The House will now hear a two minute statement from Deputy Nealon on a matter appropriate to the Minister for Education.
Adjournment Debate. - Education Matter.
Sadly, Tubbercurry vocational school has closed. It may not be closed officially, the doors may not be locked, but the end has come for it as a second level school. The first thing I must do, as a Dáil Deputy and a native of that area, is to pay tribute to the great work of Tubbercurry Tech., as we knew it. For many years, for many people, it provided the only possibility of post-primary education. These were tough times and this was in an area that suffered the worst emigration in the country. The school, with a dedicated staff, eased the way for many people. However, the recent drop off in numbers in the school, clearly indicated some change had to be made. That is accepted by all. What is not accepted by the students, by the parents, by the people of Tubbercurry is the manner in which the change came, two weeks into the school year.
With the students back in the classes for two weeks, with all the back-up arrangements on transport and otherwise made by the parents and with the school firmly settled down for the year, they were told of the closure, that the pupils would be bussed to Ballymote vocational school. Any fair-minded person will accept that this was intolerable. How did it happen? If there was to be a closure why was it not notified in June or July? The best alternatives could then be explored as there was plenty of time to do so. County Sligo Vocational Education Committee say they had applied for the extra funding then to keep Tubbercurry school open for the year but this was not dealt with in time. I am sure the Minister will tell us the Department's story.
I would like to know from the Minister what extra funding would have been needed to keep Tubbercurry open for the year? What are the extra costs involved in the alternatives put in place, with pupils going to the Marist Convent in Tubbercurry and being bussed to Ballymote and to Swinford?
The students, the parents and the people of Tubbercurry would like to hear the Minister say why, in view of the circumstances with the school opened for two weeks, it was not possible for her to provide the extra funding needed for this year. Obviously, the County Sligo Vocational Education Committee had expected this. Indeed, why was the situation allowed to develop into the school year — which is the big complaint in the first place? Also, what of the future of Tubbercurry vocational school? Will the woodwork and metalwork facilities be available in future years to other pupils? Would the Minister consider starting special classes there for boys and girls whose preferred option would not be second level education? In view of the unemployment levels and the traditionally high emigration are there any special plans for day time adult education there, perhaps on a pilot basis, for people with particular needs?
Are there any plans for the continuation of the provision of practical subjects and new technology? With some imaginative and innovative ideas and with the availability of the excellent school facilities down there, now abandoned, perhaps something of significant value for people in the Tubbercurry area and indeed for the whole western area could emerge. I would like to hear the Minister's ideas on this. I know that the Minister of State will say that the Minister is involved in detailed work for the expansion of education. I am afraid that it is too late for Tubbercurry Vocational School and I know that this is something like locking the stable door after the horse has bolted. In view of its extraordinarily fine reputation when it was the only second level institution available to boys in that area for many years and in view of the excellent work it did, it is at least entitled to a decent obituary in Dáil Éireann.
I would not like to preside over the obituary of any school but I appreciate the concern of the Deputy and his colleagues in Sligo who raised this matter on a number of occasions. We must all agree that in modern times there is equality of opportunity prevailing not alone for the children of the nation but for the schools of the nation in the level of services, the range of subjects and the modern technological opportunities that they provide for our children. This new opportunity brings about a need to have a consensus about what is best to serve the educational needs of any area. There are two post primary schools in Tubbercurry — a secondary school conducted by the Marist Sisters and a vocational school operating under the aegis of the County Sligo Vocational Education Committee. The secondary school had an enrolment of 218 pupils in 1990/91 and the figure for the vocational school was 44 pupils.
The Department of Education's main role in relation to the vocational education committees is to allocate financial and teaching resources to them. The teaching staff resources are allocated for the scheme as a whole and the assignment of teachers to individual schools is a matter for the County Sligo Vocational Education Committee and its chief executive officer. In a press release dated 13 September 1991 County Sligo Vocational Education Committee indicated that alternative provisions for the Tubbercurry vocational school pupils had been made following consultation with the parents. The junior cycle pupils were to be transported to the vocational school in Ballymote ten miles away and the senior cycle pupils would continue with their technical subjects in the vocational school but would be served for other subjects through a co-operation arrangement with the Marist secondary school in Tubbercurry. That is a very commendable arrangement. Our real regret is that the students had been enrolled and only informed two weeks into the term that the school was to be closed. The Minister met the parents and community council representatives on a visit to Sligo some time ago regarding this matter.
Prior notification of the Vocational Education Committee's decision was not received in the Department of Education. The Minister was concerned at the timing of the decision and questioned the need to transport the pupils to Ballymote. She arranged for officials to discuss the matter with the chairman and chief executive officer of the Vocational Education Committee and subsequently with the authorities of the Marist convent. Following consideration of the officials reports, the parents of the pupils in question were offered the following options: enrolment in the Marist Convent School, Tubbercurry, or transport provided by County Sligo Vocational Education Committee to attend Ballymote vocational school. We are satisfied that these options adequately meet the educational needs of the pupils. The Minister for Education and her Department are very pleased that a local solution was possible in this case and are confident that the education opportunities prevailing for the pupils in the Sligo area will be reinforced and expanded in the years ahead and that no pupil will suffer as a result of the changes.
The Dáil adjourned at 5.35 p.m. until 2.30 p.m. on Wednesday, 30 October 1991.