Teachers' concerns raise doubts over plan to change DEIS school to a Gaelcholáiste

(Left to right) Clara and Chloe, two students from Scoil Bhríde at Leinster House with more than 100 students from five Gaelscoils (Bunscoil Synge, Gaelscoil Eoin, Gaelscoil Inse Chór, Gaelscoil Lios na nÓg and Scoil Bhríde), protesting this week in support of the Gaelcholáiste that was promised last September and that is yet to be developed in their school area. Picture Maxwells Dublin

Doubt has been cast over plans to switch a well-known all-boys English medium DEIS school in Dublin to a Gaelcholáiste after its teachers raised serious concerns about the move.

Following growing demand in the south Dublin area for Irish-medium, second-level education, the Department of Education announced last September that Synge Street CBS was to transition to a co-educational Gaelcholáiste from September 2026.

The school is under the patronage of the Edmund Rice Schools Trust (ERST). Earlier this week, a protest took place at the gates of Leinster House by five primary schools from the area in a bid to highlight a lack of progress on the move.

The school's board of management has told the Department of Education the change will not go ahead next year. Teachers and the school’s board of management have since asked for the plans to be put on hold “until staff have been properly consulted".

In a statement issued through the teachers' union, the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI), the teachers said they have "deep concern regarding the proposed transition". 

Despite the "monumental impact" of such a decision, staff say they were not consulted prior to the Department of Education's announcement last September. 

"Since then, we have received no meaningful communication from either ERST or the Department of Education on how this change would be implemented or how we, as educators, would be upskilled in order to continue teaching here." 

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“We fully respect and value the Irish language and its promotion within education and agree that there is a need for a Gaelcholáiste in the area. However, we believe that a transition of this scale should be guided by transparency, collaboration, and careful consideration of all children’s needs." 

While the majority of teachers at the school are not in favouring of changing the school to a Gaelcholáiste, the majority are in favour of a switch to co-education. 

ASTI deputy general secretary Diarmaid de Paor said the union is "very concerned" that such a major change to a school should be attempted with little or no consultation. 

A spokesman for ERST said it had a "productive" meeting with the Department of Education, covering a wide range of issues. 

"The Trust will be providing a full update on what transpired at the meeting with the department through a series of meetings with the board, staff and other stakeholders immediately after the mid-term break."