Crunch time for Limerick secondary school as tech giant affords major award

STAFF and students are celebrating this week after their school was honoured by technology giant Apple.

Limerick Educate Together Secondary School, which is located at Ballysimon Road on the edge of the city, has been named a ‘distinguished school’ by Apple.

It’s only the second school in Limerick to achieve this accolade - alongside Gaelcholaiste Luimnigh, which opened new premises in the past week.

Both schools are among only eight in the Republic of Ireland, 200 in Europe and 500 in the world to have the honour bestowed by Apple.

Educate Together principal Eoin Shinners said: “It’s an amazing feat for a school only in its sixth year. We are one of the only schools in the country to be recognised by Apple for our commitment to innovative teaching and learning using Apple technology, namely the Ipad.”

“It's an exclusive group of schools to be associated with,” he acknowledged.

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“It comes off the back of six years’ hard work since the school opened in 2018. Since then, we’ve embedded Apple technology across the school and we are seeing the fruits of it now,” added Mr Shinners.

In order to secure this designation, staff and students at both Educate Together and Gaelcholaiste Luimnigh had to undergo a rigorous assessment from Apple executives.

The status lasts for three years, before the schools must re-apply for the designation.

The award comes after a big year for Limerick Educate Together.

In September, it moved from its temporary premises at the former Salesian Secondary School in the city centre to a purpose-built complex at Towlerton, Ballysimon.

The second phase of the campus opened before Christmas, with the school increasing its student numbers to 1,000.