Minister for Education Norma Foley TD and Minister of State with responsibility for Special Education and Inclusion Josepha Madigan TD have confirmed that the new special school in Carrigaline which was recently announced, will operate under the patronage of Cork Education and Training Board (Cork ETB).
This new special school will have the capacity to provide 48 school places and will provide for the needs of children with autism and general learning disability up to eighteen years of age.
This new school, to be established in Carrigaline, will provide places to those students who do not yet have an offer of special school place for September 2021.
The Department, together with the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), has been working with parents, schools, patron bodies and other stakeholders in Cork to address the current shortage of specialist school placements for children with special educational needs in the Cork area. The establishment of this school was announced on 16 April by Minister Foley and Minister of State Madigan.
Minister Foley and Madigan have both welcomed the strong commitment of Cork ETB to this new school and have reiterated their Department’s commitment to ensuring that work proceeds to make these places available as soon as possible.
There are currently 33 special classes in 15 schools of which Cork Education and Training Board is the patron.
Commenting on the announcement, Chief Executive of Cork Education and Training Board said: “Cork ETB is delighted to have been granted the patronage of Cork’s newest Special School. We look forward to working with the Department of Education and other stakeholders in delivering a school which will provide high quality education and care for all our pupils. The new school will be based in Carrigaline. Work has already begun to ensure that everything is in place for the opening of our new school in September. We at Cork ETB will continue to provide a pathway for every learner and to improve educational resources and facilities for our primary schools, post primary schools and our Further Education colleges across the city and county.”
Minister Foley said: “Cork Education and Training Board has a strong commitment to inclusion and I am pleased that they will bring this tradition and approach to the leadership of the new school.
“I would like to thank all involved in the opening of the new school and wish them every success in the preparations for the coming school year.”
Minister Madigan said: “Across Cork there are many groups working on behalf of students with special educational needs and their families; I want to pay tribute to all of them for the work that they do and I look forward to continuing to work closely with them into the future.
“This new school will provide places to those students who do not yet have a place for September 2021. Its establishment demonstrates our ongoing commitment to the provision of appropriate school places to all students and the important role that special schools have to play in our education system. I want to thank all the stakeholders involved in bringing this about.”