The inclusion of the five primary schools in Tipp Town in the DEIS Programme is seen as a huge boost.
It follows a long running campaign including a protest outside Leinster House by pupils, teachers and parents in 2017.
Tipperary Junior Boys National School, Tipperary Girls National School, St. Joseph’s Primary School, Scoil na mBraithre and Gael Scoil Thiobraid Arann are among 25 schools in the County approved for DEIS status this week.
Louise Tobin is Principal of St Joseph’s Primary School.
“This is a gamechanger – this is going to change the whole thing.
“The list of resources that we are getting will enable us to give the children in our classrooms a much better day in school with greater access to their education.
“It’ll give them early starts, it’ll give them their lunch.
“In our Junior Infant classrooms there will be no more than 19 pupils. Then from 1st to 6th there will be no more than 21. At the moment we have two rooms with over 32.”
Deputy Michael Lowry was among those campaigning for the Tipp schools to be given DEIS status.
He says the sustained campaign has finally reaped rewards.
“The inclusion is a monumental educational step forward for present and future generations of schoolchildren in the town.
“Over the past number of years I’ve worked tirelessly with school management to correct an obvious injustice.
The formal sanction for DEIS status will have an enormous positive impact – decisions like this really do make a difference.”
