Welcome news for Mayo school forced to endure shocking conditions

Work is underway to create four additional classrooms for the Educate Together National School in Castlebar.

The classrooms are to be located at the site of the former hat factory on the Newport Road in the county town.

Cllr Ger Deere said this is “fantastic news for students and staff.” The school has been operating out of three campus dotted around the town in Marsh House, Cavendish Lane, and the hat factory site.

Cllr Deere has learned that the Department of Education are leasing the hat factory for five years and while they await a new build, Castlebar Educate Together will have four classrooms at the hat factory in September. It is envisaged that by September 2025 the entire school will be located there.

A public meeting was called a few months ago to highlight the unsatisfactory and unsafe conditions that the school has had to operate under despite promises made to them some years back to have a stand alone facility built. The meeting heard how teachers and students must cope with damp, mouldy, and cramped conditions. Children have no adequate space in which to play and some siblings that attend the school have never been in the same building together as the school is forced to operate from three locations.

Cllr Deere complimented school principal Sarah Calvey, staff, board of management, parents, students and Minister of State Alan Dillon who, following a public meeting, organised a meeting with Education Minister Norma Foley and her officials and the school board of management to progress this project.