Plans For New School Building For Tralee Educate Together

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Pupils, staff and members of the Tralee Educate Together Board of Management with Deputy Michael Healy Rae and Minister Norma Foley near the site of the new school which will be located in Lohercannan. Back from left; Deirdre Clifford, Caroline Doyle, Katie Ryan, Ashley Gaskin, Deputy Michael Healy-Rae, Education Minister Norma Foley, Sinead Kelleher and Principal Mary Brosnan. Middle row: Frances Chval, Gregory Turostowski, Wilfred Jakpovi, Tara Neenan de Silva, Cara Nugent, Robyn Aslett, Front; Ethan Tucker and Kinga Sliwka. Photo: Domnick Walsh

A NEW school building for Tralee Educate Together National School has finally been agreed in principle between the Department of Education and Kerry County Council to be located at Lohercannon, Tralee.

The school will be located close to the new estate, Cluain Lár, which is currently under construction.

Staff, parents, pupils and the Board of Management are delighted with the news that they will be permanently accommodated in a school that will facilitate building on the educational opportunities that Educate Together offers.

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The Department of Education has also announced that Kerry ETB will oversee the deliver of the new school.

Although the school has been in temporary accommodation for the past 20 years and is one of only two Educate Together National Schools in the country that is not permanently housed, it has been a great success, attracting pupils from throughout the county.

The school follows the national Primary School Curriculum and also offers an ethical education curriculum. The Educate Together ethos is founded on the following four principles: child-centred; democratically run; equality based and co-educational.

Now that the site for the new school has been selected by the Department of Education at Lohercannon and the announcement that Kerry ETB will oversee the project,  the school community is anxious that their new school be constructed as soon as possible and are calling on the Minister for Education Norma Foley and all the county’s TDs to ensure that the school is constructed as soon as possible.

Kerry County Councillors must now vote on allowing the parcel of land to be used for a new school and this will come before a full council meeting in the coming months.

Minister Foley said: “Agreement in principle has been reached with Kerry Co Council regarding the acquisition of a 2-acre site at Lohercannon, Tralee. The acquisition is subject to valuation, contract and the agreement of the Elected Members of Kerry County Council.

“As has been the case with a number of key building projects in the county the Department has finalised the brief for this school building project and Kerry ETB has agreed to deliver this project.  The Department will be engaging further with the school and the ETB shortly to progress this project into the architectural planning process as a priority.

“This is positive news for the Tralee ET school community who have for so long have been waiting for a new school. I look forward to this project developing at pace.”

Principal, Mary Brosnan said; “We are delighted with the news and would like to thank Minister Foley, the Department of Education and Kerry County Council. Our pupils and staff deserve proper, purpose-built accommodation.

Chairperson of the Board of Management of Tralee Educate Together, Sinead Kelleher has also thanked Minister Foley and the relevant parties that have helped ensure that a site is now available for a brand-new state of the art school.  She has also welcomed the news that Kerry ETB will deliver the project.

“We are thrilled with the news that we now have a site, and we now want the new school build to proceed as soon as possible. We have spent years in rented substandard accommodation and staff and pupils deserve a proper new school. We are looking forward to working with everyone to bring our dream to fruition,” said Sinead.