Edmund Rice College

Education Minister launches £1 Million Technology Block at Edmund Rice College

The newly appointed Education Minister, Catríona Ruane, dug the first sod of a New £1 Million Technology and Design block at Edmund Rice College yesterday (30/05/07).
The building, comprising of four state of the art planning and manufacturing rooms is due for completion in September 2008. The new building will pave the way for the existing technology blocks to be transformed into facilities to cater for Home Economics, which will be introduced at Edmund Rice for the first time this year
There to welcome the Minister to the school was A’ Level student Kevin McVeigh, who last week engaged in debate with Mrs Ruane and the Minister for the Environment Arlene Foster on the topic of academic selection on BBC’s Talk Back programme. Whilst speaking on the programme, Kevin had made the point that he felt academic selection left children at a complete disadvantage from a very young age. The Minister was delighted to meet with Kevin again at the launch of the New Technology block. “It is young people like Kevin who policy makers must listen to. It was a pleasant surprise to see that he attended Edmund Rice College when I arrived. Technology and design is increasingly important in today’s global economy and our future economic success will depend on developing the skills and talents of our young people in this important area of the curriculum.  “This building work is funded from the Specialist Accommodation Programme, which is designed to address deficiencies in science, technology and design and ICT accommodation in our schools.  “I am committed to working to provide all of our children to learn in modern, fit for purpose accommodation that can help us prepare our young people for the challenge ahead. It is in schools such as Edmund Rice College that prepare young people for these challenges.  “When this work is completed, it will provide the students at Edmund Rice with the enhanced opportunities that they so richly deserve”
The Minister was also welcomed by school Principal Kevin Gough who supported the Ministers assertions. “Only the best is good enough for our children. This will be a state of the art grade A facility which will give children the opportunity to develop their creative and technical talents to the full. It will greatly enhance the excellent facilities that we already have here at Edmund Rice College”