Since it's inception Ballygarrett Education Action Group (BEAG)have issued a number of press releases and other documents. Copies of all these documents are available here, please click on the relevant link to open a copy. All documents are property of BEAG and may only be used with prior permission. If you wish to use any portion of this material, please confirm this with us by e-mail to mail@beag.org. Thank You.
At a meeting of parents held in Ballygarrett National School on Tuesday November 30 th 2004 the Ballygarrett Education Action Group (BEAG) was formed. The Parents Association, Staff and Board of Management of St. Mary's National School in Ballygarrett formed BEAG as a direct response to the unacceptable withdrawal of choice of secondary schools available to the children attending our school. This situation has been brought about, in our view, by the use of our children as pawns in a row between the Dept. of Education and Science and the principal, board of management and Parent's association of Gorey Community School (GCS).
Ballygarrett Education Action Group (BEAG) have announced the results of a survey taken in the school in January, which highlights the fact that the recent impasse with the Department of Education and Science and Gorey Community School (GCS) could have a detrimental affect on their parish.
On Thursday March 3 rd , the 6 th class pupils of Ballygarrett National School arrived at Gorey Community School (GCS) to hand in their enrolment forms for the forthcoming year. In total 17 attending Ballygarrett National School wish to continue their education in GCS. Of this group there are 7 pupils who know that their applications will be rejected by GCS.
The parents and pupils of Ballygarrett National School are shocked to learn that they have once again been used by the Minister for Education and Science Ms Mary Hanafin, in her ongoing battle to resist spending money in Gorey Community School. Following a protest by parents at Dail Eireann and a meeting with the minister and her officials, the principal Mr. Sweetman was led to believe that the pupils of this year's 6 th class would be accepted, subject to the board of management's upper limit for first years not being exceeded.
Parents and children from five national schools in North Co. Wexford are marching to express their anger at the exclusion of their children from Gorey Community School (GCS) in a row between the Department of Education and Science and the Board of Management of the school. 10 children are being refused enrolment in the school by the board of management, despite the fact that there are in the region of 20 places still available for first years in Sept 2005. The board of management claim that they are unable to accept the enrolments due to an explicit instruction from the Dept.
This press release was circulated to all businesses in Gorey, to explain our case so that they understand that we are not trying to inconvenience them.
Please support our protest! The Children from the five schools listed below have for generations attended Gorey Community School (GCS) for their secondary education. The minister for education is now trying to take away our right to send our children to GCS. The Dept. says that we are the cause of the overcrowding problem in the school. We say the over crowding is caused by the increase in the population in the North Wexford area and the refusal of this government to recognise this and their unwillingness to act and provide adequate secondary places for this area.
This is a copy of the form circulated to all parents in Ballygarret National School. The results are next and the press release headed "Ministers Refusal Threatens Community" refers.
These are the results of the survey mentioned above.