Pupils stuck in 1948 building despite green light for revamp [Independent.ie]
- Published: 15 October 2010
In the cramped classrooms of a school built for another era, the pupils and teachers of St Catherine's are an uncomfortable example of poor school design.
Their 62-year-old school in Aughrim, Co Galway, is -- according to the Department of Education -- one of the country's most deserving of a new building.
But St Catherine's has been waiting for the go-ahead to make a fresh start for almost three years.
This week, the department approved a fifth prefab to help meet the school's emergency accommodation needs.
There are 120 pupils, eight teachers and two special needs assistants at St Catherine's, up from 70 pupils in the mid-1990s.
Space
But the school is still in its original 1948 building, with the addition of four pre-fabs, in which most of the classrooms are housed.
In 2007, the department's inspectors witnessed classroom congestion, a deficit of auxiliary rooms, lack of space in the staff room and poor storage.
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