National media campaign in fight for new Scoil Mhuire

A campaign which can be measured in decades rather than years has ramped up a few gears in recent weeks with a national campaign to highlight the alarming need for a new Scoil Mhuire primary school in Carrick-on-Shannon.

The school has been deemed by the Department of Education itself as being not fit for purpose and now a concerted effort by parents and staff in the school has seen the issue thrust into the national limelight through various interviews in the Irish Times, the Irish Independent and on Virgin Media TV.

These interviews conducted with members of the parents association have been carried out in tandem with an aggressive social media campaign across the platforms Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X (formerly Twitter).

All national politicians in the Sligo Leitrim constituency are aware of the current difficulties being experienced by staff, parents and pupils in the school which exists in two cramped and overcrowded buildings on different campuses in the town.

Local TDs have supported the campaign and raised the matter on numerous occasions over the years and no doubt with a general election coming up in 2024 the vexed subject of a new school for the county town will be a live election issue.

The parents association has now created a petition with a uniform message which will be delivered directly to Minister for Education, Norma Foley TD.

The petition is available at http://bit.ly/NewSchoolForCarrick

It states:

I wish to fully endorse and support the campaign for a new primary school on one site for Scoil Mhuire, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co Leitrim.

We are very proud of the school which boasts over 500 students, 34 different nationalities and an exceptional teaching staff. I am writing to demand that the Department of Education finally give the go ahead to a new school for Scoil Mhuire to accommodate the growing, multi-cultural population.

The school has been operating on two separate campuses (built in 1958 and 1963) and since its amalgamation in 2013, it has more than doubled its student numbers.

The school is no longer fit for purpose as was highlighted by your department in a technical report conducted in August 2021.

The reasons for this are:
- Overcrowded classrooms
- Damp and cold rooms with mould issues
- Lack of playground space
- Lack of space for a library, a kitchen, an adequately sized assembly hall for PE and creative activities, etc.
- Insufficient resources and space to adequately accommodate inclusion of children with additional needs
- No set down space for parent drop-offs which impacts on congestion for the entire town
- Health & safety issues for children walking between campuses

The children of our town deserve a primary education in a single modern building that offers them a learning environment that is safe and warm and this has been highlighted across national and local media in recent times.

We love the vibrant, harmonious and truly inclusive educational environment that Scoil Mhuire is despite the challenging conditions outlined.

We have waited long enough, we now demand a new school for Scoil Mhuire, Carrick-on-Shannon, as a matter of urgency.