Page 20 - Gonzaga at 60
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GONZAGA AT SIXTY: A WORK IN PROGRESS
society. Its pracical problems were readily observable: shortage of space, applicants greatly
outnumbering places and with preference given to siblings of students, it seemed to some that
the school was becoming too closed; the introducion of ‘Free’ secondary educaion in the late
1960s let Gonzaga, conscious of its Chrisian and social role, somewhat uncomfortable; some
of its past pupils were ariculate in urging the school itself to have a clearer social vision; the
Jesuits themselves began to ask if their social role was compaible with a fee paying school;
as the qualiicaions for entry to university rose, the possibility of remaining aloof From the
examinaion system became unrealisic and was abandoned; the economic viability of the small
familial school was unsustainable and so the size of the school increased. As these issues were
debated a fully ledged crisis developed and the future of the school came into quesion. Indeed
a commission set up to look at the future of the school spelled out ive possibiliies in 1974:
1. Turn Gonzaga into a comprehensive school for the Ranelagh area
2. Make it a two stream academic school charging realisic fees
3. Enter the ‘Free’ scheme
4. Amalgamate with a girls’ school
5. Close the school.
At that ime the strong preference was for the irst opion. The Jesuits had transformed
Crescent College Limerick into Crescent College Comprehensive and many thought that this style
of school, catering for all classes and levels of ability, was the way to go. This belief took stronger
hold as it emerged that the students in Crescent From similar backgrounds to those in Gonzaga
did just as well academically as their peers in Gonzaga. However, it is not my brief to discuss
1960-61: Gonzaga community
Back Row (L to R): Fr J. Hutchinson, Br. P. Nolan, Fr H. Lawlor, Fr K. Laheen,
Fr S. Redmond, Fr J. Veale, Fr J. Kavanagh, Fr W. Lee, Fr E. Keane,
Mr N. Barber. Seated (L to R): Fr P. Leonard, Fr S. Hughes, Fr J. McMahon,
Fr J. Brereton, Fr W. White
GONZAGA AT SIXTY: A WORK IN PROGRESS
society. Its pracical problems were readily observable: shortage of space, applicants greatly
outnumbering places and with preference given to siblings of students, it seemed to some that
the school was becoming too closed; the introducion of ‘Free’ secondary educaion in the late
1960s let Gonzaga, conscious of its Chrisian and social role, somewhat uncomfortable; some
of its past pupils were ariculate in urging the school itself to have a clearer social vision; the
Jesuits themselves began to ask if their social role was compaible with a fee paying school;
as the qualiicaions for entry to university rose, the possibility of remaining aloof From the
examinaion system became unrealisic and was abandoned; the economic viability of the small
familial school was unsustainable and so the size of the school increased. As these issues were
debated a fully ledged crisis developed and the future of the school came into quesion. Indeed
a commission set up to look at the future of the school spelled out ive possibiliies in 1974:
1. Turn Gonzaga into a comprehensive school for the Ranelagh area
2. Make it a two stream academic school charging realisic fees
3. Enter the ‘Free’ scheme
4. Amalgamate with a girls’ school
5. Close the school.
At that ime the strong preference was for the irst opion. The Jesuits had transformed
Crescent College Limerick into Crescent College Comprehensive and many thought that this style
of school, catering for all classes and levels of ability, was the way to go. This belief took stronger
hold as it emerged that the students in Crescent From similar backgrounds to those in Gonzaga
did just as well academically as their peers in Gonzaga. However, it is not my brief to discuss
1960-61: Gonzaga community
Back Row (L to R): Fr J. Hutchinson, Br. P. Nolan, Fr H. Lawlor, Fr K. Laheen,
Fr S. Redmond, Fr J. Veale, Fr J. Kavanagh, Fr W. Lee, Fr E. Keane,
Mr N. Barber. Seated (L to R): Fr P. Leonard, Fr S. Hughes, Fr J. McMahon,
Fr J. Brereton, Fr W. White
