Major changes in the works for three northside secondary schools

Two northside secondary schools are set to amalgamate and become co-educational from next September, it is understood.

Meetings in relation to changes that had been proposed by the patrons of three Cork city secondary schools following a detailed consultation process on the future of second-level education on the northside took place on Wednesday.

It comes following a consultation process that involved a series of stakeholders from the three school communities - St Vincent’s Secondary School, North Presentation Secondary School and North Mon Secondary School – that took place between March 2021 and February 2022.

The process, facilitated by independent facilitator Frank Smith, resulted in the patrons of three schools deciding on major changes.

A source told The Echo that it was confirmed at the meetings that St Vincent’s and the North Presentation would amalgamate and become a co-educational school.

It is also understood that the school could be based in the North Presentation building, but this has not been confirmed.

A steering group is due to be set up and organise the amalgamation for September of next year.

Meanwhile, it was previously confirmed that the North Monastery Secondary School is to become a co-educational school in September 2023.

The school, which was established in 1811, will remain an independent school, but last month, the school confirmed in a statement that it would be accepting girls into the school community next semester.

“This means we are a co-educational school, we look forward to inviting your daughters into our school,” the statement read.

In an earlier joint statement from the ERST, CEIST, and the Religious Sisters of Charity, they thanked the school communities of North Monastery, North Presentation, and St Vincent’s Secondary Schools for their participation in the consultation process.

The statement read:

“In May 2022, the relevant patrons and the independent facilitator met with their respective boards of management.

“The views of parents, students, boards of management, and staff of the three post-primary schools and the views of local primary school students were reflected on and carefully considered.

“The patrons have decided on the following. The North Monastery Secondary School will remain an independent school and the Edmund Rice Schools Trust will submit an application to the Department of Education to change status to become a co-educational school."

“CEIST and the Religious Sisters of Charity will submit an application to the Department of Education to amalgamate North Presentation Secondary School and St Vincent’s Secondary School and for the newly amalgamated school to be a co-educational school.

“This application will request that the department provide capital funding to facilitate the accommodation of the amalgamated school onto a single site with the location to be determined on the basis of suitability as judged by the department, the Religious Sisters of Charity and CEIST.”