Time to take control of our schools

Dear Sir,

It is appalling to read in recent editions of the Argus of the closure of Faughart Primary School. It is a sad day for the local community to see the demise of their, modern, topof- the-range, thriving school.

There has been a school in that area for well over 100 years, but alas no more, because of the ineptness of unknown people in the HSE, Department of Education, the INTO and the Parish Priest of Faughart. They showed scant regard for the victims of their actions, the pupils. These children have been parted from their friends, and forced out of an educational system they have become familiar with, so much for ‘ treating all the children of the Nation equally’. Their parents’ lives have also been thrown into turmoil, trying to arrange places and transport to other schools for them.

There is also the loss of jobs for the remaining teachers at the school and several other employees who are involved in the day-to-day running of the school.

The debacle of Faughart School should leave no doubt in the Department of Education that the time has come for them to take over ownership of all Primary Schools from the Roman Catholic

Church as they are no longer capable of been in charge of them. This would also mean that the Department would no longer be able to use them as scapegoats, to cover-up for their own inadequacies.

Yours sincerely,

Pat McKenna,

Feede, Mountpleasant