Schools’ futures at risk in West Clare

Two small West Clare schools could be forced to close their doors due to low enrolment numbers, The Clare Champion has learned.
Following last week’s closure of a school in Kerry, three months into the academic year, because it had no pupils The Department of Education confirmed it is in contact with two Clare schools about their viability.
“The department is in correspondence with the patrons of two schools where pupil enrolments have declined to a level where the viability of the schools concerned may need to be considered. The two schools in question are primary schools in Clare. Both have children enrolled and have teaching principals. One also has a learning support hours allocation,” said a spokesperson for the Department of Education.
Baltard National School in Doonbeg has just five pupils currently. The school is one of five in the Doonbeg parish along with Doonbeg, Bansha, Shragh and Clohanes National School. Baltard National School board of management chairman, Michael Haugh told The Clare Champion that the school has been told previously that if they had eight students for consecutive years, the schools’ future would be assured. According to department records Baltard had 11 pupils in 1998.
Scropul National School in the Kilmurry Ibrickane parish is also under threat of closure. The school is one of five in the parish along with Mullagh, Coore, Quilty and Annagh National Schools. It went from having 35 pupils in 1998/99 to just nine last year.
While the department did not name the schools, it did confirm “the patron and chairperson of the board of management of one of the schools were contacted by the department in early November and the school is to write to the department. The patron of the other school was also contacted and the department has received acknowledgement that the school will reply following liaison with the board of management.”