Ashfield College closes its doors

MORE THAN two dozen students at Dublin “grind school” Ashfield College will have to find another school to begin sixth year in September as a liquidator was appointed at the High Court yesterday.

The court appointed a liquidator to Ashfield College Ltd, Main Street, Templeogue, after being told it has “no possibility of survival as a going concern”. The school has a deficit of some €1.1 million and is insolvent, the court heard.

Some 35 staff, many of whom were part time, were let go over two weeks ago and the terms of redundancy are being dealt with by the liquidator, director Ian Redmond told The Irish Times. The school is not represented by teachers’ unions due to the private nature of the college.

Parents of some 25 fifth year students were informed of the closure a fortnight ago and an informal arrangement has been made to accommodate the students in sixth year at the Institute of Education on Leeson Street, Dublin, in September.

“We are happy to accommodate the students but they will have to go through the standard interview process,” said Institute of Education director Peter Kearns.

However, he said that they had “in their minds” put aside places in anticipation of the Ashfield College students.

The college had 84 Leaving Certificate students this year and is to be made available for the exam results on August 12th, Mr Redmond said.

The school had last August/September lost 70 enrolments of foreign national students, who would have accounted for income of approximately €1 million, the court heard yesterday.

The school made a profit of €3,536 in 2006 but incurred losses of €400,000 in 2007 and €488,962 in 2008.

Its losses to the end of May last were €162,000.

According to the college’s website, fees for the 2008/2009 academic year were €6,950 per year for students taking seven subjects in the Leaving Cert.

The petition to have the company wound up was moved by Dawn Maye of Belarmine Park, Stepaside, Co Dublin.