Dear Sir,
The scarcity of adequate secondary school spots is not shocking to those educational institutes that confront an excess in applications (“Seeking secondary school placements proves difficult for 75% of parents,” Education, 18th March).
As the Chairperson of a recently established secondary school in a severely affected area, I affirm to your readers that the schools are not the culprits of the prevailing predicament.
Malahide/Portmarnock Educate Together Secondary School, abbreviated as MPETSS, was conceived from a patronage contest in 2016, aiming to commence operations in 2017. However, obstructions in acquiring provisional premises compelled us to defer the commencement until 2018.
A near decade post the initiation of our venture, we have managed to complete only the initial stage of the intended permanent infrastructure. This accomplishment came about as a result of intensive endeavours from our voluntarily serving board of management, the entire school staff, and our diligent school community. The aim has always been towards expediting our progress, and launching the school successfully.
Continuous interaction with local TDs has played a pivotal role in this progression, however, our enquiries to the Department of Education largely remain unanswered. The timelines concerning the next phase of our construction project are still ambiguous.
To compound our setbacks, we learnt recently about the requirement of new prefabricated classrooms for our upcoming September enrolments, upon relocating from our temporary premises in 2022. This move seemingly negates our progress.
Additionally, we lack a proper sports facility.
If our schedules had been met; MPETSS commencing in 2017, and the full completion of our school building, we would have been much better positioned to cater to the local demand.
Parents are not the only ones voicing frustration. School administration, board members and campaigners share the same sentiment.
The establishment of a school should not take over a decade. Our students are entitled to better facilities.
In closing, your education correspondent Carl O’Brien shed light on the difficulty in assuring a secondary school place for his son in his home county of Greystones, Co Wicklow (“Scramble for secondary school placements commences for my son in fourth class”, Opinion & Analysis, March 23rd).
Yours sincerely,
DAVID GRAHAM,
Chairperson to the Board of Management
Malahide/Portmarnock Educate Together Secondary School,
Swords, Co Dublin.
Isn’t it peculiar that such an occurrence can unfold in a constituency electing five Deputies, each from unique political factions, inclusive of two local individuals serving as Government Ministers? – Kind regards,
LOUIS O’FLAHERTY,
Santry,
Dublin 9.