This article is from page 25 of the 2012-01-24 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 25 JPG
THE closure of the St Joseph’s Centre in Ennis will represent a “major loss” to the Traveller community, a meeting has heard.
St Joseph’s Education Centre has provided training and education to Traveller men in Ennis since 1974.
At that time, it was located in the grounds of the Holy Family School, Ennis.
In 1982, the centre moved to a new building at the Gort Road industrial estate. St Joseph’s is now facing closure as a Traveller-only training facility under planned education cuts.
Clare VEC is aiming to retain the use of the building for future educa- tion and training purposes. The issue was raised at the January meeting of Clare VEC.
In his report, Education Officer Dr Sean Conlan explained that St Joseph’s Education Centre will close next July following a phasing out of Traveller training centres announced in Budget 2010.
He continued, “Plans to use the building as a skills training unit for adult learners are being developed and staff will be redeployed to other VEC programmes, schools and centres.
“St Joseph’s will be a major loss to the Traveller community as it has been one of the most innovative centres in the country and continues to offer a creative and supportive envi- ronment for adult Travellers returning to education and training.”
VEC member Michael Corley paid tribute to the efforts of staff and students at St Joseph’s. He described the centre as one of the most efficient and best run in the country.
He urged the VEC to monitor the progress of the group that will be transferred from the centre.
“There was fantastic work done by management and staff. I was always impressed by the range of work.”
At last December’s meeting of Clare VEC, Dr Conlan noted that while Traveller education has made great strides over the past 20 years, many Travellers fear the impact of the cuts to services “could set back these efforts in years to come”.
“Traveller parents are more interested than ever in supporting their children’s education. Perhaps now more than ever in the past, a greater level of personal and family responsibility needs to be taken in light of the ending of some services,” he added.
Meanwhile, Dr Conlan’s report states that the Regional Learning Centre continues to operate at the Clare County Museum.
He explained, “The centre is supported mainly by Limerick Institute of Technology. Currently, the centre offers a business certificate from LIT and offers free educational guidance and return to learning workshops for adults interested in higher education.”