Future population mapping to help locate new schools

TECHNOLOGY capable of managing information according to a precise geographical location is to be used in future planning for Irish schools.

Ireland’s school-going numbers are expected to increase by 100,000 over the coming years, raising the primary school population to well over 500,000.

The Department of Education and Science wants to use a geographic information system (GIS) that analyses information, as well as making maps to plan future school locations.

Newspaper advertisements placed by the department seeking tenders to supply a GIS will be published in today’s editions.

The specific system developed by the successful tender will allow the department’s forward planning section to use an up-to-date technical solution to school help in planning the location of schools.

Similar systems using population data and mapping locations are in use by a number of local authorities.

Education and Science Minister Mary Hanafin said the department’s forward planning section was identifying where significant extra accommodation will be needed for 2009 and onwards. A GIS would be capable of delivering a map of the country with school locations and demographic trends.

The department already used a number of sources of information to plan for the correct level of school accommodation.

By using the new technologies available now the department would be able to develop a digital picture of the country using various sources of population-related data that would identify potential gaps in current and future school provision.

It is expected that trained staff will be able to feed relevant population and school-related information into the GIS and produce maps showing the catchment zone of each school and the rate of population growth in the area.

The minister pointed out that the demand for additional school accommodation was mainly due to the rapid expansion in teacher numbers, particularly in the area of special needs; the growth in the school-going population in rapidly developing areas, including the impact of immigration and the demands to cater for diversity through the recognition of new gaelscoileanna and Educate Together schools.