Still no place for Tullamore students just days before secondary schools reopen

With just days to go before secondary schools reopen, a number of students in Tullamore are still without a placement.

Amanda Rattigan's son Caiden Rattigan Hogan, has no idea where he will receive his secondary education. He has applied to Colaiste Choilm and Tullamore College. His preference is for Colaiste Choilm as his friends are going there, but up to yesterday,Tuesday, August 20 he had still not been offered a place at either school.

Amanda said, ''he has received all his primary education in Tullamore from Little Trinity Preschool, to St Joseph's School, to Scoil Eoin Phol. Schools open next Tuesday and he has no entrance exam done, no uniform, no books, no books list even,'' she said.

Inga Ozola's son is in the same boat. He lives just five minutes from the school of his choice but has not been offered a place either.

Amanda says it's because Caiden's father was not born in Ireland, even though his own parents are Irish, and her brothers and nephew attended Colaiste Choilm. ''The rule is either your father or grandfather has to have gone to the school, otherwise it's a lottery,'' she said.

Neither Amanda nor Inga will consider sending their sons out of town to attend secondary school.

Amanda said her son plays GAA locally and ''he doesn't want to go somewhere else.''

Tadhg O'Sullivan, the Principal of Colaiste Choilm, says that ''in response to the need to accommodate students in the Tullamore area without a school place, the Board of Management, increased the number of places by four students.'' The school has contacted those applicants and they know they are being accommodated.

''We have done our best, given the limited resources and we hope it will help in some way. We are packed to capacity. We have done as much as we could given the space and facilities we have,'' he said.

Independent TD Carol Nolan said she is engaging with the Minister for Education Norma Foley and the Department of Education in an attempt to secure immediate and increased availability of school places at both primary and post primary level for students within the constituency.

Deputy Nolan said that she is aware of at least half a dozen families in Offaly alone who have no guarantee that their children will have a school place for the forthcoming academic year beginning in late August, early September:

''I have repeatedly alerted the minister and indeed the department about the deficit of school places and the overwhelming challenges that some parents are being confronted with because of this,” said DeputyNolan.

“No family and no child in Offaly or Laois, at either primary or post primary level, should be facing the prospect of being left outside the gates, for want of a better word. This issue must be resolved immediately and whatever resources our schools need to meet enrolment requirements should be offered,” concluded Deputy Nolan.