Tullamore  school raffles places for next September

The Sacred Heart School in Tullamore has been forced to hold a lottery to allocate places at the all girls school for next September. The raffling off of school spots has infuriated parents in the Taoiseach’s home town as over 50 students have missed out. Disappointed parents and pupils maintain the problem of pressure on school places is going to get even worse due to the surge in numbers in 5^th and 6^th classes in the feeder schools in the Sacred Heart’s catchment area. Ironically, the problem persists even though the Department of Education’s planning unit is based in Tullamore.

The Sacred Heart had 175 applications for 120 positions.  School principal Pauline McKenna says 50 places were set aside for sisters of existing students and 3 are reserved for exceptional cases. 49 pupils in the catchment area and 9 from outside have now been placed on a waiting list. Ms McKenna said demand for places was very strong but that parents were exceptional in dealing with a difficult situation.

The shortage of places is a particular embarrassment for the Taoiseach, Brian Cowen as his eldest daughter already attends the school, while her sister has been awarded a place for next year under the ’sibling’s rule’.

“It is a bit rich for Brian Cowen to be running around the country with Batt O’ Keeffe announcing laptops for classrooms when our daughter cannot even get a place in her home town of Tullamore. This is not the first time this has happened and it won’t be the last and so much for investment in education and the country’s future,” said one irate mother whose daughter is now gone on the Sacred Heart short list, so she declined to be named.

The Sacred Heart School was founded by Catherine McAuley in 1836 and it is 1985 since any physical development took place at the school which is operating to its capacity with 700 students.

“We are gutted by what has happened,” said one desperate parent. “We have appealed the decision as our daughter has gone to a town school all along and we assumed she would simply go on to the Sacred Heart. All her friends got in and she didn’t, this is very hard for a 12 year old to take and we don’t have any other options, unless a boarding school, and that’s not possible, it doesn’t seem fair,” complained this mother who was anxious not to be identified as they still hope their daughter can join her  friends in secondary school at the Sacred Heart next September. She added, “The school say that they have no room for any more students as they are already operating to their outer limit due to health and safety.”

School authorities requested prospective students to stay away from the lottery as three years ago the presence of pupils led to upsetting scenes. However, the draw was attended by parents, supervised by teachers and overseen by members of Tullamore Town Council and local Garda.

In a statement the Board of Management outlined that it has an admissions policy which sets out the criteria which will be applied where the number of applications exceeds the number of places.  “In line with these criteria 50 places were allocated to sisters of present pupils or past pupils of the school and the balance were allocated on the basis of a lottery with the remainder placed on a waiting list.  This lottery took place on Wednesday last and was fully compliant with the published criteria.

“The obligations of the Board is to provide an appropriate education to those now enrolled. It is of regret to the Board of Management that it is not in a position to accommodate all those who made application for a place in the school.”

However, there is little prospect of those on the waiting list gaining admission and things are only going to get worse according to Fine Gael Deputy, Olwyn Enright.

Fine Gael TD for Laois-Offaly Olwyn Enright (picture courtesy of independent.ie)

“It’s an annual problem caused by the lack of forward planning for second level education in Tullamore and all over the country. Ironically, the Department of Education planning unit is based in Tullamore and yet there will be 212 pupils vying for 120 places in Sacred Heart in 2011. Nearby Killina school can’t take the overflow either as it has 150 applicants for 90 spots. Parents are devastated and pupils are really upset. We’re sick and tired of raising the issue.”

Local sources also point out that nine years after it was seriously damaged by a fire, Tullamore College has yet to be rebuilt. While the school and its staff have a good reputation the poor physical facilities and old prefabs from which it has to operate do not make it an attractive option for many students. This only serves to compound the pressure on places in the Sacred Heart.

The entire scenario in Tullamore is typical of the lack of capital investment in education and the lip service which is paid to valuing children and ensuring that they have the best possible education, facilities and equipment. Similar problems with overcrowding, chronic pressure on space and a profusion of prefabs is also prevalent in Portlaoise. It should be embarrassing for Batt O’ Keeffe to be making such a fuss and fanfare announcing that every classroom in the country will have a computer laptop over the next three years. That is not to mention that many schools may receive a laptop but will have no broadband access.

While no area should enjoy any political advantage or preferential treatment, what hope is there for a real improvement in education funding at primary and second level if this Government cannot even get it right in the constituency of the Taoiseach, who was previously the Minister for Finance. Is it not just appalling that post-boom an entire generation of children will go through their entire school lives from age 4 to 18 in prefabs, overcrowded classrooms and no computers.

Some children have certainly lost out in that lottery.