I thank the Ceann Comhairle's office for allowing me to raise the potential closure of Goresbridge school. The school was formed in 1858 and until 1979 the Bridigine nuns provided the educational needs of the area. In 1979 it became a voluntary secondary school and since then has served the needs of the community in east Kilkenny and west Carlow.
The school has been ahead of its time in many respects. It has provided classes in computers, home economics and science for many years. In May 1998 the board of management decided to phase out its operations over two years. This decision was based on low enrolment numbers, for the first time ever, for September 1998 and the declining numbers in the two main feeder primary schools, Goresbridge and Gowran. The difficult financial circumstances and the problems it would experience covering a full curriculum were also considered. The board of management felt that if one of the ten teachers was withdrawn, the school could not provide the range of subjects to which second level pupils are entitled. They felt the school would not be viable. The Brigidine Convent is more than a school in the Goresbridge area. It is inextricably linked with the community as it provides facilities, such as the community hall and other recreational facilities. The loss of the school is one element of the closure but there is also the loss of hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of facilities which one would expect to have in any community the size of Goresbridge. People play bingo or hold meetings and the community hall is part and parcel of St. Brigid's secondary school.
The parents have already contributed a substantial amount of their own resources, £27,500, in recent years to ensure their school met the highest possible standards. A number of schools in the area, such as Borris comprehensive school and Graiguenamanagh vocational school, are 100 per cent funded by the State. That has put pressure on the enrolment of pupils in a school where parents must dig deep into their pockets from time to time to ensure it continues to operate.
St. Brigid's is one of the smallest voluntary secondary schools in Ireland but the local people feel it is worth saving. A total of 127 pupils attend there currently with ten teachers. A small school requires a minimum staffing level to provide an adequate curriculum, but the school occupies an important position in the social, educational and recreational life of the community. An action group was formed which will meet the Minister for Education and Science next week to see what can be done to retain this valuable local asset.
In the context of rural development this is a symptom of the declining population in many rural areas. The provision of schools in terms of population trends is the first indicator. Whereas in the 1970s and 1980s there was a population boom in the primary sector, the difficulties have now come through second level into third level. Fianna Fáil's rural development policy published in May 1997 recognised this when it stated:
Fianna Fáil is committed to maintaining, where possible, the existing number of teachers in rural schools.
This is a litmus test of that policy. All of us share the belief that where the democratic dividend can be brought to bear on retaining small schools, that policy should be implemented. I look forward to the Minister of State's reply on this urgent and important issue for many parents and pupils affected by this decision in Goresbridge, County Kilkenny, if it goes ahead.
