All Gorey students now guaranteed secondary school places
RELIEF FOR PARENTS AND SIXTH CLASS STUDENTS AS WAITING LISTS ARE SET TO BE CLEARED
AFTER a time of uncertainty and fear around lengthy waiting lists, students and parents can breathe a sigh of relief as young people have now been guaranteed a place in either Gorey Community School and Creagh College for the coming academic year following consultation between the schools, government ministers and Kevin Lewis, CEO of WWETB.
Members of the board of management from Gorey Community School held a meeting with Education Minister Joe McHugh before Christmas, where it was agreed that the additional accommodation in terms of further classroom resources would be provided for to accommodate and facilitate 30 extra students to the school.
As soon as school returned after the Christmas break, Principal Michael Finn said that he began contacting the 30 students, taking their names directly from the long waiting list.
Meanwhile, Creagh College has capacity for additional pupils in their existing premises, and do not require more classroom space, and this means that all pupils who had been on waiting lists in both schools will receive notice of their forthcoming acceptance.
Principal Paul Glynn has also been making contact with families, and he sees that by the end of the month all pupils will know where they are going to secondary school in September.
‘We are delighted to move things along, and give some certainty and assurance to people that everyone who made an application will receive a place for September in either school and we can stand over that. It’s great news for everybody.
‘Kevin Lewis looked at each list and identified overlaps and there were also extra numbers on each list, but our school does have the capacity’.
Paul Glynn said that he hopes that those who applied to both schools will now make up their minds within the next couple of weeks and that the next process stage will be a quick one.
‘I’ve been phoning people and the written letters went out last week. We are asking people to let us know as quickly as possible whether they will be accepting a place’.
Kevin Lewis, CEO of WWETB said that as patron of Creagh College and joint patron of Gorey Community School, he was ‘delighted to be in a position to coordinate the agreement of both schools, ensuring all pupils who have applied will have a place in September 2020’.
Paul Glynn thanked Kevin Lewis, which was echoed by Gorey Community School Principal Michael Finn who described how happy parents and students have been to hear the good news.
‘This has really eased the stress on students and parents. During some phone calls, people were just clearly so happy to get the places and I’m delighted now that the worry has been relieved, it’s wonderful’.
Michael described feeling concerned when he released the scale of the waiting lists, detailing that over 60 students did not have a place in either school a month ago.
He said that a request came from the education minister for both schools to take extra students, but that he kept thinking about the cap that had been in place of 250 first year students being physically possible.
‘During the meeting with Minister McHugh the week before the Christmas, he outlined that we will get the necessary classrooms to add 30 students and that means we can now take 280 students.
‘I envisage, although I don’t know, that these classrooms will be for permanent accommodation as I would be reluctant to go towards the idea of prefab buildings’.
Next for Gorey Community School is to go down the application process, and supply the Department with information to identify the needs of the school, meeting certain criteria set out by the Department.
‘They will gage from us the various facilities that we will need,’ said Michael Finn.
Reacting to the news, Minister Michael D’Arcy thanked the boards of both schools, the patrons, the WWETB and the Sisters of Loreto for the outcome.
‘All pupils are now guaranteed a place in either Gorey
Community School or Creagh College this year. I was involved in negotiations regarding this issue and appreciate the reasonableness in which all parties have operated in the interests of pupils.
‘I wish to thank Minister McHugh who we met with before Christmas at short notice for his input into the matter which has resulted in a successful outcome’.
Campaigners have said that the push for a third secondary school in Gorey will continue.
Sinead Fox of the Bunscoil Loreto Parents’ Association hopes that lessons can be learned from this year’s experience.
‘It is great that this has happened but can’t let this drag on because this still doesn’t address the fact that we will run out of places down the line.
‘Hopefully the schools have learned now that they need to work together from the outset for the 2021 intake to limit anxiety for parents and not have this panic every year.
‘Any other business model would be planning ahead,’ she said.
Elaine Clarke, who has been campaigning since last year for a third secondary school, said that now that 2020 students are secure, the attention of the campaign can go back to focusing on the end goal.
‘We are delighted that everybody is going to be accommodated as it takes the pressure off all those parents. In terms of the campaign, we can focus primarily on getting the new school.
‘Now we really need all the parents from all primary school age groups, as this is going to affect kids as far as junior infants playing catch up.
‘We plan to completely focus ourselves now on getting support’.
A public meeting is being organised by the campaign for today (Tuesday) upstairs in the Coach House from 8 p.m. and all are welcome to attend.
IT IS GREAT THAT THIS HAPPENED BUT WE CAN’T LET THIS DRAG ON BECAUSE IT STILL DOESN’T ADDRESS FACTS DOWN THE LINE - SINEAD FOX