19th February 2024
A delay in allowing two Naas primary schools to go fully co-educational is causing unnecessary traffic congestion and carbon emissions, says Green Party Cllr Bob Quinn.
At last week’s meeting of the Naas Municipal District, he lodged a motion that a letter be written to the schools’ patron Bishop Denis Nulty urging the speedy conclusion of the decision-making process so that parents can plan their children’s primary education sustainably. “We cannot delay climate action,” he said.
The Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin has conducted a report on the proposed plan that the Mercy Convent PS go fully co-educational. The proposal has been on the table since April 2022 when a meeting was held of the board of management, the bishop, parents and teachers. A report has been completed and has been with Bishop Nulty since November 2023; however, the cleric has yet to make a decision.
According to Mercy Convent parents’ representative Craig Byrne, the vast majority of parents surveyed for the report were in favour of the school going co-ed, however, due to the delay in a decision being made, boys attending the school reaching the end of senior infants in 2024 will have to change school. Currently, both boys and girls may attend Junior and Senior Infants classes but boys must then leave and go to a different school.
That different school is often St Corban’s National School. This school is for boys only and is the principal school to which Mercy Convent boys transfer for First Class and onwards. A similar report has been prepared for St Corban’s National School, which it is hoped will also become co-educational.
“Most parents sending children to Catholic schools in Naas want co-ed schooling for their children,” said Cllr Quinn, “Yet we have the nonsensical situation where parents are dropping their daughters to one school and their sons to another. This is contributing to traffic congestion at peak times, not to mention unnecessary carbon emissions where cars are used to drop off kids at different ends of the town.”
Cllr Quinn points out that caring for our planet is part of Catholic ethos. He notes that Pope Francis appealed in his second encyclical to every person living on this planet in ‘Care for Our Common Home’ (also known as ‘Laudato Sí’).
“Let us take care of our mother earth”, said Pope Francis in 2022, “Let us overcome the temptation of selfishness that makes us predators of resources. Let us cultivate respect for the gifts of the earth and of creation. Let us inaugurate a lifestyle and a society that is finally eco-sustainable.”
The motion was passed by the members and Kildare County Council will write to Bishop Nulty supporting the decision to go co-ed. Not all councillors were in favour of going co-ed, as reported by the Leinster Leader.
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