THE possible move of 1,000 pupils under a proposed merger of four Southside schools has caused grave concern among parents, it has been claimed.
Sinn Féin’s Ballyfermot representative, Daithà Doolan, said the news that four schools in Ballyfermot – the De La Salle Primary School, St Raphael’s Primary School, St Michael’s National School and St Gabriel’s Primary School – will be merged into two had come as a major shock.
“The news arrived in a note home to parents and the new arrangement is set to be in place by next September,
? he said.
“The Catholic Church is proposing to amalgamate the four schools in lower Ballyfermot. They propose to move 1,000 pupils from four schools into two.
“According to the Catholic Arch Dioceses of Dublin, the reason for the move is to facilitate their divestment from education.
“Parents and staff have expressed genuine concerns to me. These concerns can only be addressed by the Catholic Church and Department of Education engaging with parents and teachers.
“Parents are seriously worried about the ability to accommodate all pupils in two schools on the grounds of the Dominican Order, Ballyfermot,
? he added.
“They are concerned about overcrowding, loss of teachers and growing class sizes.
“Parents must be central to any decisions made on the future of schools in Ballyfermot.
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Mr Doolan said Sinn Fein had raised the issue in the Dáil.
“We are contacting the Minister for Education urging him to meet with parents and staff as soon as possible,
? he added.
“We have also written to the Arch Bishop asking him to meet with parents to address their concerns.
“We are looking for a guarantee that the Catholic Church will not sell off any school property in Ballyfermot.
“Any school owned by the Catholic Church, including the De La Salle, should be handed over to the Department of Education for future use.
“This will ensure any new schools in Ballyfermot are of the highest possible standard and have the capacity to accommodate all pupils.”
Sinn Fein was also holding a public meeting on the Ballyfermot schools issue on Friday (November 22).
The Diocesan Education office said it was involved in talks with the relevant stakeholders in Ballyfermot about how existing education resources
“can be configured to best meet the needs of children and their families in the area into the future
?.
“As part of that process there have been meetings between the Diocesan project team, school principals and Chairpersons of Boards of Management this month,
? a spokesperson said in a statement.
“These discussions are ongoing.
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A spokesperson for the Department of Education added:
“Any decision making authority for any amalgamation or reorganisation of schools in an area belongs to the Patron of the schools, subject to the approval of the Minister for Education and Skills.
“The department carried out parental surveys on primary schools patronage earlier this year which included a survey of the Palmerstown/Ballyfermot/Chapelizod and Cherry Orchard areas.
“Based on the results of the survey where the parental demand for an alternative Patron was confirmed, the Department asked the Catholic patrons to consider options for reconfiguring their schools to allow the transfer of a school to a new Patron.
“The surveys also indicated a level of preferences by parents for a reorganisation of schools to facilitate more coeducational provisions.
“The Department understands that the Patron is in ongoing discussions with the school principals and Chairpersons of Boards of Management of schools in the Ballyfermot area as part of its assessment as to future school accommodation needs in that regard.
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The spokesperson added:
“The Department has not received any proposals from the Patron/Trustees in relation to the future accommodation arrangements for the four schools in the Ballyfermot area.
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