[Article] Minister announces €579m plan for 52 school buildings

munchkin_utd · 19-02-2010 11:32am #1

who says we are car centric!!
we are kid-centric

Lots of numbers to digest in the announcement.......

16 February, 2010 - Minister O'Keeffe announces 52 school building projects as part of €579m plan

- Projects to create 23,500 places in 20 new schools and 32 extensions
- Minister announces seven new primary schools in rapidly developing areas

The Minister for Education and Science, Batt O'Keeffe TD, today [Tuesday] announced details of 52 school building projects which can go to tender and construction as part of the Government's €579 million school building programme.

Of these, 25 major school building projects which have planning permission will move to tender and construction shortly.

A further 27 major projects which have not yet secured full planning permission have been authorised to prepare their tender documentation and they are expected to go to tender and construction this year and early next year.

As well as that, 22 major school building projects approved to enter architectural planning in recent years will appoint design teams this year.

Another 29 high-priority major school building projects will begin the design process and appoint design teams this year.

Announcing the move, Minister O'Keeffe said the Government's sustained investment in the capital programme is transforming schools across the country.

'The 52 projects I am moving to tender and construction will create more than 23,500 school places in 20 new schools and 32 extended and refurbished schools.

'At primary level, over 14,500 pupils will get permanent school places.

'At post-primary level, 1,900 pupils will get new permanent school accommodation in three new school buildings while a further 7,400 pupils will benefit from major extension and refurbishment projects in their schools.

'That is in addition to the 28 major projects already on site.

http://www.education.ie/home/home.jsp?maincat=&pcategory=10861&ecategory=10876&sectionpage=12251&language=EN&link=link001&page=1&doc=48153

As they say in blue peter,
Heres one they built earlier:

http://www.independent.ie/education/latest-news/bright-sparks-go-through-the-roof-in-electrifying-race-to-build-new-school-1267687.html

Tech3 · 19-02-2010 11:41am

It's amazing how that much 500million can do for school building. The amount of money the country is paying out for those prefabs is a disgrace.

Roryhy · 19-02-2010 12:03pm

Is that an electricity pylon coming from the roof of that school?

Alun · 19-02-2010 12:06pm

Roryhy wrote: »

Is that an electricity pylon coming from the roof of that school?

Yes, read the article in the Independent linked to in the post.

munchkin_utd · 19-02-2010 12:06pm

Roryhy wrote: »

Is that an electricity pylon coming from the roof of that school?

Tis.
Read the article linked below for more.

Roryhy · 19-02-2010 12:09pm

Niiiiice. I understand now!

What i dont understand is spending €1.5mil on temporary accommodation!:mad:

BluntGuy · 19-02-2010 2:46pm

'We are using technology to map areas where schools will be needed and we are responding to these demographic trends by investing in school buildings and establishing new schools.

I love the way he says this like it's something amazing.

Summed up, it's pretty much: "We're building schools where we need schools"

Congrats Mr O'Keefe, you've finally mastered your role as Education Minister, and it only took... how many years?

This aside, it's good to see this investment, and while I don't nearly believe it's enough, it's long over-due.

I think we need to start seeing some more amalgamation of schools in rural areas. Has O'Keefe provided any kind of policy framework or investment for infrastructure in those cases?

The new modern schools look pretty good to me, and I think getting kids out of crappy prefab huts and dilapidated buildings while at the same time alalgamating could not only save money, but provide better facilities for children to be educated, rather than spreading resources too thinly.

KevR · 19-02-2010 3:05pm

An interesting article:

http://www.galwaynews.ie/11342-kylemore-abbey-has-more-teachers-pupils

Galway News wrote:

Kylemore Abbey has more teachers than pupils

February 18, 2010 - 7:00am
by Denise McNamara

With its magnificent neo-Gothic castle nestled at the foot of Duchruach Mountain and spectacular vista over a pristine Connemara lake, Kylemore Abbey has always been considered a prestigious school.

But now its final students can, with absolute certainty, boast the country’s most elite education - because here the teachers actually outnumber the pupils.

Just ten leaving certificate students remain in the school before it closes its doors for the last time at the end of the academic year.
And these lucky girls will be tutored by no less than the equivalent of eleven full-time teachers - an astonishing pupil-teacher ratio that will have principals around the country looking on in envy from their classes of 30-plus students under the control of a single teacher.

Under a commitment given by the Benedictine sisters in 2006, pupils who had already started their education were allowed to finish out their five years in the all-girls school.

And with the school offering all the normal leaving cert subjects, the school has had no choice but to retain almost all senior teachers.
A spokesperson for the Department of Education said the school had the equivalent of eleven full-time teachers.

There were more than eleven teachers engaged, but some were working part-time.
Along with the principal, there was a guidance counsellor and remedial teacher who worked part-time.

“Obviously that pupil teacher ratio wouldn’t be normal but you can’t just leave them in the lurch,” the spokeswoman said.

See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune

munchkin_utd · 19-02-2010 3:27pm

KevR wrote: »

Under a commitment given by the Benedictine sisters in 2006, pupils who had already started their education were allowed to finish out their five years in the all-girls school.

And with the school offering all the normal leaving cert subjects, the school has had no choice but to retain almost all senior teachers.
A spokesperson for the Department of Education said the school had the equivalent of eleven full-time teachers.

There were more than eleven teachers engaged, but some were working part-time.
Along with the principal, there was a guidance counsellor and remedial teacher who worked part-time.

my flabber is well and truly gasted.

A half million plus in salaries to be paid by the TAXPAYER so the nuns can feel good and not disappoint 10 rich kids.

BTW. and regarding schools infrastructure.
On the surface of it it seems like the catholic church was a good samaritan and back in the 40s/ 50s set up all these schools from their own funds, i.e. without the church you might be led to believe there would be no schooling system.

Aparantly most catholic school buildings were actually partly/ fully funded by the state rather than having the state building non religious schools (under pressure from both catholic AND protestant churches).
Does anyone have any links to websites/ sources that would back this up?
I heard this on the radio recently and it was the first I ever heard that the church did not build all these schools from their own pocket.
(was it even thought in history in school that the church set up all these schools or where did I get this notion in my head?)

marmurr1916 · 19-02-2010 4:26pm

munchkin_utd wrote: »

my flabber is well and truly gasted.

A half million plus in salaries to be paid by the TAXPAYER so the nuns can feel good and not disappoint 10 rich kids.

BTW. and regarding schools infrastructure.
On the surface of it it seems like the catholic church was a good samaritan and back in the 40s/ 50s set up all these schools from their own funds, i.e. without the church you might be led to believe there would be no schooling system.

Aparantly most catholic school buildings were actually partly/ fully funded by the state rather than having the state building non religious schools (under pressure from both catholic AND protestant churches).
Does anyone have any links to websites/ sources that would back this up?
I heard this on the radio recently and it was the first I ever heard that the church did not build all these schools from their own pocket.
(was it even thought in history in school that the church set up all these schools or where did I get this notion in my head?)

Most of the early (19th century) National schools were funded and built by the state; almost every single school built since independence has been largely funded by the state as have most of the improvement/maintenance/running costs, not to mention the salaries of teachers and other staff.

But guess who owns and manages most of the schools!

marmurr1916 · 19-02-2010 4:28pm

munchkin_utd wrote: »

my flabber is well and truly gasted.

A half million plus in salaries to be paid by the TAXPAYER so the nuns can feel good and not disappoint 10 rich kids.

BTW. and regarding schools infrastructure.
On the surface of it it seems like the catholic church was a good samaritan and back in the 40s/ 50s set up all these schools from their own funds, i.e. without the church you might be led to believe there would be no schooling system.

Aparantly most catholic school buildings were actually partly/ fully funded by the state rather than having the state building non religious schools (under pressure from both catholic AND protestant churches).
Does anyone have any links to websites/ sources that would back this up?
I heard this on the radio recently and it was the first I ever heard that the church did not build all these schools from their own pocket.
(was it even thought in history in school that the church set up all these schools or where did I get this notion in my head?)

Most of the early (19th century) National schools were funded and built by the state; the original National school system was meant to be non-denominational but this fell by the wayside, largely as a result of pressure from the smaller Protestant denominations.

Almost every single school built since independence has been largely funded by the state as have most of the improvement/maintenance/running costs, not to mention the salaries of teachers and other staff.

But guess who owns and manages most of the schools!

munchkin_utd · 19-02-2010 4:38pm

marmurr1916 wrote: »

But guess who owns and manages most of the schools!

Indeed. And the state even picks up the tab of 100s of millions for child abuse committed by the church in these schools!!

Talk about under then thumb!

[Article] Minister announces €579m plan for 52 school buildings

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