Relief as school move is reversed

Áine O’Boyle 

A DECISION has been made to stop Griffeen Community College from moving to Kingswood Community College.

The decision was made by the Department of Education and Skills following much criticism from parents and local politicians.

A spokesperson for the Department of Education and Skills said: “Following consideration of the various options to accommodate Griffeen Community College, it has been agreed that the school will remain at its current location in Kishoge Community College which will be further enhanced with additional temporary accommodation.”

An attempt to move the school had been publicly criticised by Sinn Féin TD, Seán Crowe, who said concerned parents had contacted him to point out that Kingswood Community College was already at maximum capacity and turning away students.

“It will already have 700 plus students in September, and 260 plus students from Griffeen Community College will be added,” Deputy Crowe claimed.

He added that the proposed move was not part of the original plan for Kingswood Community College and that it would have meant that local pupils from the catchment area would not get a place there in September, while students from Griffen Community College would be bussed in every day from Lucan.

"The additional traffic would also cause further chaos for residents in the area and create additional problems for commuters,” he argued.

Deputy Crowe had called on the Minister for Education to immediately reverse the decision and to come up with a better solution to the issue, “which would benefit both schools and their pupils”.

Griffeen Community College, which is currently based in the Kishoge Community College in Lucan, was told that from September 2020 students would be sent to Kingswood Community College.

Several parents with students in Griffeen Community College expressed relief at the decision to halt the move. 

They had previously voiced concerns about the impact that it could have had on their children’s mental health.