Minister for Education Helen McEntee has stated that no school should operate with just two pupils and emphasized the need for discussions with schools where enrolment has dropped to this level, reports RTE.
Her remarks followed an RTÉ News report highlighting that five primary schools on the mainland currently have more staff than students.
Four of these schools each have only two pupils, while a fifth reported just one child in its most recent enrolment data submitted to the Department of Education. All of these schools are located within a short distance of another primary school, reports RTE.
“The department shouldn’t be in the position of forcing schools to close, but if the situation no longer benefits students’ learning, then discussions must take place. These conversations are already happening with some schools,” the minister said.
She clarified that the decision to close a school rests with its patron, which in the case of these five schools, is the Catholic Church. “We want to support small schools, but not at the expense of children’s education,” she added, reports RTE.
Each of the five schools employs at least three staff members, including teachers, special needs assistants (SNAs), and full-time secretaries, all funded by the state. Despite their low enrolment, they receive the same level of government funding as schools with 60 students.
Speaking as a mother of two young boys, Ms. McEntee shared her perspective: “I would prefer children to be in an environment where they have classmates to learn from. That isn’t possible when a school has only two or three students,” reports RTE.
She stressed the importance of working with the schools while prioritizing the best interests of the children.
Two of the schools—Stonetown National School in Co. Louth and Ballyfad National School in Co. Wexford—have already announced plans to close at the end of the school year, reports RTE.
Meanwhile, the patron of Flemby National School in Co. Kerry has stated that its future remains under review.
The remaining schools, Attymon National School in Co. Galway and Scoil Mhuire gan Smál in Lixnaw, Co. Kerry, continue to operate, with the latter enrolling only one pupil last September but maintaining a staff of two teachers and one SNA.
“We need to assess what is appropriate and what is not,” Ms. McEntee concluded, reports RTE.
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