School History
The parish of hospital has a long tradition of education. When John the Baptist Community School opened its doors in 1997 it brought together the rich traditions of the Presentation Sisters, the De La Salle Brothers and the Vocational Education Committee. The Presentation Sisters first arrived in Hospital in 1891 and established a convent and primary school for girls. The introduction of the Intermediate Exam in 1907 heralded the commencement of the convent secondary school and the opportunity for the girls of the parish to avail of post-primary education. In 1893 the De La Salle brothers arrived in Hospital and took charge of the boys’ national school. Until 1940, the only secondary education for boys in Hospital was provided by the “Secondary Top”, an extension of the primary school. In response to the wishes of the people the brothers opened a secondary school in 1940.
The 1930 Vocational Education Act established thirty-eight local education authorities with power to set up vocational schools to give free post-primary education with a particular emphasis on vocational skills such as woodwork, metalwork, domestic economy and commercial subjects. Hospital Vocational school, founded in 1932 was the first to be established in County Limerick. In 1972 the two secondary schools in Hospital amalgamated. The school was called the Presentation De La Salle Secondary School. The amalgamation of two schools run by two religious orders was unique at the time but it proved to be an unqualified success. In 1997 a new and exciting chapter in the history of education in Hospital opened with the amalgamation of Presentation De La Salle and Hospital Vocational School to form John the Baptist Community School, incorporating all the three education traditions of the parish.
The school has continued to grow steadily in the last number years. In 2012, the Claude Meagher building was opened, incorporating large changing rooms, a number of offices, a gym for student and staff, four new classrooms and a multi-purpose hall, the Nano Nagle hall. Currently a new all-weather astro turf is currently being installed, the only one of its type in the British Isles. It is hoped this will open for use by September 2016 to students, teachers and the local community.