Educate Together national school set to open next month

THE country’s newest Educate Together national school is on track to open next month after taking dozens of enrolments at the weekend for up to 2012.

The Midleton Educate Together (ET) school will open at Midleton Rugby Club in East Cork on August 28 with at least a junior infants, senior infants and first class.

And the school vowed last night to pressure the Department of Education for a permanent base from 2009.

The enrolment event at the weekend was attended by up to 40 families from the area, as well as members of its start-up committee, and the newly appointed principal.

School spokesperson Lucy Pearce said the committee is delighted with the response and is “looking forward with confidence” to opening the school on August 28.

“It has been a long hard struggle and so much time and effort has been put in to get us this far,” she said.

“The enrolments we received at the weekend ensure that the school is now on track to open this year.

“We are extremely grateful to all those local families, businesses and newspapers who have helped us on our way.

“There has been such a great atmosphere and so much enthusiasm at all of the events we have organised.

“One thing is clear that another school and one which welcomes diversity and with a child-centred ethos is much wanted and needed in the east Cork area, and Midleton ET national school will answer this need.”

The school will continue its fundraising efforts with prizes including a laptop, lunch and an afternoon demonstration at the Ballymaloe Cookery School, and a set of Stephen Pearce Pottery dishes.

The grand draw will take place at a table quiz in Wallis’ Bar, Midleton on Monday August 11 at 8.30pm. Tables will be 20, with four players per team.

Enrolments are still being taken for junior and senior infants this year and for subsequent years.

People can enrol online at www.midletonet.com or phone [phone].

Midleton Educate Together was founded in late 2005, and was granted official school status by the Department for Education in April.

There are 44 ET schools in Ireland with just two in Cork — the Cork School Project on Grattan Street and Gaelscoil an Ghoirt Álainn on the northside of the city.

There are also plans to establish an ET school in Carrigaline.

ET schools have a “child-centred approach” to education, are democratically run by the local community and the teachers, are co-educational and multi-denominational.