Educate Together for Tallaght/ Citywest
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Educate Together for Tallaght/ Citywest 
17/09/2010 20:39 - Introduce Yourself (Locality: Dublin West)
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Hi, I´m a mum to two, one boy aged 5 and one girl aged 10 months. I´ve been trying to get an educate together school in dublin 24 for the last 2 and a half years, along with another few parents. I´ll pop our latest press release below and that may tell you a bit more. I currently commute to lucan each day to drop my son to school and cannot do this for the rest of his and her school life. If you live in dublin 24 and feel as I do, that you would like a choice of school for your child, please take the time out to pre-enrol them, no matter if they´re a newborn. If our pre-enrolment number increases, the Department of Education and Science will pay attention and build a school in Tallaght for us.
Tallaght Citywest Educate Together Association still fighting hard for new primary school after 2 years
A committee was set up in May 2008 by a group of parents in order to campaign for a much needed primary school to be built in Tallaght or Citywest under the patronage of Educate Together. Many of these parents have a vested interest in having the school built as their children are of school going age or pre-school age.
Once the campaign began, a lot of parents came forward and pre-enrolled their children for the potential school, this number has built and stands presently at 100 pre-enrolled. Even parents relocating from abroad have called to ask about the school as it is a deciding factor in where to live; what school will be available to send your child to. Tallaght and Citywest unfortunately do not have the option of an Educate Together School for parents at the moment.
Despite the fact that there is a huge cultural and religious diversity in Dublin 24, there has been no move as of yet on the part of the Department of Education and Science to provide a choice for parents in the education that their children will receive. In the Lucan area there are 5 Educate Together schools, 4 of which have their own new building, one of which is set to receive a new building and site in the future .
Is Dublin 24 to be a black spot for Education as well as Litter, overlooked and undervalued? Tallaght has been voted the dirtiest town in Ireland just recently.
Back in June, (2 parents in local committee) and Amy Mulvihill – Senior Schools Officer in Educate Together Head office met with Brian Hayes of Fine Gael in Citywest Hotel. Mr. Hayes was very supportive of what we’re wishing to achieve, and having met with us the previous year, was interested to know where the campaign to build the school was at presently.
He said “I think it is very important to have an Educate Together School in both Tallaght and Citywest and I will submit a parliamentary question in autumn. I would also suggest a deputation meeting between the 4 TD’s in September”.
He said that he was also” interested to know what the Department of Education’s view was on the subject”. Applications have been made to the Department of Education for patronage by Educate Together in the areas of Tallaght/ Citywest/ Firhouse/ Newcastle/ Rathcoole on 31 July 08, 5 May 09 and 7 July 2010. However any request on our behalf to contact the Department of Education and Science for an audience has been refused.
In our present committee, we use up a fair amount of greenhouse gases transporting our children. One parent drives her 2 children to Rathfarnham Educate Together from Kiltipper every morning and leaves at 8am to make it for 9am. Another parent drives her child from Kiltipper to Blessington each day. I drive my child with baby in toe to Esker Educate Together in Lucan, 2 round trips of 1 hour each day. And another parent was driving from Firhouse to Blessington each day and back to her job in Tallaght until she bit the bullet and moved out to Brittas.
This is a fact of life for many parents, to get the education we want for our children, we have to drive vast distances across the city. Apart from the inconvenience and cost; this is not a very environmentally friendly way to go. It also means that children going to schools outside their locality are not able to easily engage socially with their peers, for after school activities, birthday parties and playdates.
Educate Together Schools are multi-denominational, co-educational, child centred and democratically run with active participation by parents in the daily running of the school.
If you would like to find out more information go to www.educatetoether.ie , www.tallaghtcitywestet.ie
Our pre-enrolment list is always open, and if you’d like to put your child’s name down, a form can be downloaded from our website, or alternatively email preenrolment@gmail.com or phone 0863234750.
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