Educate Together is calling for action in response to parental concerns about access to school places in South Kildare.
Parents in South Kildare have been campaigning for a new Educate Together secondary school for the area since 2014. In December 2018, the then Minister for Education Joe McHugh TD announced the replacement and expansion of the Curragh Post Primary School with a new 1,000 pupil school building, with the potential for Educate Together to become a Trustee Partner for the school.
Educate Together agreed to work with Kildare Wicklow Education and Training Board (ETB) to explore whether a partnership could be established to meet this demand. Some engagement has taken place, but progress to date has been limited. The process of securing a site for the new 1,000 pupil school has also been frustratingly slow.
Educate Together contacted the Minister for Education Norma Foley TD and the Department of Education in December 2020 indicating its willingness to open a school to meet the demand for school places for September 2021.
Given the urgency of the need in the area again for September 2022, and the continued strong demand for an Educate Together option in this area, Educate Together is keen to work with all stakeholders to explore all possible avenues now to meet the demand in the Newbridge & Kildare areas, and to provide additional choice of secondary school model for families in South Kildare.
