ETBI Journal of Education - Vol 2:2 November 2020 (Irish-medium Education)

ETBI Journal of Education November 2020
aggregate enrolment could still qualify under DES
criteria as a ‘small school’.
SOURCE OF POST-PRIMARY STUDENTS ON THE
ISLANDS
Mainland schools generally enjoy a natural
catchment area from which most students are
drawn, but sourcing students presents an ongoing
challenge for island post-primary schools. 50%
of Árainn Mhór students make the trip from the
mainland each day, and every year a considerable
number of the Aran Islands’ school community
attend on annual schemes or scholarships spread
across the three islands https://colaisteghobnait.
com/apply/ These residential opportunities are
funded by the Department of Culture, Heritage
and the Gaeltacht. These annual schemes are
beneficial but result in uncertainty regarding the
continuous supply of students, a challenge for
schools in terms of multi-annual planning (ETBI,
2020; Mc Hugh, 2017; GRETB, 2017; Oireachtas
Éireann 2018). The island post-primary schools
are well regarded by local communities, as
evidenced by a 100% transfer rate from island
primary schools to local, island post-primary
school, with no students opting for mainland
education.
THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND SKILLS
INSPECTION SYSTEM – DOCUMENTING AND
RECORDING CHALLENGES
The Action Plan for Education advises that 5,500
inspection visits occur annually across 3,900
schools (DES, 2018, p. 7), which, on average, is
more than one inspection every year for every
school. Island schools welcome inspections
and quality assurance systems, as both the
considerable achievements and the recognised
challenges of school communities are then
officially on record for DES, for society as a
whole, for the Education and Training Boards and
bishops who are responsible, as patrons of postprimary
and primary schools respectively (COÉ
2019).
POLICY AND EDUCATION STRATEGY ON
ISLANDS – THE STATE AND ISLANDS
Ireland has no integrated state policy regarding
the islands or education on islands, and there is
no island legislation which supports or regulates
the approach of state agencies to the islands,
including the provision of education (COÉ, 2020;
ETBI, 2015, 2017, 2020; GRETB, 2017; Oireachtas
Éireann, 2017, 2018; Mac Pháidín, 2018). This
absence of either policy or legislation, results in
primary schools and very small post-primary
schools, being under constant pressure. Postprimary
island schools maintain a staff ratio of
19:1, the same as schools in the larger cities. From
2018, 1.5 ex-quota ‘island school’ teachers are
allocated to them as part of the annual, authorised
allocation of staff, as well as €15,000 to mitigate
some of the additional operational costs, but DES
does not recognise some island schools officially
as ‘small schools’, a decision which deprives them
of other dedicated ‘small school’ resources (ETBI,
2020; GRETB, 2017; Oireachtas Éireann, 2018;
ROS, 2001; ROS, 2018).
ISLAND COMMUNITIES AND SUSTAINABILITY
OF SCHOOLS – COMMUNITY ACTIVATION
In conjunction with Education and Training
Boards Ireland (ETBI), the umbrella
representative organisation for Ireland’s 16
Education and Training Boards, the two ETBs
responsible for post-primary island schools have
constantly and proactively engaged with DES
since 1997, repeatedly highlighting the particular
PAGE 127