Kinsale principal warns of school overcrowding ‘crisis’

A PRINCIPAL has spoken out on a “crisis situation” in her overcrowded school and warned that the failure of the Department of Education to keep its promises could lead to a limit on enrolment.

Sr Mary Donovan, principal at Kinsale Community College, has written to public representatives inviting them to a meeting next month at which she will outline the serious situation she, her staff and pupils face.

The school was built in 1996 and according to the Department of Education was fit for a maximum capacity of 460 pupils.

However, this has now risen to 696 and children are being crammed into classrooms and 10 prefabs.

In April 2007, the Department of Education wrote to the board of management saying it could go ahead with architectural planning for a new extension.

But since then the school has been left waiting for the appointment of a design team.

The latest word from the Department of Education is that the project is being classed as being ‘at a very early stage.’

“I’d love to know how we got from a late stage to an early stage. We are talking about health and safety implications. It is not healthy for the children and is creating stress,” Sr Mary said.

She explained that the board of management may have to limit the choice of practical subjects next September and in Sept 2010 it may have to take the unprecedented step of limiting enrolment.

Sr Mary said she viewed 720-730 pupils as an absolute threshold. The problem with that is the community college is the only second level school in Kinsale.

Staff at the school have found support from Senator Michael McCarthy.

“I’ve called on the Minister for Education to avert this crisis in Kinsale Community College by granting the much-needed extension to the school. There has been a huge problem with lack of space for years, and this extension is long overdue,” the Labour senator said.

“It is clear that this Government’s crazy practice of allowing huge housing estates to be built before providing adequate school facilities is one that has failed. It will be the lasting legacy of successive Fianna Fail Governments that pandered to friends in the construction industry before looking after our youth.”