MILLIONS NEEDED FOR ROSBERCON SCHOOLS
FUNDING running into the millions of euros is needed for major works at St Canice’s NS and a new sports hall for Our Lady of Lourdes secondary school.
Minister for Education Joe McHugh, joined by Minister of State John Paul Phelan, visited the schools on Wednesday morning. At St Canice’s school chairperson Margeurite Ahearne showed Mr McHugh the poor, damp condition of the prefabs, highlighting the need for five classrooms, resource rooms and a sports hall at the school, where no sod has been turned in almost half a century on adequate facilities for pupils.
The 253 pupil school, which has 21 staff, was built in 1972 as a five-classroom school with a school hall. Subsequently four prefab classrooms were added, two 30 years ago, one 17 years ago, and another 12 years ago. The school hall was converted into a further classroom a decade ago.
A whole school evaluation was carried out by the DES Inspectorate in 2017 and resulted in an excellent report for the school. Ms Ahearne said the extension is necessary to replace the existing prefab classrooms and the temporary classroom, in order to provide a suitable general purpose room and learning support spaces for pupils.
During his tour of the school by Ms Ahearne, vice principal Eileen Cody and school treasurer Ray Lawlor, Mr McHugh saw learning support students being taught in a corner of the corridor near the principal’s office.
In 2016 a leak in one of the prefabs saw an entire class relocated into the main school building for a month despite the unavailability of any classroom space there.
There is no room to take on extra pupils and the school has had to turn away prospective pupils in the not-too-distant past.
Mr Lawlor said: ‘At present we are operating beyond our capacity. The learning support is a real problem and we have no sports hall.’
Ms Ahearne said: ‘ The extension has been granted, however the project has been delayed due to land title issues which have been actively pursued by the board of management and are due to be resolved in a matter of months.’
Calling for the extension to be advanced in parallel with the resolving of the title issues, Ms Ahearne called on Mr McHugh to have the Department of Education work with the school board on pre-planning so works can begin this summer, immediately following the resolution of the title issues.
The school also needs to finalise where the sports hall will be located and the exact location of the extension. Mr McHugh said it was apparent students were being taught very well.
Travelling the short distance to Our Lady of Lourdes secondary school, Mr McHugh and Mr Phelan were greeted by principal Toni Ormond who explained that the school’s 340 students have a tiny sports hall and no outdoor sports facilities. Having made an application for a sports hall in September, the school’s staff and students are hoping one can be built to the rear of the school, which could double as a sports hall for St Canice’s pupils.
PE teacher Daphne Kennington said students are doing the non-exam Leaving Cert PE curriculum. Appealing to Mr McHugh for a ‘nice shiny sports hall’, Ms Kennington said the yard is covered in moss. Students have to walk a mile across O’Hanrahan Bridge to the Youth Centre for basketball training and
The minister in St Canice’s with fourth class pupils Cian Noblett and Adam Flynn.
to the other side of the town for camogie. It costs the school money to rent the hall for basketball. ‘ They walk in the rain to matches. We got to the All Ireland semi-final last year and won a bronze and we’re walking to a community hall for training. We have the worst facilities of all non-exam PE Leaving Cert schools.’
Standing in a room with canteen facilities and hot water, she said there is no space for her students to exercise. ‘ There is huge pressure on the hall space which is also used for assembly time and meetings. This room is where they have their lunch. It really is crazy. It puts a lot of kids off extra curricular activities at lunch time. We’ve been trying to get funding for tarmac for the yard for years but it wasn’t deemed bad enough. It’s not fair to students. If they aren’t getting in to stuff at their age they never will. Having the facilities would just make it easier.’