County Roscommon primary school principal calls for extension of Small Schools Pilot Project

The principal of a County Roscommon primary school has called for the expansion of the Small Schools Pilot Project.

The small schools’ action research project, which was first set up in 2021, has brought small schools together in local clusters, enabling them to collaborate and identify common challenges and trial innovative solutions.

With the current pilot scheme scheduled to end in June this year, the INTO has urged the Government to implement the best learnings from the pilot in all schools with teaching principals from September 2026.

Proposing the motion at the INTO Congress, the principal of Kilteevan NS Anna Kelly said: "The Small Schools Pilot Project recognises something fundamental, equality in education is not about treating every school the same, it is about recognising difference and resourcing it properly. The pilot has already shown what is possible. When small schools are supported, we don't just manage, we thrive. Collaboration improves. Leadership is strengthened. Teaching and learning benefit.”

Small schools are defined as schools with four mainstream teachers or fewer. There are approximately 1,294 small schools (2022/2023 figures), accounting for 42 per cent of all primary schools and 13.3 per cent of total enrolments of all primary school pupils.

The INTO says these schools are vital to rural communities, serving not only as educational centres of excellence but also as hubs of social and cultural life. However, they face significant challenges due to limited supports and resources, isolation declining enrolments.