Department gives 'old news' update on Castlebar school
Castlebar Educate Together National School is holding a public meeting as the school's bid for a new building continues.
Educate Together in Castlebar have described an update provided on their promised new school building as’ fluff’ and ‘old news’.
A public meeting takes place on Thursday as frustrations grow amongst staff and parents about the lack of progress on a new building for the school.
Senator Burke said last week that the Department of Educatation has agreed to a permanent solution that will see the school provided with eight classrooms.
Senator Burke the Department is actively engaging in a site identification process aimed at securing a long-term solution for the school's accommodation needs.
"While I acknowledge that such processes can be lengthy, I have been assured that this is a priority for the Department of Education," he added.
However, school principal Sarah Calvey said this is ‘old news’ and does not represent a light at the end of the tunnel.
The school was opened in temporary accommodation in 2016 twelve pupils and continued to grow into a three-campus school with 136 pupils today.
Following school board engagement with the Department of Education, Minister Norma Foley visited the school in September 2022 where the need for a new school building was acknowledged and promised.
In early 2023, the school board forwarded potential public and privately owned brownfield and greenfield sites to the Minister’s department as requested. However, they say there is no evidence that the Department has contacted any of the landowners.
A recent school board commissioned report by OMD Design consultant engineers into the suitability of the school buildings has reinforced the view of the board, staff and parents that the buildings are not, and have never been, fit for purpose.
“What we’re pushing for is for a permanent site to be identified and a school not the site should be the matter of urgency. It’s just fluff really. They are just repeating what we know already. Our public meeting will still be going ahead and we will still be asking public representatives to push for our school,” said Ms Calvey.
