LABOUR Party councillor Elena Secas has slammed the Education Minister Norma Foley following a recent response to a parliamentary question that found 455 schools are currently renting prefabs.
One of those schools, Cllr Secas pointed out, is Monaleen National School, which almost a decade ago was a shovel-ready project but, due to “political interference”, more than half of the school’s pupil’s are still in prefabs today.
“No child should have to endure their education in a temporary structure, especially during the cold winter months. Prefabs are not a suitable learning environment and they fail our children and teachers,” Cllr Secas told the Limerick Post.
“Amidst harsh winter conditions, the education of our children stands compromised as they continue to endure learning in temporary structures. The problem of prefabricated buildings persists across numerous schools, failing our dedicated educators and pupils. This issue remains unresolved, despite repeated calls for action.”
The City East representative believes that the plight of our children forced to learn in makeshift environments is a severe indictment of the education system’s failure.
“It’s unacceptable that despite knowing the unsuitability of prefabs, little has been done to address this chronic issue.
“The government’s failure to expedite the completion of permanent school sites leaves students and educators uncertain about their learning environment. This uncertainty is unfair and detrimental to the quality of education our children deserve,” she claimed.
Cllr Secas went onto say that she feels there is a lot to answer for when it comes to Monaleen NS in particular.
“Who and why interfered with the original plans to deliver the school in two stages? Why has there been such a huge delay in delivering this project? Is the funding still in place to deliver the new school build?” she asked.
All these questions, she continued, seem to fall on deaf ears every time they are asked.
“It is imperative that immediate and resolute action be taken by the government. I call upon authorities to expedite the construction of permanent school structures, and, in particular, the construction of Monaleen NS.
“Our children deserve an environment conducive to learning, not one that hampers their growth and potential. It is time to prioritise the wellbeing and educational future of our youth by ensuring they have access to adequate, permanent educational facilities.”
