Navan will need new secondary school by 2011: VEC

Meath VEC has told the Department of Education that a new second-level school will be needed in Navan as early as September next year, as schools in the town come under increasing accommodation pressure. The CEO of Meath VEC, Peter Kierans, met with the Department's chief planning officer last Thursday where he outlined the need for a new second-level school for the town and the difficulties faced by local schools as they tried to accommodate the numbers applying for school places. Parents, local primary schools and public representatives have all called for a new school for Navan, amid claims that parents are finding it harder every year to find second-level places for their children. Mr Kierans said the Department was well versed regarding Navan, was amenable to the idea of another school and the issue was now about a suitable site and when it should begin. Mr Kierans put September 2011 to the Department as a possible start date for the new school. "They didn't say yes or no, but they asked me to explore possible locations for temporary accommodation, if it was to start at that time," he said. Mr Kierans said no firm decision had been made, but a firm commitment was given to move forward with the proposal. He said that second level schools in Navan were coming under increasing pressure to find places for students and while most students looking for places were likely to eventually be accommodated this year, it was the start of an increasing problem. He said many students living outside of Navan who would normally choose to go to secondary school in Navan were now looking for places in Nobber, Athboy, Dunshaughlin or Drogheda, so the problem is rippling out towards other schools. Cllr Jenny McHugh, who is principal of St Stephen's National School in Johnstown, said there would be a problem finding second-level places for this year's sixth class pupils. Her school started in 2003 and, this year, they have their first batch of sixth class students, 35 in all, looking for second level places. "It is difficult to get places this year but, in two years' time, we will have two to three classes looking for second-level places and, in four years, we will have four classes looking to be accommodated in secondary schools in Navan," she said. Cllr Joe Reilly said there were students leaving primary school next summer that still hadn't places in secondary school and many students would end up going to school in other towns around the county. He called on the Department of Education to complete negotiations with landowners with a view to securing sites for school accommodation. He added that three new schools were needed in the Johnstown area, a permanent building for St Stephen's School, a new second-level school and a purpose-built facility for St Mary's Special School. He said land had been zoned for an education campus in the Johnstown area in the 2004 development plan and this was extended in the current plan. Cllr Anton Mc Cabe expressed his concern in regard to the crisis facing the education needs of children in the Navan area and beyond. "This is the greatest crisis facing our town and county. Unlike the crisis, we experienced during the big freeze up where the Government said it got no warning, the warning signs are ringing loudly on this issue. Now is the time for action. Parents have to be made aware of the situation. Local elected representives are playing their part in highlighting the issue, but there is a great need for our elected Dail members to deliver a first-class education system to our towns and county." Cllr McCabe said the Labour Party had called on the Government to designate 2010 as the year of jobs, and have identified 'shovel-ready projects' such as the school building project as one area to deliver. Cllr Mc Cabe said he would be meeting with the Labour spokesperson on education, Ruairi Quinn, to advise him of the crisis.