A NORTHSIDE primary school that is being forced to use dilapidated prefabs has slammed the Department of Education for consistently breaking promises on the provision of a new building.
However, the department insists that the project is at an advanced stage.
Five years after being listed as one of the 40 sub-standard schools in the country, Belgrove Junior and Senior Boys’ School, Clontarf, is still waiting for its new school building.
Boys as young as eight years-of-age are being taught in damp, decaying and mice infested prefabs as the school waits for the department to take action.
The school had hoped to get its building project underway within the last year, but was horrified to discover that it had once again been omitted from the most recent School Building Programme list.

He said 86 children are being taught in three prefabs that had been earmarked for removal by the Office of Public Works (OPW) almost four years ago.
“These prefabs really aren’t fit for people to still be using them but because no new building has been provided for the school, we have no other option but to use them,” Mr Conway stated. He said the school had expected the new building to go to tender a year ago. “However, the department informed us there had been a few snags and we received a letter asking us to hold off until after the most recent budget.” “Unfortunately, we were not on the School Building Programme List which was released after this and it is incredibly frustrating.”

Mr Conway said classrooms throughout the current school building are also not adequate. “Our classrooms are only two-thirds the size of what is recommended and this hampers our teachers’ ability to provide for everything that is on the new curriculum,” he explained. “We have no free room for computers at the school which means we are being forced to shove them into the classrooms which only takes up more space. “It is very frustrating to be falling over school bags anytime you walk into a classroom.”

Mr Conway said he couldn’t understand why the Department of Education would hold off on funding for something as important as a new school building. “I don’t see why the department can’t borrow for capital projects that will be of benefit for decades to come,” he added. Dublin North Central TD Richard Bruton (FG) said it was a disgrace that schoolchildren were still being taught in such poor conditions. Deputy Bruton said parents of pupils at the school now have to witness their children being educated in the same prefabs they were also taught in. “This school continues to have a very dedicated teaching staff, but even the most dedicated are demoralised by the continued failure to allow the promised rebuild,” he stated.

Deputy Bruton said he would be challenging Minister for Education, Mary Hanafin, to explain her reasoning for the continued delay in providing the new school building. “I would also like to know what is the criteria used to decide on what priority schools are chosen, and how Minister Hanafin can continue to allow pupils and teachers remain in such a school building,” Deputy Bruton added. A spokeswoman for the Department of Education told Northside People that the proposed project for Belgrove Junior and Senior Boys’ School was at an advanced stage of architectural planning.

“The further progression of the project will be considered on an ongoing basis in the context of the department's multi-annual School Building and Modernisation Programme,” the spokeswoman said.

Meanwhile, Mr Conway said he would not give up until Belgrove gets its new building. “We have a very good academic reputation at this school which is well deserved,” he stated. “But we really do need the new building to continue this good work.”