The Department of Education says it is working to help improve standards at a Co Louth school where dozens of parents have removed their children.
A small number of students turned up for school at Scoil Náisiunta Bhrighde in Faughart, Co Louth when it reopened on Wednesday, according to one parent, putting the future viability of the school in jeopardy.
Dozens of families have withdrawn their children in recent years, with enrolment falling by half to just over 50 in recent years.
Department of Education inspectors made a series of critical findings in a report published earlier this year over teaching standards, a lack of leadership and poor oversight by the board of management.
A parents group said there have been long-standing concerns over leadership and standards at the school but say there has been little meaningful response from authorities.
“Parents are worried for the future of the school as its decline in student numbers means it will become a two-teacher school in the near future and subsequently may face closure,” one parent said,
“Parents are frustrated and very angry and extremely let down that more is not being done to secure the future of this vulnerable school.”
The whole school evaluation report says action should be taken as a matter of priority to “rebuild trust within the school community and to improve enrolment”.
In a statement, the Department of Education said senior officials held a meeting with the school management and patron body concerning the need to implement recommendations in the inspection report.
It said the board of management resigned and a single manager was appointed by the patron last June to manage the school.
“It is the responsibility of the manager of the school, acting on behalf of the school’s patron, to take the steps necessary to addresses the issues identified in the inspection report and to ensure that provision in the school is improved,” it said.
A department spokesperson said it understood that the manager had begun this work.
The spokesperson added that a range of steps may be taken to improve practice in schools where significant difficulties or weaknesses are identified, such as providing “ additional professional development” to staff.
“Typically, the department requires reports from the management of the school on the steps that are being taken to improve provision in the school,” it said.
"In addition, the department's Inspectorate will typically carry out further follow-through inspections to monitor the implementation of recommendations and the reports of these inspections are published.
“Throughout this process, officials from the department engage with the management and patron of the school so as to ensure that provision is improved.”
In a statement to RTÉ News, the archdiocese of Armagh has confirmed that it appointed a single manager as a replacement.
It says it has emphasised repeatedly the necessity of everyone operating within agreed procedures if progress is to be made in resolving concerns that have arisen.
