Folúntas: Bainisteoir in Ionad Cúram Leanaí Ráth Chairn
February 26, 2015
Concern school divestment policy causing ethnic segregation
February 26, 2015
Minister for Education Jan O’Sullivan is being urged to reverse plans to create “competing” school patrons at primary level amid claims that it is exacerbating ethnic segregation.
The plan to divest schools from Catholic patronage in order to boost parental choice was the main recommendation of the forum on patronage and pluralism set up by her predecessor Ruairí Quinn.
But Dr Dympna Devine, head of the UCD School of Education, said the policy is helping to “institutionalise segregation. That mightn’t be the intention but it is the outcome”.
She was commenting on data published by The Irish Times this week showing that 23 per cent of primary schools cater for four in five immigrant children. In 20 schools, more than two-thirds of pupils were recorded as being of a non-Irish background.
Dr Devine, who has studied the integration of immigrant children in education since the late 1990s, said “parental choice is fine but not everybody has the same resources, or the same local knowledge”.
She said there was an emerging phenomenon internationally of “bourgeois schools” impacting on educational policy. These were particularly evident in Wales, with Welsh language schools, and here with Gaelscoileanna, which had the lowest intake of both immigrant children and pupils with defined special educational needs.
“People are looking for something ‘added’ for their children’s education. If I send my child to ‘this’ school instead of ‘that’ I am exercising my parental choice but it’s based on my knowledge, expectations and sense of entitlement for my children,” she said.
“For immigrant parents, they are still figuring out the system. They tend to be clustered in a particular area with the lowest rental costs and they don’t have the same choice.”
Labour TD Joanna Tuffy, who chairs the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection, also called for a rethink of the “divestment” policy.
“The idea of greater choice of patrons and divesting in order to facilitate that choice is the direct opposite of education being inclusive. We are essentially dividing children up and sending them to schools on various grounds that in practice are including religion, race, ethnicity, and socio-economic background,” she said.
“Also the idea is a nonsense in the context of town or village with one school. That school should obviously cater for all local children irrespective of religion.”
Ms Tuffy said schools in rural towns under Catholic patronage were generally inclusive, and “I don’t think it will be progress to move away from having most schools run by Catholic patrons to having those schools exclusively for Catholics, alongside schools exclusively for other faiths, Irish medium schools, Educate Together Schools and VEC Community Schools.
“I believe the objective should be over time to move to a state multi-denominational model bringing all stakeholders on board and in the meantime anything that can be done to make all schools more inclusive including via enrolment policy legislation should be done.”
Fianna Fáil Senator Averil Power, a committee member, said school patrons were generally very active in promoting inclusion, “the reason the Catholic Church wants to divest is because they want to make their remaining schools more Catholic, or as Catholic as possible.
“In a true republic, children of all ethnic, social and religious backgrounds would go to the same school.”
Are you following Gaelscoileanna Teo. on Facebook?
February 26, 2015
Gaelscoileanna Teo. is pleased to announce that we are now using Facebook to share news and updates from the Irish-medium education sector. The organisation recognises the importance and the huge benefits of the internet and social media to share relevant information, news stories and updates, and also for marketing and publicity purposes.
(Gaeilge) An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíocht Scéim mhaoinithe áiseanna teagaisc 2015
February 25, 2015
(Gaeilge) Foirgneamh nua Ghaelscoil Shliabh Rua ar an mbealach!
February 24, 2015
Circular on Revised Payment Mechanism for Casual and Non-Casual Teachers
February 23, 2015
http://www.education.ie/en/Circulars-and-Forms/Active-Circulars/cl0015_2015.pdf
Cúla4 art competition to celebrate Seachtain na Gaeilge
February 23, 2015
Art competition for primary school pupils launched by Cúla4. Further information available on Cúla4’s Facebook and Twitter pages
Jimmy Magee launches Dunboyne school’s ‘Thousandaire’ event
February 19, 2015
(Gaeilge) Folúntas: Gaelscoil Éadan Doire, Uíbh Fhailí
February 19, 2015
(Gaeilge) Folúntas: Scoil Chaitríona, Baile Átha Cliath
February 19, 2015
