Some Tullamore students still don't have a place in secondary school for September
One student lives just five minutes from his preferred school but still hasn't been offered a place
A number of families in Tullamore and other parts of Offaly are still not sure where there children will attend secondary school in September.
Many of the local schools are full and with just a few weeks to go before they reopen many parents are left in limbo.
Some families in Tullamore are living as near as five minutes from their preferred schools. Those same families have been told that they have the option of secondary schools in Kilbeggan or Killina.
Parents who applied for a place as far back as last October still haven't heard anything and don't know if they should buy uniforms or other school supplies.
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.
“When I raised the matter with the minister as far back as March of this year, I was essentially told that where enrolment pressures arise, it may not be as a result of lack of school accommodation but may be driven by the factors including, duplication of applications, school of choice, single sex schools and an external draw for school places.”
“To my mind this was a clear attempt to place the lion’s portion of the blame on to the backs of parents, which is totally unacceptable.”
“Minister Foley also told me that the availability of places is a matter for each individual school in the context of their admissions legislation. This of course is true, but it is only half the picture, because many schools have been desperately applying for additional capacity funding for many years only to be tied up in bureaucratic knots by her own department.”
“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.