Angry parents protest at 10-year wait for school
- Last Updated: Thursday, 09 October 2008 01:00
By Sean O'Riordan
HUNDREDS of angry parents, pupils and teachers have protested at an unfulfilled promise made 10 years ago to provide a new school in Co Cork.
Exasperated by cramped conditions at Ballygarvan National School, they protested in support of 48 local children who will have to seek places elsewhere next year.
They are demanding that ex-education minister Micheál Martin fulfil a promise made in 1998 about the development of a new school.
Locals are concerned the proposed building project will remain on the long finger.
Stephen Crowley, spokesman for the Ballygarvan New School Committee, said the school had "maxed out" on the number of prefabs it could fit on its grounds.
"It currently has two full classrooms and eight prefabs accommodating 256 children and 10 teachers on a 0.6 acre site."
Five education ministers have been in office since the promise was made, but parents say they are no nearer a resolution.
"In the intervening 10 years, the school population has increased from 145 to 265 pupils. The staff numbers have increased from five to 10 and the recreation space around the school's 0.6 acre site has decreased considerably to accommodate eight prefabricated classrooms," said Mr Crowley.
Pupils and teachers have to cope with restricted yard space, no indoor PE facilities, no library or IT room and prefabs that are too cold in the winter and too hot in the summer.
The Department of Education has failed to purchase an adjoining 2.7 acre site for the new school, despite agreeing a price 18 months ago.
However, Mr Crowley pointed out: "The department has spent €€580,000 for temporary accommodation at the school between 2003 and 2008."
The Diocese of Cork and Ross has offered to buy the land if the department will commit to building a school.
Parents are bombarding Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe with emails urging him to act now.
Their immediate priority is to ensure the 48 local children left without a place are accommodated in the school next year.
The department is to spend €586 million on the school building programme this year, with a third of that invested in rapidly developing areas around Dublin.
A department spokesman said yesterday Mr O'Keeffe and Bishop John Buckley had been engaged in "positive talks" in the past few days.
"They are making progress and are very near the future acquisition of the site and the school building project. It is hoped more progress will be made in the near future," the spokesman said.
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