This article is from page 16 of the 2008-09-30 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 16 JPG
THE future viability of St Joseph’s Secondary School in Spanish Point is in serious jeopardy if the Depart- ment of Education doesn’t recom- mence funding to employ two part- time teachers at the school. According to the school principal, Mary Crawford, the school faces clo- sure if funding isn’t made available for the technical drawing, engineer- ing and art classes to be reinstated.. “The department has made an of- fer to fund the teachers for the exam classes in third and sixth year for this year. But as part of that offer they insist that we do not offer this sub- ject to new first year students com- ing into the school and that we look for no more concessions in future
years,’ said Mrs Crawford.
“What they are essentially doing is getting rid of those subjects from out school. This is completely not acceptable. We cannot run a rural school without these subjects; they are vital. At the moment more than a third of our first years take art which is probably more than take up techni- or Ne bee hapten
A technical drawing and metal work room, refitted by the Depart- ment of Education just two years ago, is sitting idle following the decision by the department. The state-of-the- art room was developed to the high- est standards in 2005 and 2006 after being granted more than €90,000 by the Department of Education. “These rooms have been totally idle while this is going on. It doesn’t make any
sense, it’s a total lack of joined up thinking,” continued Mrs Crawford.
“We were back at school when we heard that the last appeal had failed. All through the summer I have gone through the normal channels that I have gone through every other year.
“We were caught right at the very last minute with this. We want these two teachers to be reinstated and we need for these subjects to be taught from first year in the school.
“We are going to keep this fight go- ing in the media. That is part of the plan. We would then hope that our public representatives would bring their powers to bear on the situation. Other than that the board of manage- ment will have to consider out next step before we escalate any of out ac- tions on this issue.”