Four patrons shortlisted to operate new local school
FOUR patrons have been earmarked for the new Laytown/Drogheda secondary school, set to be established in 2019.
An exact location for the new school has yet to be revealed with the community of Duleek keen to see it developed in that part of the region.
The new school is seen as a ‘regional solution’ by the department.
The four candides are Educate Together, Loreto Education Trust, Louth and Meath Education and Training Board and Scoil Sinéad Limited.
Scoil Sinéad Ltd is a new patron body that is made up of 11 members from a variety of different backgrounds including education, finance, medical and business. They provide an inclusive multi-denominational, co-educational, English medium schools.
The Loreto Institute has almost 150 schools worldwide and 5,500 staff members serving 70,000 students, In Ireland, there are over 20 schools under Loreto trusteeship. Of these, sixteen are Voluntary Secondary schools and five are Primary/Junior schools, and two in Northern Ireland are Voluntary Grammar schools.
The Minister for Education and Skills, Richard Bruton, T.D says parents are invited to express their patronage preferences using the Department’s new Online Patronage Process System (OPPS) website.
This system has been developed to provide objective information to all parents and guardians which will allow them to make an informed choice in expressing a preference for their preferred model of patronage, and language medium, for their child’s education.
The Online Patronage Process System can be accessed at: https://patronage.education.gov.ie
The patronage process will run until the 31st July 2018 and parents are invited to log on, give their details, and express their choice.
Meanwhile, Deputy Thomas Byrne and councillors Sharon Keogan and Stephen McKee invite the public in Duleek and surrounding areas to a public meeting on Tuesday 3rd July at 8pm in Duleek Boys School to discuss the area’s bid for the provision of a secondary education facility in Duleek. All parents welcome.