ST Patrick’s Comprehensive badly needs to be given DEIS status, its principal Mary Costello said on Friday, as Mary Lou McDonald came to the school to address Leaving Cert students.
Schools in the DEIS programme are given additional resources to combat disadvantage and Ms Costello said that there is an anomaly with local national schools being in DEIS, but the Comp not being.
“We have two feeder primary schools that are DEIS. It is wonderful to know that disadvantage ends when you turn into first year. I’m being a bit facetious but it is frustrating because we are battling hard here for the students in this school and we are immensely proud of them,” she said.
She said that the Comp certainly should be included.
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Sharon Dolan D’Arcy covers West Clare news. After completing a masters in journalism at University of Galway, Sharon worked as a court reporter at the Sligo Weekender. She was also editor of the Athenry News and Views.