.
Irish Examiner
Osclaíonn Gaelcholáiste nua i mBaile Brigín!
Meán Fómhair 5, 2014
Ghlac an Gaelcholáiste nua i mBaile Brigín lena chéad daltaí ar an Luan, 1 Meán Fómhair.
Is é Coláiste Ghlór na Mara an chéad Ghaelcholáiste sa cheantar seo. Tá 26 dalta sa chéad bhliain anois agus freastalóidh an scoil ar idir 700 agus 1,000 dalta amach anseo.
Tá an scoil lonnaithe i ranganna sealadacha faoi láthair. Bogfaidh sé go scoil sealadach go luath agus fanfaidh sé ann go dtí go bhfuil obair thógála ar an bhfoirgneamh buan curtha i gcrích.
“Ba chúis áthais dom í oscailt na scoile ar maidin,” arsa Aoife Elster, príomhoide na scoile (thuas, dara duine ar chlé).
“Tá sé go hiontach toradh dearfach a fheiceáil ar an obair thréan atá déanta ag muintir na háite chun Gaelcholáiste a bhunú don cheantar.
“Táimid fíor bhuíoch do Bhord Oideachais agus Oiliúna Bhaile Átha Cliath agus don tUasal Ó Laoire ach go háirithe toisc seomraí sealadacha a thabhairt dúinn fad is atá muid ag fanacht ar ár bhfoirgneamh féin.
“Táim fíor bhuíoch freisin don tacaíocht atá faighte againn ó Chlodagh agus ó Shiobhán, príomhoidí sna Gaelscoileanna áitiúla.”
Dúirt Caoimhín Ó hEaghra, Ard Rúnaí ar an bhForas Pátrúnachta: “Tá an áthas ar an bhForas Pátrúnachta go bhfuil Coláiste Ghlór na Mara ar oscailt agus ag soláthar oideachas lán-Ghaeilge ag an dara leibhéal do cheantar Bhaile Brigín agus mór thimpeall.
“Tá an bhuíochas ag dul don choiste bunaithe, do na tuismitheoirí agus gach a chabhraigh leis an bpróiseas ar fad. Tá mé cinnte go mbeidh éifeacht ollmhór ag an scoil sa cheantar ní amháin ag soláthar oideachas den scoth ach ag tacú agus ag cothú an cultúr Gaelach sa phobal i gcoitinne.”
Uasdátú ar chlárúchán ó Gaelcholáiste an Phiarsaigh
Meán Fómhair 5, 2014
Is féidir clárú do Ghaelcholáiste an Phiarsaigh don scoilbhliain 2015-2016 (Rang 6 anois) go dtí deireadh na míosa seo agus don scoilbhliain 2016-2017 (Rang 5 anois) uaidh seo go ceann bliana. Cláraigh ar líne anois www.gaelcholaiste.com.
Protest may not go ahead after breakthrough in gaelscoil row
Meán Fómhair 5, 2014
It was unclear last night if a planned protest by up to 1,000 people would go ahead in Co Cork following news that there had been a breakthrough in a long-running saga over the building of a gaelscoil.
Protesters were expected to walk through the streets of Fermoy on Friday morning to highlight concerns over the lack of movement on a promise to acquire a suitable new home for Gaelscoil de hÍde.
Junior minister Sean Sherlock said he had been informed that the proposed new site had been fenced off and contracts have been exchanged between Cork County Council and a voluntary housing agency that presently owns the site.
Once the council has acquired the land, it will be in a position to pass it to the Department of Education.
Earlier Mr Sherlock said that the protest, planned for 11.30am, shows great community spirit and he has told parents of children attending the school “to use as many levers as possible” to ensure a replacement is built.
Teachers, pupils and parents have lost patience following promises that they would have a new school this year.
The TD said that a suitable site has been identified, but that it “has to go through a process of conveyance” and this needs to be speeded up.
“I know, for a fact, that the Department of Education is ready to move on this site, but it can not do so until it has title.”
He said it was up to Cork County Council to acquire the site from a voluntary housing agency in order for the Department of Education to proceed.
Before the last local elections, he said he’d advised parents that a new site had been identified and reiterated this was indeed the case.
“I am satisfied that I have acted with integrity in this process, in ensuring that the school will have a future on a new greenfield site. We have come a long way in this process.
“I understand the need to protest, but it is important to state that had it not been for my intervention, and this Government’s clear commitment to delivering on other new school projects and extensions in the Fermoy area, that the people of Fermoy would still be waiting.”
The protest will be led by former Kerry football player Tomás Ó Sé, who is a teacher at Gaelscoil de hÍde.
Irish Examiner
Gaelcholáiste gets approval to expand
Meán Fómhair 5, 2014
A Cork northside all-Irish secondary school which had to turn away dozens of pupils because of space restrictions this year has been approved to expand by the Department of Education.
Although it has yet to be decided if Gaelcholáiste Mhuire AG at the North Monastery will revert to admitting three first-year classes again next year, the recognition of a need for extra classes could signal a move that would see the heavy demand for places being met from September 2015.
The management of the school were criticised by local parents and public representatives when the policy of enrolling between 85 and 89 students into three first-year classes between 2011 and 2013 was changed.
Only 59 students in two first-year classes started at the school last week after its manager Pat Keating decided last year that the building had reached capacity. The intake of 89 a year ago only went ahead because of the strength of appeals against initial refusals to enrol many applicants.
Discussions with the Department of Education over several months have now led to approval for the school to move to an increased enrolment. This move to 520 students would allow the gaelcholáiste enrol three classes of up to 90 boys and girls each year.
“This welcome news should help meet the demand for places for secondary education through Irish in the northside of Cork City,” said a statement by school owners, Edmund Rice Schools Trust.
Although the school was originally built for 350 pupils, the extra intake of recent years has seen numbers grow by 100 in four years to 454 this term, putting pressure on space.
Irish Examiner
Folúntas: Scoil Neasáin
Meán Fómhair 5, 2014
Sonraí ar www.educationposts.ie.
