Department of Education ‘playing a game’ over lack of mixed secondary school in Westport, says local group

A GROUP campaigning for mixed secondary school education in Westport has accused the Department of Education of ‘playing a game’ over Rice College’s application to become a co-educational school.

Co-ed for Westport have hit out at news that the all-boys school would not be accepting girls in September 2024, accusing the department of ‘passing the buck’ on the issue.

The group cited correspondence they received from Minister for Education, Norma Foley, which said ‘the status of existing schools, including whether they are single or mixed gender, belongs to the Patron, subject to the agreement of the Department’.

Responding to a parliamentary question from local TD Michael Ring this week, Minister Foley said that Rice College’s application had not been refused but would need to be ‘carefully managed’ to ensure there would be sufficient places for each student.

Rice College have invested heavily in their facilities in recent years and have added nine extra classrooms and toilet blocks. The school currently has an enrolment of over 525.

Some students from Rice College and the neighbouring all-girls Sacred Heart School, are currently attending classes in the other school for subjects which aren’t offered in their school.

“If the transition were not carefully managed there would be a real risk of there being a deficit of post-primary school places for boys in the town. In that context, my Department is working with the patron to gain a full understanding of the implications for school places and any required solutions,” Minister Foley said.

“Given the complexities it will not be possible to approve a change of status to coeducational for the 2024/25 school year. Nevertheless, my Department is committed to continuing to work with the school’s patron to facilitate a future change of status to co-educational for the school.”

Minister Foley added that her Department received six other applications for change of status to co-educational since that application was received. Of these, five have been approved and one remains under consideration.

Co-ed for Westport have hit out at the decision not to grant Rice College co-educational status in 2024, saying that the school had done ‘everything in their power’ to obtain this status.

“The dept are playing a game we have become very familiar with in the course of our campaign for Co-ed - Passing the buck,” stated group member Claire Kenny.

“This active ‘non-decision’ making means that in the meantime families; parents, pupils and the public at large are waiting for their preferred form of education to be available,” added Rita McNally.

Surveys conducted by Co-ed for Westport indicate that over 90 percent of parents of Sixth Class students support co-education being made available in Westport.

The town currently has a number of mixed-sex primary schools but just one all-girl secondary school and one all-boys secondary school.

A number of students are currently travelling from Westport to avail of mixed secondary school education in Louisburgh and Castlebar.

_{Rice College Principal, Michael Rabette, says pictured outside of Rice College in Westport (Pic: Conor McKeown)}

Rice College Principal, Michael Rabbette, has said the school is ‘incredibly disappointed’ that they will not be able to enrol girls in September 2024.

“The Board of Management, our teachers, our students, our parents and the local feeder primary school parents are all hugely in favour of a change of status for Rice College. The data which we have presented to the Department indicated both an appetite and an expectation of coeducation in September 2024.  We felt the time was right for this move,” Mr Rabbette said.