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Action needed on looming Naas School Accommodation – Lawless

This past week I called on the Minister for Education to act now before schools in the Naas area face an accommodation crisis. There is an urgent need for the Minister and his Department to issue the tender to commence building the new site which will be used by Naas Community College. This is the major delay and as a result of the Ministers lack of action, by 2020, 800 students in the Naas area will be affected.

I have raised this matter in the Dáil with the Taoiseach and Minister for Education. The Minister claims his Department is reviewing its programme for capital expenditure in 2018 and 2019. There should be no need for a review; the department already committed to the school when they ordered it to open up four years ago. The tender must be issued to avoid a schools crisis in Naas,

Naas Community College has opened, the patron has a site bought and is ready to go already. Planning permission has been granted by Kildare County Council but we are now facing a situation in which 231 students applied for places in September 2017 and 111 were turned away. There is a primary school, Naas Community National School, co-located on the same temporary accommodation. If this continues, by 2020 we will have 800 students in temporary accommodation that was created for 500. We urgently need the tender to be issued so that the school can proceed to build immediately without any further delay.

For months I have campaigned alongside many concerned parents to lobby the Minister to have his department issue the necessary tender, and I will continue to do so until the tender has been issued.

You can read my transcript of my debate here

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We must support Young Teachers – James Lawless

James Lawless TD has said that greater support for Young teachers is vital for Ireland’s Education system.

James said, “I attended the conference of the Irish Science Teachers Association in Maynooth approximately six months ago where I again heard a call for greater emphasis on STEM subjects, a greater input into STEM teaching and a greater number of STEM graduates to enter the system.”

“I also met representatives of the Institute of Physics who had similar concerns. The issue is manifesting in a scenario where many science subjects are being taught by teachers whose primary degree may not have been in that particular science subject. For instance, a lot of biology teachers may be teaching physics or chemistry, which some refer to as the physical sciences. This is not ideal for a number of reasons. We also see gender imbalance. We see less of the physical sciences being taught in some girls-only schools. In some schools, these subjects are not even being offered. A lot of this links back to the difficulty we have in retaining or attracting STEM graduates into the profession at present and, despite numerous reports, the lack of action from Government on it.” Continue reading “We must support Young Teachers – James Lawless”

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Pressure on Naas Community College must be maintained – Lawless

James Lawless TD has said that it is paramount that pressure must be kept on the Department of Education to progress the build of Naas Community College as quickly as possible. 

There is a considerable demand for places in the school and this is a key part of the educational infrastructure for Naas and the surrounding areas complementing the existing schools by placing a co-ed ETB (Education and Training Board) school into the North Naas area to cater for students from all over the town but also places like Sallins, Kill, Johnstown, Rathmore and all that hinterland.

James said, “The school has received planning permission for a brand new building at Millenium park, Naas and will cater for over 1,000 pupils in a new state of the art building once the construction phase is completed.”

“However the delays have been frustrating for the school community and I have repeatedly brought them to the MInister’s attention. The Department and indeed the ETB  are 100% committed to this project, and great progress has been made despite scare-mongering from some opportunistic politicians, however the delays are causing understandable concern for many parents and the wider school community. Continue reading “Pressure on Naas Community College must be maintained – Lawless”

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LAWLESS URGES PROGRESS ON THE MAYNOOTH GAELCHOLAISTE

James Lawless TD has called on the Minister for Education to deliver a programme of implementation for the structure of the proposed Maynooth Gaelcholáiste and urging all stakeholders involved to work together to progress the project

The call comes following a motion by the Maynooth Old Carton Fianna Fáil Cumman supporting the delivery of the school was passed during the Education segment of the Fianna Fáil Ard Fheis.

The motion was proposed by local Fianna Fáil members from Maynooth in attendance, including Cllr Naoise Ó’Cearúil and Colm Ó’Cearúil Continue reading “LAWLESS URGES PROGRESS ON THE MAYNOOTH GAELCHOLAISTE”

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LAWLESS DEMANDS EXTRA CLASSROOMS FOR STRAFFAN

James Lawless TD has called on the Minister for Education to secure approval for four extra classrooms in Straffan National School.

James has met with parents at the school and is adamant that the school currently has the demand for the places.

James said, “From my repeated raising of this issue the Minister is well aware of the capacity issues in Straffan National School. Approval must be secured to allow four extra classes to cater for the growing population. The demand is there and it is now over to the Minister to make the correct decision”.