Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Many times in the past two and a half years, some of our colleagues expressed a wish in the Chamber to the effect that we would seek to have our children educated in schools that kept numbers at a reasonable level. In my estimation, any parent who was asked whether he or she wanted his or her child to attend a school of 1,000 pupils or a school of 2,000 pupils would give a resounding response in favour of the smaller school.

I regularly attend meetings of parents and school management bodies across the country. An opinion is emerging, one that is backed up by national and international research, to the effect that the optimum number of school enrolments is approximately 1,000 pupils. This figure affords significant economies of scale. It also creates an environment in which the principal and other members of a school's management body can retain some knowledge of each pupil's progress, be it positive or negative. The 1,000-pupil limit enhances the school's overall efficacy and adds to students' positive mental health and overall experience.

The optimum figure of 1,000 pupils has not been arrived at in a casual way. It has been considered by the Department and others in the education field. It is the reason that we want to allow for the development of two vertical schools of 1,000 pupils each on the same campus. There was never any intention to divide the community or to put one element in competition with another. The Minister has established a forum and an overall governance structure, which will work well and will build, rather than detract from, the community spirit. There will be two state-of-the-art modern schools with every facility one would require on a single community education campus.

The Deputy referred to the symbolism of the students wearing the same uniform. If it is the symbolic gesture that is required to sustain a sense of community in Maynooth, it can be discussed with the ETB locally and progressed.

See this speech in context