Government review must recognise huge contribution of small rural schools to communities – Ó Clochartaigh [sinnfein.ie]
- Published: 12 June 2011
The Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn needs to take into account the huge contribution that small rural schools make to the community in any review of the sector, according to Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh
Speaking in the course of a debate on a matter on the adjournment last week, which Senator Ó Clochartaigh had succeeded in obtaining, he stated that the proposals in the McCarthy report, which proposed to merge all schools with less than a 100 pupils, did not take into account the reality of these schools.
“The local national school, as well as being vital for the education of local children, is central to an area’s identity, and its view of itself. It's often the focus of community activity, and where an area may have lost its shop, its pub and its post office, it still has its National School.
“Studies in Britain have shown that any savings made in closing a school can be offset by the cost in transporting students to larger schools and similar costs.
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