Parents and staff at Buncrana’s Colaiste Chineal Eoghain are reeling this morning with the news that the school may close.
A decision is to be made on the future of the secondary school by Minister for Education Ruairi Quinn.
The school opened in 2007 and caters for pupils who wish to get taught in the Irish language.
Local Buncrana Town Councillor Ciaran McLaughlin said the education authorities including Donegal VEC have not given the school enough of a chance.
The school has struggled to attract the numbers needed to keep it open in recent years.
The Department said the school needed to attract 25 first years pupils this September but just 17 have so far enrolled.
Cllr McLaughlin said: “I feel the Minister and the VEC could and should have given this college more time and the VEC in my opinion have not promoted and supported the Gaelcholaiste and they have let them down on this occasion.”
Cllr McLaughlin said the school was given three choices – merge with Crana College, join Colaiste Ailigh in Letterkenny or be phased out.
He said he fears the latter option may be taken and said it was a very black day for the Irish language in Co Donegal.
Parents have until April 26th to make a decision on the matter.
He stressed that parents at the school were fighting “tooth and nail” to keep the school open.
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