Local school appeals for just one more pupil…
By Laura Lyne
A TALLAGHT school that opened last September with just one pupil has sent out a desperate plea to enrol two more students by September 30 or face losing one of its two teachers.
Scoil Aoife is based in the Brookfield Youth and Community Centre and currently has 18 students enrolled, with two teachers that include its principal, Stacey McAuley.
If the school does not manage to enrol two more students and reach 20 students by September 30, the second teacher that is currently working in the school will no longer be provided and principal Stacey McAuley will be the only teacher available for all 18 students.
Speaking to The Echo, Ms McAuley said: “A second teacher makes a huge difference to Scoil Aoife. We are a growing school and we want all experiences to be positive as the demand for places gets bigger.
“We currently have two classes that include students with learning difficulties, students with special needs and students who have difficulties with language.
“The loss of a teacher will put pressure on the school as I will be the only teacher as well as taking on the day-to-day running of the school and the role of principal.
“We thought we had 19 students enrolled, but we unfortunately lost one of our students due to the family having to relocate to Lucan.
“The rules from the Department of Education are very strict, but they treat everyone the same. We are a school in an area of disadvantage, but we cannot receive DEIS status [enrolment to the educational support programme ended in 2010].
“Our students are very young and we just want to give them the best possible start. We’re not looking for a large number of students to enrol, just two students so that we can keep a second teacher.
“This year we’ll have singing lessons, violin lessons, Spanish language lessons – a lot of this is not possible without voluntary help, and we just want to get the word out there.
“The community national school model has been highly successful in other parts of the city and it’s all inclusive. There are children out there who are looking for a school, and Scoil Aoife will provide them a quality, best possible experience.”
Scoil Aoife is set to move to its new, permanent premises in the Magna Business Park in Citywest in September 2016 – it will include 20 classrooms and is expected to accommodate up to 400 students.
Parents who are interested in enroling their children to Scoil Aoife are asked to contact the school at 01 4523538 or by emailing scaoifecns@ddletb.ie.
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