Irish school discrimination exposed
By Caítlin Doherty
Discrimination against Irish schools across the North is increasing,
particularly in rural areas. In one of the latest developments,
illustrating the attitude of the North East Education Library Board (NEELB)
and the Education Department (DENI) towards Irish language schools, Dunloy
Bunscoil Dhál Riada Media Primary School students have been denied funding
on the basis that they have been refused school transport.
According to parents, the NEELB and DENI have taken the ``unnecessarily
restrictive and narrow-sighted view'' that under the current legislation,
arrangements can only be permitted to be made to transport pupils to Grant
Aided Schools and Institutions of further Education.
The parents argue that the legislation doe not restrict pupils fromm
non-grant aided schools to use any spare seats on a concessionary basis.
Currently, there are extra available seats in buses for the children who
attend St. Joseph's Primary School, situated beside the Bunscoil.
The parents have also pointed out that there would be no extra financial
expense involved for taking children attending the Bunscoil as the school
bus drives past the houses of some of the Bunscoil pupils every morning and
evening.
Talks are underway with the NEELB but so far there has been no progress.
Parents continue to have to rely on the goodwill of other parents or walk
along the busy road accompanied by the younger children.
They are hoping that the government will reconsider its decision not to
provide funding to the Bunscoil and revise its policy with regard to
transport.
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