DOCUMENT RESUME ED 093 067 EA 006 263 AUTHOR Hallak, Jacques; McCabe, James TITLE Planning the Location of Schools; County Sligo, Ireland. Case Studies -- I. INSTITUTION United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Paris (France). International Inst. for Educational Planning. REPORT NO ISBN-92-803-1056-9 PUB DATE 73 NOTE 114p.; A related document is ED 088 190 AVAILABLE FROM UNIPUB, Inc., P. O. Box 443, New York, New York 10016 (Order Number ISBN 92-803-1056-9, $8.95) FDRS PRICE MF-$0.75 HC Not Available from EDRS. PLUS POSTAGE DESCRIPTORS Case Studies; Educational Planning; *Elementary Schools; Foreign Countries; Geographic Location; Maps; Methodology; *Planning; *School Demography; School Districts; *School Location; School Planning; *Secondary Schools; Site Selection IDENTIFIERS *Ireland; School Mapping ABSTRACT This case study highlights a typical example of the kind of gap that exists between centralized planning and implementation. Despite the existence of fairly sophisticated central planning machinery in Ireland and an active desire for reformon the part of the government (with an explicit policy on school location, buildings, curriculum, etc.), the school networks in the County still remain largely outdated and ill-adapted to modern circumstances. This situation results in costly under utilization of resources,a lack of equality of educational opportunity and supply, and inadequate pedagogical provision. The County is highlighted geographically and placed comparatively in the Irish context under the headings of demography, economic and social background, and educational system. Profiles of the school networks are given, and an analysis anda diagnosis are made of the first and second levels respectively. Internal comparative analysis by catchment area is made separately for the two levels under enrollment, transport, teaching staff, curriculum, physical facilities, costs, and financing. Prognoses and proposals for future school networks are made, and an enrollment forecast to 1976 is made against a background of the economic and social development perspective and the demographic trends for the County. The methodology, parameters, and principles of school mapping are presented. (Ph,tographs may reproduce poorly.)(Author/MLF), 3 1 ra :11V Included in the series PlaaniNg the loCalerot ul cchooi: * I. County Sligo, Ireland 2. Aurich, Busse -Sage, Republique f:kkral d'Alleinagne 3. illsole District, Uganda *Other titles to Appear An 11E1' research project directed by Jacques llak Planning the location of schools: County Sligo, Ireland Jacques Hallak and James McCabe Park 1973 Unesco: International Institute for Educational Planning The designation.) emploised And the presentation of the material it' this publication do not imply the ekpreNsion of an) opinion \hatcooer on Cite part of the 114 P for of the Lneso Secret:mitt of is it part) eoneerning the legal status of :in) k.i)nttitri) Or territor), or of IN ;itithonties, or concerning the delimitations of the frontiers of tocountr) or territor). PithliNhe:' in li173 h) the Cnited Nations Scientific and Cultural ()rgaiiiration. Place de Fonteiiiiin.i. 75'700 Paris Phil )set and printed h) St Paul's Press Limited, Nialta ISIVN 92iit,40-1056-9 (No 73-78S56 14'1 t' tci In Malta Aims and methodology of the IIEP research projecton planning the location of schools Aspartof the Second United Nations Development field w ith the close collaboration of the national authorities Decade, many" countries have set themselves the target of and corn pri ;ed the following specific stages: providing complete first -level school cove ra go. or at least I. A critical analysis of the features of the existing network of substantially extending their tirst-level school networks, of first- and!or second-level schools, according to the together with a major development of the network of purpose of the study, in one or more educational areas of second-level schools. Achieving these targets in practice 50,000 to 200,000 inhabitants, selected for the variety of will involve them in finding solutions to the many awkward problems Cicy exhibited: problems which arise in setting up the network of first- and 2 A study of the medium-term evolution of the potential secondlevel schools:in other words, they w ill need to schoolpopulation,taking account of demographic develop the most appropriate methods for planning the factors, the educational objectives and certain socio- location of schools. economic variables: The International Institute for Educational Planning had 3. Proposals for rationalising the location of schools, based these problems in view when, towards the end of 1970, it on the initial findings and the educational development began a series of investigations into the planning of first- prospects, and on all the pedagogical, economic, geo- and second-level school location: this was research of a graphical and other factors of general application or cle;irly practical kind, meeting a concrete need of most peculiar to the region concerned, in each case showing Member States: a typical example of the kind of applied the relative importance of the possible decisions. research which the Institute can undertake to assist Unesci Ihese case studies will he completed towards the end of Member Sta: es in implementing their educational plans and 1973 and will be published as and when they become making optimum use of the resources available. Its objec- available.' .A report on the project as a w hole will summar- tive is threefold: i/e the conclusions emerging from tile case studies and I. To analyse and identify all the factorspedagogical. endeavour to identify the methodological principles of economic. geographical. social, administrative. poli- ['tinning the location of schools: this report is expected to tical, etc, which must he taken into account in design. be completed and published ;n 1974. ing a methodology for planning the location of schools: he entire pr)ject has been financed With voluntary 2.to formulate such a methodology in sufficient detail to contributions from various countries: the Ministry of Over- he used asrtguide to school location activities in seas Development (United Kingdom). SIDA {Sweden). Member States, while beim- sullici:mtly flexible and CIDA (Canada'), NORAD (Norway). etc., to which the universal to he adaptable to ;he particui,:. conditions of is extremely grateful. comitry: The Institute also thanks allthe Member States of 1.to apply the methodology to concrete problems facing Unesco and the national specialists for co-operating in the education planners, such as universal first-level educa- implementation of this project. tion. implementation of educational reforms. etc. The IIEP began with a number of case studies in a sample, Puhl...(1(on ha (he III I of oudlci ,nd, led t.1 outside ,onsulkirts must not he rafter as varied as possible. of countries in Asia, Africa. Latin o irrplathattheIra(mutene,..casarihyliS0,141C5itselfvIth anaconductors or America and Europe. T tese studies were carried out m the or(roons carrcaacd therein Preface This study deals with a mainly rural area in the north-west pupils residing more than too miles away from their of Ireland with a population, today. of 50,2(X). Its popula- level schools varies from 13 to 47 . bile those residing more tion has been in continual decline over the last hundred than three miles away represent between 29 and 96 percent years with the result that a pattern of school lo:iation dating according to the catchment area. There are also consider- back to the middle of the nineteenth century. the rural able differences in staffing conditions (pupiliteachcr ratios areas had high population densities, has become outmoded varying from 22,5 to 35:1 in first -level education and from and unsuitable. The demographic decline has been accom- 11.8 to 26.6:1 for the second level), and in the condition of panied by a particularly unfavourable economic and social equipment and premises. The authors comment that: trend which has not made it easier to modernize the net- '... inequality of educational supply generally' leads to work of schools. while reforms to the educational system, inequality of admission to the higher-stage "science" which were decided in 1965, call for substantial changes in and "teci,nical" groups and, similarly. causes inequality the pattern of school location. between male and female pupils, Since all school network It was this special situation which guided the IRT.P in rationalizadon policies must attempt to equalize supply selecting the Sligo area for its first case study on school conditions, account must be taken of these factors.' location. In this study, which is in some respects a proto- In the proposals which they have devised for rationalizing type, the authors have endeavoured: the pattern of first- and second-level school location, J. 1. To analyse the characteristics of the existing network of liallak and J. McCabe have sought to 'equalize', quantita- schools: this involved examining the effects of the geo- tively and qualitatively, the supply conditions by: graphical distribution of schools on attendance rates in 1. Adopting Ireland's national construction and equip- the various districts of the county: the school transport nem standards: network, movement of pupils between their homes and 2. Suggesting that the oldest and most under-populated the schools they attend. staffing conditions. educational schools be closed down, output. costs and various 'quail' y' indicators have beer, 3. 1,ocao iig schools at the 'development poles of the area: analysed and discussed: 4. Dividing the county into saw, more homogenous catch- 2. To study the operational efficiency of the system, ment areas. through an analysis of the data by size of school: The authors themselv es suggest that their conclusions 3. To test various hypotheses about the relationships be- should be regarded as a basis fax negotiation among the tween educational 'supply' and 'demand'. particularly parties concerned rather than as a basis for action. Their by comparing the effects of geographical location of proposals are particularly striking: schools on attendance rates in the areas they cover: 4.