Oversubscribed school leaves families in Ballymote frustrated as 36 apply for 25 Junior Infants places

Families in Ballymote are facing heightened stress as Scoil Mhuire gan Smál is oversubscribed for the next school year. The school has capped its Junior Infants class at 25 pupils, but 36 applications were received, leaving 11 children without places. A place may have been offered to one child from the waiting list, but around 10 families still lack a place for September 2026. Similar demand is reported in the area, including knockminna NS, which received 23 applications compared with four the previous year. Parents say the situation should have been anticipated and expansion plans put in place earlier.

"For the 2026/2027 school year, Scoil Mhuire gan Smál capped its Junior Infants class at 25 pupils. Thirty-six children applied meaning 11 were left without places. I understand that one child has since been offered a place from the waiting list, which still leaves 10 families in Ballymote without a place in their local school for September 2026."

"The issue of oversubscription in St Patrick's, NS Calry has been well publicised in recent months, and it has now emerged that parents in Ballymote are facing a similar problem as there have been 36 applications for 25 junior infants places for the 2006/'07 academic year."

"Frustration has now come to a boiling point for parents who point out this situation should have been anticipated by authorities a number of years ago and plans put in place for the expansion of the school."

"The demand for extra places in Scoil Mhuire gan Smál is replicated in the locality with knockminna NS, which is 5km outside Ballymote receiving 23 applications for next year as opposed to the four applications received this time last year."

Read at Irish Independent