GIRLS will be able to attend St Jarlath's College in Tuam for the first time in its history.

Tuam’s schools to go co-ed

TUAM will no longer offer single sex post primary education to young people in the town as radical plans to be introduced next year will see girls admitted to St Jarlath’s College and boys welcomed into an amalgamated Presentation College and Scoil Bhríde, Mercy Secondary School.

The decision was announced by the patrons of all three schools, namely Archbishop Francis Duffy (St Jarlath’s College) and CEIST, the Catholic Education and Irish Schools Trust (Presentation College and Scoil Bhríde) in a statement issued on Tuesday (yesterday) evening.

While an amalgamation of St Jarlath’s College with one or both of the girls’ schools had been one of the proposals under consideration, Archbishop Duffy has decided that it will remain a stand-alone school. An application is to be made to the Department of Education to change its status from single sex all boys to a co-educational school.

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