Published: Friday, 12th February, 2010 3:05pm

The schools are full but Government too slow with longterm solutions - FG

Offaly is facing an education crises if Government cutbacks and refusals to address overcrowding issues continue, according to Fine Gael.

Fine Gael's spokesperson for Education Brian Hayes toured schools around the county last week, with Deputy Olwyn Enright and local councillors, to hear firsthand the problems that teachers and pupils are facing.

"There's a lot of issues facing Offaly schools from overcrowding to prefabs to the cutting of Special Needs Assistants," said Deputy Enright.

"It's something I've warned about in the Dáil several times. I've said to the Minister for Education that with all these extra primary school places, there needs to be second level places too, but it's ignored and we're back to the same crises."

The Fine Gael members called on the Minister to plan for a new school for Scoil Bhride in Edenderry because of the huge population growth in the last few years.

"The school started out with 89 pupils when it opened its doors in September 2007 and its school population has increased greatly since then. Scoil Bhride's population is expected to grow to over 200 pupils in September 2010," she said.

The school currently caters for 24 autistic children from a wide area in its mainstream classes and it is also the only pre-school for autistic children in Co. Offaly.

"The economics behind what the Department has spent on prefabs, rental accommodation and leasing makes no sense. There are 12 to 13 prefabs in situ as classrooms for approximately 150 students and 24 members of staff. Scoil Bhride would be happy to cater for more children with both mainstream and autistic needs, however that is just not possible in the current circumstances."

A September 2008 report stressed that a new school was urgently needed for Scoil Bhride.

Fine Gael want the Minister for Education Batt O'Keeffe to put Scoil Bhride on this year's Schools Building Programme.

However, Deputy Enright also pointed out that the School Building Programme has not faced the same budgetary cuts as many other sectors in the Department of Education. "The funding is still there, there's no excuse why schools are not being built," she said.

Deputy Enright also pointed out that both Tullamore College and Choláiste Choilm in Tullamore are awaiting new schools while the Sacred Heart had to turn away 50 girls who did not get places to start in September. They had to use a lottery system to pick girls for the school.

She said that there were feelings of anger and upset for parents and students, when students were turned down for places in the Sacred Heart and that it's difficult for teachers as well.

"It's not good enough and it's not practical if we have to send kids to Moate or Athlone to go to school - how do they get there and have those schools even got the room? Fifty girls are a lot to disperse in other towns."

She said that there needs to be a longterm solution to the increasing student population in Offaly.

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