Parents on Tory were this week celebrating the announcement that approval has been given for a second-level school on the island.
The school is to be run by Co Donegal VEC and will be located in a new multi-purpose community centre, where adult education will also be provided.
As well as being a significant morale boost, the new school will mean the end of the annual heartbreak endured by islanders every September when children as young as 12 had to leave home to live on the mainland.
Due to bad weather, these youngsters could get home only twice between September and Christmas last year.
The manager of Comhar chumann Thorai (Tory Co-operative), Mr Pol O Mongain, said islanders were delighted.
"Every year in the run-up to September you would notice that people were depressed, particularly mothers and the young people themselves. It was a case of the dreaded day approaching."
In the past, it was always a contradiction that on the one hand young people were encouraged to stay on the island when they grew up, yet they were forced to leave to go to school. "This shows that things are possible on the island," he said.
The co-operative secured funding for the new multi-purpose community centre, which is currently being built. The original plans included a number of classrooms intended for adult education, with the hope that the Department of Education would approve the application for a second-level school.
Discussions have also taken place with FAS to provide computer training for adults this winter and the co-operative hopes a small teleworking company could eventually be established. Mr O Mongain said the school was just the "first building block" and the next vital step was to generate employment on the island. Extra classrooms will have to be added to the building to accommodate the school, and it is expected that teaching posts will soon be advertised.
The population of the island has increased from 120 in 1991 to 175 at present and there are 30 children in the primary school.
Seventeen pupils are attending second-level education on the mainland.
It is expected that over the coming years there will be an average of 20 pupils attending the new school.
In the past, early school-leaving has been a problem among the Tory population.
In making the announcement, the Minister for Education, Mr Martin, said he was "determined to ensure that the young people of Tory have every opportunity to complete their second-level education as a result of having first-class facilities on their doorstep".