Melview pupils put on show as Education Minister visits Longford schools

“My name is Norma, and I am here today as the Minister of Education,” the sixth class pupils of Melview National School were told by a classroom visitor last Wednesday morning.

There was a practised ease in the way Minister Foley addressed the class. A firm, no nonsense manner of address that acknowledges the teaching background that saw her elevated to a ministerial post in her first term in the Dáil.

The Minister made herself open to questions from the students. The quality of questions in the course of her two hour visit reflected well on the quality of the education. Melview was the first of four Longford schools on her whistle stop tour.

St Mel's College, Templemichael College in Longford town and Mean Scoil Mhuire would follow her visit ot the Primary School that recently opened a two classrooms and a state of the art assisted bathroom extension.

“This is an opportunity to meet students and staff and get a flavour of the work they do,” the minister told the Leader. The quizzing by students filled in a number of details. She told them she served as a County Councillor in Kerry before being elected TD.

She said she visits as many of the 4,000 schools she presides over as possible. Covid restrictions slowed down that aspect of her Ministerial role, but she has been busy since the return of normality. Minister Foley told teacher Conor Murphy's sixth class that her job guides 100,000 teachers and 1,000,000 students.

To emphasise the breath of the school curriculum teacher Kate O'Boyle's second class charges sang for their visitor. The minister was serenaded with two more songs, “You're Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile” and “Circle of Friends” before she finished up.

Minister Foley also heard about the school's committees, include the Water Conservation and the Mental Health Awareness committees. Principal Bryan Kennedy, welcomed the Minister and led the entourage on a tour of the recently opened school extension.

Explaining her ambition to visit as many schools as possible the Kerry Deputy said: “They've done such wonderful things throughout Covid. In fact everyday. We are very fortunate with the calibre of staff we have working in Education. This is a chance to acknowledge that and celebrate it. Also the students and what they have achieved.”

The Minister was struck by the atmosphere in Melview: “It's fantastic to see the community spirit and school spirit.”

Minister Foley was quick to point to a number of education infrastructure projects in Longford: “There is a significant investment going into this area from the Department of education. It speaks to the confidence we have in the excellence in education being delivered. The consistency of eduction being delivered. There are tens of millions of investment in this are to meet the needs of students and school staff.”

That “ambitious programme of development” for schools across the country is at the heart of meeting future evacuation needs: “It can be new builds, extensions, additional classrooms for special education needs, additional facilities, but it is more than just the buildings. Building are hugely important, but more important is what happens within the walls of the schools.”

Minister Foley was impressed with the pupil;'s interaction: “It reflects the great richness of Irish education. We have such engaged, capable and committed young people. That is a tribute to the staff who work with the every day. They were phenomenal, the variety of question they asked, how insightful and interested they were in the work of government.”

Principal Kennedy was full of praise for the visitor: “The Minister, as a former teacher, is great with the children. They way she linked thing in was brilliant.”