New school building opens beside IADT in Kill Avenue in Dun Laoghaire, in unique sharing of education facilities.
Monkstown Educate Together, which first opened in a temporary portacabin in Monkstown in September 1997, finally moved to its permanent home on Kill Avenue, Dun Laoghaire today (Thursday 27th November 2008).
The 249 pupils and their teachers arrived in their new purpose-built building, at 8.30am. The new school building, built and designed by the Department of Education and Science, will house a full two-stream school, a wonderful new multidenominational resource for the families of the Monkstown and adjoining areas.
“This is an historic day for METNS and for Educate Together” said school principal Rosario Kealy. “The school community had campaigned and fundraised for many years to get to this day, and it is tribute to the many families, staff and students who have gone before us, who have endured overcrowded and unsuitable conditions in portacabins and little recreation space, at our original site off Monkstown Avenue, that the school has thrived despite the long delay in getting us to this permanent home.”
Principal Rosario Kealy also paid tribute to local Fianna Fail TD and Social Welfare Minister Mary Hanafin TD who helped find the site for the new school building when she was Minister for Education in 2006. The school is located on the campus of the IADT behind the Fire Station on Kill Avenue, and shares its all weather pitches with the IADT, in an exciting and unique cooperation between a third-level and a primary education facility.
The 16-classroom multidenominational school opens at Kill Avenue with two junior infants classes, and one class each of other classes. METNS was founded in 1997 by its patron, the Dalkey School Project, which was the first ever Educate Together school when it opened in 1975.
“We look forward to this new stage in the development of Monkstown Educate Together, and are confident that the school will thrive in its new location, ” said Ms Kealy. “For the first time, we have proper classrooms, recreational facilities, playgrounds and space for pupils. We also have proper facilities for our pupils with special needs, including a disabled lift.”
