Pupils from neighbouring rural schools are finding it increasingly difficult to secure places, at secondary schools in Naas, County Kildare. This cannot continue. I am most familiar with my village, Caragh, County Kildare, but similar problems are experienced by neighbouring villages.
Traditionally, Naas has been the urban centre to which the rural community of Caragh gravitates both for commercial and social purposes. Historically, parents in Caragh have had the option of sending their children to three second level schools. Pupils have been refused places in the school of their choice and this has caused terrible problems for many families.
There are 802 pupils attending St. Mary's secondary school at present. It was built to accommodate 600 pupils. Seven of the classes are in prefabs, two of which are 30 years old. The extension to the school is at stage three and when those plans were submitted it was intended that the extended school would cater for 800 pupils.
The school intake is 150 first year pupils, and 52 students are already on the waiting list for first year in 1997, seven of whom live in Naas. There is a waiting list for every year from first to sixth, and the school cannot provide leaving certificate applied because of the existing accommodation crisis.
There are 730 pupils attending the CBS in Naas. It was also built to accommodate 600. The new extension opened just last weekend and it was one of the most pleasant functions I have attended since my entry into public life since it was my old school where things have changed a great deal. That school has four prefabs and no art room. These are excellent schools but we place a terrible demand on them to try to provide students with an education. They should be facilitated better than they have been to date.
As the second level schools are based in an urban centre, it appears the urban population is getting priority of access to secondary schools. Families who have lived in adjacent rural areas for generations and who choose to send their children to rural schools do not seem to be given priority in the criteteria for enrolment. This policy discriminates against rural communities and it cannot be tolerated. The message to families in rural Ireland is that we cannot guarantee their children a place in a second level school unless they come and live in the towns. We have a duty to the rural communities and it is important that the Minister addresses this issue.
While I recognise the numbers attending secondary schools are in decline in many parts of the country, this is certainly not true of Naas and the surrounding area. The town and its neighbouring villages continue to grow and unless the Department of Education takes action the situation will become chaotic. Pupils who attend rural schools are entitled to the same access to secondary schools as their urban counterparts. Urgent action is now required.
