South Galway Educate Together has got the go-ahead from the Department of Education to open a new Educate Together primary school in Kilcolgan this coming September.

A committee comprised of a number of local parents was set up last summer to campaign for a school in the absence of any educational provision in the Kilcolgan area.

The current committee is made up of eight people but a board of management will now have to be put together.

In a statement released last Thursday, 24 April, Education Minister Mary Hanafin announced the establishment of 22 new primary schools around the country, one of which is to be located in the Kilcolgan area.

Educate Together is the school's patron and the school will run based on the organisation's four principles of being child-centred, multidenominational, co-educational and democratically run.

The new school will offer an alternative model of education to parents and children in the South Galway area. Having begun pre-enrolment in December 2007, there are now almost 100 children enrolled up to 2012. Children can still be enrolled and interested parents should visit www.southgalwayeducatetogether.com to download application forms.

The school in Kilcolgan is one of 12 Educate Together schools that have been granted recognition. This represents by far the largest expansion of the multi-denominational sector to date.

A spokesperson for Educate Together said: "Educate Together applauds the work of parents and activists for their hard work and determination to make the Educate Together model available in their community. The Minister's decision now allows us to immediately proceed with the process of recruiting a principal teacher and to start the detailed work required to ensure that the school opens as smoothly as possible. Recruitment advertisements will shortly be placed in the national press, on our website and on other educational recruitment websites."

To celebrate the new school in Kilcolgan and provide parents, children and the community with an opportunity to come together, a family day picnic party will be held next Monday, 5 May (bank holiday) from 3pm to 5pm in the grounds of Kilcolgan Castle.

Entertainment will include a bouncy castle and puppet show and families are encouraged to bring their own picnic. There is no cover charge for the event, but donations towards the new school will be gladly accepted. In the event of poor weather, it will take place inside the castle. All are welcome.

For further information on this event or the new school, phone committee members Louise Kinlen on 087-6355677 or Annette Foy on 087-9888275.

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