Rockboro school in Cork pauses enrolments and appeals for financial help

Pupil numbers at the co-educational and non-denominational primary school have fallen steadily in recent years

Founded in 1969, Rockboro, an independent and fee-paying primary school, is seeking support in the wake of covid and 'associated challenges and vulnerabilities'. File picture

The owners of one of Ireland’s only independent fee-paying primary schools have asked the Department of Education to take it over amid concerns for its future due to falling student numbers.

Rockboro NS in Cork City, founded in 1969, has provided education at a cost of around €5,000 per child per year. A charitable trust, it is owned by the Rockboro School Association, and is entirely independent of the State or any religious organisation, relying entirely on its school fees and donations to survive.