Lack of school spaces posing problems

Cavan’s schools are expected to see a “significant number” of Ukrainian children enrolled over the coming weeks.

The organisation’s most recent board meeting heard work is underway on securing places in schools, as well as the necessary language classes and emotional and trauma supports.

All ETBs have been asked by the Department of Education to set up regional education and language teams to co-ordinate the response to the needs of the incoming children and young people. A dedicated CMETB staff member has been allocated to the programme to deal with queries.

At the time of the meeting, 630 Ukrainians under the age of 18 had been enrolled in primary and post-primary schools in 24 counties across the country. At the time of the meeting, 20 students had applied to ETB schools in Cavan and Monaghan, with 12 of those to one school.

“We are expecting to have a significant number of young people coming to the Cavan and Monaghan area”, said acting CEO Dr Fiona McGrath.

“The coordination role encompasses all of the schools, all of the secondary schools, not just ETB schools… There are already a number of Ukrainian students in our schools, particularly in the Cavan area. This is an evolving situation.”

Director of Schools Paddy Flood said CMETB is working with the Department of Education but a number of challenges are posed in Cavan and Monaghan.

“The first thing we have to acknowledge is that it’s not just necessarily one language group or one ethnic group that are arriving. There are people from Ukraine of both Russian and Ukrainian heritage and descent that are arriving in the country.”

The report given by Mr Flood to board members was described as “a work in progress”, with ongoing dialogue between CMETB and the Department.

With a number of schools in the county, including Breifne College in Cavan Town and Coláiste Dún an Rí in Kingscourt, at capacity or close to reaching it, accommodating the students will prove a challenge.

“Hopefully within Cavan and Monaghan there is capacity to provide for every student looking for a place in a school.”

He said he expected schools would have to follow existing policies in dealing with over subscription. This, he said, could mean students must be transported to other towns in order to be accommodated.

The number of teachers available to teach extra classes is also proving a problem for CMETB, with talks underway on assigning teachers from Cavan and Monaghan Institutes to secondary schools.

“The provision of teachers is a concern at post-primary level in particular. We are currently at the peak number in the region of students and the number of teachers and the lack of availability of teachers.

“There are discussions around lifting the cap on the number of hours a teacher might do,” he added.

However, Paddy Flood said he does not “have concerns about schools adapting” to the situation and there is the provision for schools to apply for extra teaching hours to allow for the teaching of English.

Will Govan from Milltown has housed Ukrainians at a property adjoining his home. He’s been working for weeks to gain school places for young students who have fled the war.

“The reaction has been overwhelmingly positive”, he told the Celt.

“We are now in the situation where all of the school age children that we are looking after have found places at Cavan schools and at the [Cavan] Institute, which is great.”

He’s been in contact with schools across the area in a bid to secure places.

“We have two children who are going to the primary school in Killeshandra, we have one who’s going to the Farnham National School and then we have one who’s just started today in the Royal School. The older girl has started in the Institute.”

He said some schools in Cavan Town were unable to accommodate the Ukrainian students because they already have waiting lists.

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