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Accommodation Scholarships in Coláiste Naomh Eoin, Inis Meáin for the 2013-14 school year

April 3, 2013

The Department of Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs funds up to ten accommodation scholarships each year to give second level students living on the mainland outside of a Gaeltacht area the opportunity to attend Colaiste Naomh Eoin on Inis Meain initially for one academic year.

This funding forms part of the (Scéim na bhFoghlaimeoirí Gaeilge) Irish language learners scheme. The aim of this scheme is to give teenagers not living in a Gaeltacht area the opportunity to attain fluency in Irish. The students reside with local families on Inis Meáin for the academic year. The Irish language is the mother tongue in these local family friendly accommodations and students get an insight into the Irish language as an active common spoken native tongue in the locality. They reside with the family for the year, returning home every second weekend and for annual holidays.

Students who register with Coláiste Naomh Eoin, become part of an educational setting where a wide range of subjects are offered and taught through the medium of Irish. In addition to the acquisition of the Irish language, there are excellent educational opportunities to be enjoyed. Coláiste Naomh Eoin is a small school, with a very high teacher-pupil ratio, which ensures that every student reaches their educational potential. The teaching staff is composed of vibrant, dynamic and highly-qualified members. There is a good rapport and mutual respect between teachers and students, which guarantees an atmosphere conducive to learning. The teachers supervise evening study periods in order for students to complete home work and study in a comfortable, quiet setting. Students are under the care of the school during normal school hours and during any school events or trips which fall outside of the normal timetable.

The Mná Tí, who assume the “Loco Parentis” role, cater for the wellbeing of the student or students residing with them outside of normal school hours. Every member of the host family, aged 18 years or above, has been Gárda vetted to ensure appropriate standards of the health and safety of students are maintained.

The students’ parents are solely responsible for the students during travel time to and from the island.

Inis Meáin is a quiet and beautiful island, a place in which inspiration and relaxation go hand in hand, preserved by time and tradition. It is a place where learning is encouraged naturally due to the unique remoteness and freedom from mainland living. Boarding packages are available to suitable candidates at a cost of €5,500 per annum. This exceptional fee covers all educational and accommodation costs (including meals). The fee can be paid in two instalments, one at the start of the school year and the second in January. Annual enrolement is capped in order to ensure that our unique learning environment is not compromised, namely the low number of students and hence the individual attention given to each and every student in Coláiste Naomh Eoin.

For this reason, we strongly advise applying for enrolement well in advance of the student’s expected commencement date.

You’ll find more information on www.colaistenaomheoin.ie and you can call Mairéad Ní Fhátharta on 0877775567 to apply for a place.

Report on school patronage published – New Gaelscoil for Birr, Co. Offaly

April 3, 2013

An Foras Pátrúnachta is delighted that the Department of Education’s survey of parents has recognised the huge demand for education through Irish in Birr, County Offaly.

The Department’s report recommended that 23 multidenominational schools are founded, including a Gaelscoil in Birr. The survey also recognised that there is a demand for education through Irish in areas such as Malahide, Skerries and Portmarnock in Dublin.

Caoimhín Ó hEaghra, General Secretary of An Foras Pátrúnachta, said that parents in Birr have been campaigning for years for a Gaelscoil in the area and are delighted that they have succeeded. An Foras Pátrúnachta is looking forward to working with the Catholic Church in this process.

The other results show that there is a strong demand for education through Irish around the county. It is also clear that there is a demand for the model which is provided by An Foras Pátrúnachta. According to the Department’s report, between 4% and 31% of those surveyed in the different areas wanted education through Irish. This is in keeping with the demand for education through Irish which An Foras Pátrúnachta has expressed to the Department of Education since the start of the process. These parents and children have rights and there is a responsibility to provide them with education through Irish.

The Department of Education has attempted to ensure fairness in the survey but it felt that this is not the best model to cater for parents who are not part of the majority. What about those parents who chose education through Irish in those areas?

An Foras Pátrúnachta expressed these concerns to the Department of Education before the survey was conducted on five pilot areas and again when the results form these areas were published. As the only all-Irish school patron, An Foras Pátrúnachta will be expressing its concerns again that children, parents and areas will be neglected unless the process ensures that their wishes are recognised.

The question of the Irish language and all-Irish schools needs to be examined. It is clear that when pupils and parents receive education through Irish that they recognise the advantages and are delighted with the model. It is clear also that when An Foras Pátrúnachta inform parents about this model, they choose it for their children,.

Caoimhín Ó hEaghra said that An Foras Pátrúnachta, the only patron which was set up to promote education through Irish, is working hard to support its schools agus to set up new schools. An Foras Pátrúnachta is fulfilling a very important role with support from its schools, parents and from the Irish language community in general. We are grateful for this and are looking forward to further developing what has been achieved to date.

Catholic patrons welcome schools report

April 2, 2013

There is a “measurable small demand” for change in school patronage in certain areas and parents should have a choice, chairman of the Council for Education of the Irish Bishops’ Conference has said.

Catholic patrons have welcomed the primary school patronage report which showed demand for change from parents in 23 areas. However, attention must be given to the “large majority” of parents who expressed no interest in change, the council chairman Fr Michael Drumm said. He was speaking as a survey on parental preferences for primary school patronage was published today by the Department of Education.

Catholic bishops in 23 areas across the State have six months to provide detailed proposals on how they plan on divesting primary schools of their patronage. Of 23 areas, between 2.2 per cent and 8 per cent of parents with children in school favoured change, the council said. The areas “vary quite a bit”, Fr Drumm said. The report raised the issue of “displacement” of trying to cater for the views of a minority who want change, Fr Drumm said. The problem on the ground was that numbers displaced could be greater than numbers catered for, he said. In Celbridge, Co Kildare, some 100 parents desired a different type of school but the smallest Catholic school was 300 children, he said. It was about getting the “balance right” , he added. Demand for choice was “lower than anticipated” Fr Drumm said. The survey showed a “very strong affirmation” of Catholic schools with no real interest in change from 15 of 38 areas, he said.

Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn said this morning he expected Catholic bishops to cooperate in identifying suitable primary schools for the transfer of patronage. The Department of Education will send surveys to the patrons seeking an initial response after three months and a final response in six months, he said. “I would hope and expect during that period a suitable school will be identified by them within the various towns and arrangements will be made for the orderly transfer of the patronage of that school back to the Department of Education,” Mr Quinn said on RTÉ Radio. Mr Quinn said he expected cooperation from the Catholic Church because patronage had been identified as an issue by Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin. It was about “parental choice” not a “general election”, Mr Quinn said.

Out of 38 survey areas selected according to specific demographic criteria, 23 have demonstrated demand for “an immediate change in the existing school patronage”, according to a Department of Education statement. The majority of parents who took part in the survey named Educate Together as their preferred patron. Educate Together was “delighted” and “honoured” that many communities had selected them as a preferred patron,chief executive Paul Rowe said in a statement. The results were “significant” and showed “demand for diversity”, he said. He praised the “goodwill” shown by the Catholic bishops to the process.

Co Cork VEC was “delighted” to be the preferred patron chosen by parents in Carrigaline, chief executive Joan Russell said. If Co Cork VEC becomes patron of a Carrigaline school it would be its second primary patronage. It is due to open its first primary school in Mallow next year. “I am aware this is only the first step… and am respectful of existing patrons,” Ms Russell said. The community national school model was “not well known” in Cork so the growth would allow parents to become familiar with it, she said.

Among the 23 schools identified in the report were Dublin 6, Malahide, Palmerstown, Portmarnock, Rush, Tuam, Westport, Ballina, Clonmel, Passage West, Dungarvan, Fermoy, Kells, Killarney, Leixlip, Loughrea, Cobh, Nenagh, New Ross, Shannon, Celbridge and Carrigaline.

One area, Birr in Co Offaly, showed sufficient demand for a Gaelscoil. Several others specified VEC patronage as their preferred option.

There was insufficient demand in areas such as Wicklow, Skerries, Carrick-on-Suir and Roscommon, among others.

The level of demand required to support change was set at the minimum enrolment required for a four-teacher school, somewhere between 80 and 100 pupils. A total of 10,715 valid survey responses were received.

www.irishtimes.com

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Poll: 60% of towns want new patrons

April 2, 2013

Parents in just 60% of towns dominated by Catholic primary schools have voted to have control handed over to different patrons.

Educate Together has emerged as the preferred patron to take over one of the local schools in 20 of the 23 areas where there was enough demand for choice.

But the most surprising outcome of the surveys — completed in January by parents of almost 20,000 primary school pupils and pre-school children — was that the vast majority in 15 out of 38 areas were satisfied with the current provision.

The research was carried out by the Department of Education in areas where there is little or no alternative to Catholic schools, but where populations are not growing enough for new schools to be built.

Education Minister Ruairi Quinn has said up to half of all Catholic primary schools may need to be divested, but the level of demand shows this is not the case. He wants bishops in each of the 23 areas where change is recommended to provide details within six months on how they plan to make schools available to patrons.

For recommended new patrons by town, see http://exa.mn/hn

www.irishexaminer.com

Union chief wants report on future of schools published

April 2, 2013

Teachers fear over 1,000 schools with fewer than 80 pupils may be under threat

Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn was challenged by Irish National Teachers’ Organisation president Anne Fay to publish a report commissioned on primary schools amid growing fears t ha t more t ha n 1 , 000 schools with under 80 pupils or three teachers or fewer may face closure.

Ms Fay told the union’s 145th annual congress that Mr Quinn, who addresses del egates today, should move to publish the Value for Money report commissioned 2½ years ago by the Department of Education on the future of primary schools.

Ms Fa y , who teaches in a three-teacher school in Fermoy, Co Cork, criticised the leaking of some of the report at the weekend. It was reported on Sunday that the viability of more than 600 small schools would be thrown into doubt by the report.

“We got selective leaks of this report to a Sunday newspaper by the Minister, I presume, which I believe shows a lack of respect for parents, teachers and communities all over Ireland. Over a thousand schools now fear for their very existence,” she said. Loud applause Loudly applauded by the 800 delegates in Cork, Ms Fay went on to remind Mr Quinn of the commitment he gave on behalf of the Labour Party when in opposition and just before t he 2011 general election to oppose any forced amalgamation of schools.

“The now Minister for Education and Science wrote on February 15th, 2011, just before the general election: ‘The Labour Party has never supported the forcible amalgamation of rural schools’, another debased pre-election promise to add to what is becoming a very long list.”

Ms Fay said teachers still manage to take great pride in their work despite being anxious and worried about the future and cuts in education and, even when greatly overworked, have the interests of their pupils foremost in their mind. ‘Palpable anger’ “But alongside that pride, I have detected a palpable anger – there is anger at the attitudes of some of our employers, commentators and politicians who seem to think, bizarrely and erroneously, that teaching is an easy life,” she said.

“There is anger at changes to terms and conditions that focus on saving money and not on making the education system better, and anger at investment in education becoming another discredited election promise, not a priority to return Ireland to economic growth and social equality.”

Ms Fay opted not to speak on Croke Park II proposals on pay which are currently being voted on by union members. However, union sources confirmed to The Irish Times that there was a lot of anger voiced at the Croke Park II proposals at a private session.

www.irishtimes.com

Gaeltacht ar an dé deiridh?

April 2, 2013

‘We don’t have any such thing as a Gaeltacht any more,’ says Seosamh Mac Donnacha in the current issue of Comhar. He says that most of the people living in the Gaeltacht are bilingual native speakers, and that they don’t acquire the two languages at the same speed or to the same level of proficiency.

We must ask ourselves a basic question: What is a Gaeltacht? Up until now, the Dublin Government has been happy to draw a line and create an ‘Indian reservation’ without proper infrastructure. Mac Donnacha says that a child brought up in the Gaeltacht would not be able to get basic services through Irish, he would not be able to get a complete education through Irish, he would not be able to get a job without English, and he would not be able to speak to the gardaí in Gaoth Dobhair in Irish.

That is the biggest problem facing Irish in the Gaeltacht and in non-Irish speaking areas: there is no Irish in the environment. When you go into a big paper shop here, you see hundreds of magazines in English (most of them rubbish, but that’s another story.) You cannot get an Irish language magazine in any paper shop in Derry. By the way, you can buy Paris Match in the city centre every week.

If you go abroad, you can pick up the local language very quickly. It is spoken everywhere: on the street, in the house, in the shops, in offices etc. You hear the language all the time on the radio and on the television. You see newspapers and notices in the language. You are constantly in contact with the language- an obvious fact. But that does not happen in Ireland. And a language cannot develop unless it is used continuously in public life.

There is only one country in the world where you can get a job in the public sector without knowing the national language- that is the mad house called Ireland, of course, a land of useless politicians and soulless bureaucrats.

Well, St. Patrick’s Day is over. Irish will be put back in the drawer for another year. But if we keep on going the way we are going, we will go to the cupboard some day, and there will be nothing in it.

www.derryjournal.com

Quinn will announce Church to lose school control

April 2, 2013

‘Clear demand’ for greater diversity cannot be ignored, insists minister
THE Catholic Church is being told to hand over another 23 primary schools in an historic shake-up of the eduction system designed to offer parents more choice.

Department of Education surveys in 43 towns and suburbs over the past six months found that two-thirds of parents wanted a more diverse range of schools – meaning a reduction of the church’s overwhelming dominance of school patronage.

The results of the consultation with 10,000 parents on future control of local schools can be revealed today, with Education Minister Ruairi Quinn pointing out that a majority of areas surveyed had shown sufficient parental demand for wider choice of schools. He insisted: “We cannot ignore this call for change.”

Meanwhile, the fate of 1,000 small rural schools hangs in the balance as they are considered too small to satisfy an “optimum” threshold for value for money. A new report, to be published soon, will recommend that the optimum future size for Irish schools is four teachers and 80 students or more.

Mr Quinn, who will today address two teachers’ unions, has been accused of leaving thousands of pupils and parents in limbo if their school does not meet the minimum size.

Mr Quinn is now overseeing a period of massive change within the schools system as the issues of patronage and small rural schools both come to a head. His department now wants detailed proposals from the bishops on divesting schools within six months, in a significant shift towards multidenominational education. But early transfers do not appear on the cards after a senior Catholic Church educationalist questioned the calculations involved.

Surveys in 38 areas were undertaken in January-February among parents of children under the age of 12. They were targeted at towns and suburbs where there is a relatively stable population and, therefore, little prospect of an additional school being built.

The demand for a change of patronage at 23 of these 38 primary schools is on top of five schools around the country which were previously identified by the department, and where the Church has already been told to transfer control. The department will now be contacting the Catholic patron in each of the newly identified areas to request that they consider the options.

Mr Quinn said he was confident of a generous response from the existing patron – the local Catholic bishop in each of the areas – to “the clear demand for change”. In practical terms, it means that in any of these areas, where there may be several local Catholic schools, mergers will be necessary to free up a building for a school under different patronage.

Where change is favoured, the multi-denominational Educate Together is the top choice and has been nominated as the patron for 25 schools, including in the five areas previously identified.

Two towns will see the establishment of English language, new-style Community National Schools, run by the local Vocational Education Committee. And in one area, an Irish language school under the patronage of An Foras Patrunachta is recommended. Most of the areas surveyed already had a Gaelscoil option for parents deemed capable of accommodating demand for Irish language medium schools.

Paul Rowe, of Educate Together, said the results clearly showed demand for diversity of school type exists across the country.

Conclusions

However, while 10,000 responses were gathered, Fr Michael Drumm of the Catholic Schools Partnership said the participation rates of parents in the surveys were low. He said that within each area the responses only varied from 13pc to 26pc and advised against drawing conclusions.

He said there was a need for much closer analysis of the figures and consultation with communities on the ground For example, Fr Drumm said in Ballina, where the department is recommending an Educate Together school, parents of only 2.2pc of existing primary pupils expressed a preference for an English-language multi-denominational school. And he warned the proposals could involve much greater displacement for pupils in an existing school than those the department is seeking to accommodate.

The Catholic Church controls about 2,840, or 90pc, of almost 3,200 primary schools in Ireland. While the 28 schools earmarked for change represent less than 1pc of this, developments over the coming months will be closely watched as they could mark a watershed in Church-state relations over school patronage.

The department set the minimum enrolment sufficient for a four-teacher school as the benchmark for deciding on whether there was sufficient demand for change. A total of 10,715 valid responses were received during the surveys, and were checked against data held by the Department of Social Protection to ensure that the children listed were linked to PPS numbers given.

It followed the five pilot surveys, which were conducted last October and November – all of which showed a demand for Educate Together schools.

www.independent.ie

Bishops have six months to set out plans for school patronage change

April 2, 2013

Catholic bishops in 23 areas across the State have six months to provide detailed proposals on how they plan on divesting primary schools of their patronage.

The move comes on the publication of a survey on parental preferences for primary school patronage published today by the Department of Education.

Out of 38 survey areas selected according to specific demographic criteria, 23 have demonstrated demand for “an immediate change in the existing school patronage”, according to a Department of Education statement.

Among the 23 were Dublin 6, Malahide, Palmerstown, Portmarnock , Rush, Tuam, Westport, Ballina, Clonmel, Passage West, Dungarvan, Fermoy, Kells, Killarney, Leixlip, Loughrea, Cobh, Nenagh, New Ross, Shannon, Celbridge and Carrigaline.

One area, Birr in Co Offaly, showed sufficient demand for a Gaelscoil. Several others specified VEC patronage as their preferred option. There was insufficient demand in areas such as Wicklow, Skerries, Carrick-on-Suir and Roscommon, among others.

The level of demand required to support change was set at the minimum enrolment required for a four- teacher school, somewhere between 80 and 100 pupils. A total of 10,715 valid survey responses were received.The majority of parents who took part in the survey named Educate Together as their preferred patron.

Minister for Education Ruairi Quinn said: “We cannot ignore this call for change”. Fr Michael Drumm, chairperson of the Catholic Schools Partnership, said the figures needed closer analysis.

www.irishtimes.com

Comhdháil ar Litríocht na nÓg

April 2, 2013

Minister for Education & Skills announces 23 towns will see change in patronage of primary schools

April 2, 2013

Report on surveys of parental preferences for primary school patronage published

The Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn T.D., has published the results of primary school patronage surveys from 38 towns across the country.
These surveys were undertaken as part of the Minister’s response to the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in Primary schools and are aimed at establishing if parents want a more diverse range of primary school patrons in their area.

Detailed analysis of the surveys shows that there is sufficient parental demand in 23 out of the 38 areas to support an immediate change in the existing school patronage. 22 of the areas will see the establishment of an English language multi-denominational school and one area will see an Irish language school established. Parents expressed a preference for an Educate Together patron in 20 of the areas and the other two towns will see Community National Schools established, run by the local VEC. 30 of the 38 areas surveyed already have a gaelscoil option available for parents.

Welcoming the publication of the surveys, Minister Quinn said, “This is another significant step on the road to providing a plurality of education and real choice for parents in the type of primary school they wish to send their children to. We are confident of a generous response from the existing patrons to the clear demand for change in more than 60% of the areas surveyed this year. “

The level of demand deemed sufficient to support a recommendation for a change in ethos of school was set at the minimum enrolment sufficient for a four teacher school. The outcomes and recommendations were verified by the New Schools’ Establishment Group which has responsibility for overseeing the process. While there is a cohort of parents in the remaining 15 out of the 38 areas who would support a change in patronage, the surveys show there is not sufficient demand at present to ensure that a school of different patronage would be viable. However, it is recognised that this may change in the future, at which point the position could be re-examined.

“There is also a strong demonstration through the surveys that many parents are happy with the current schools on offer and I think this reflects well on the education services provided by our existing patrons,” added Minister Quinn.

The surveys were undertaken for four weeks from the 14th of January. Parents of 0-12 year olds in each area were invited to participate. The towns were chosen as they had a relatively stable population of between 5,000 and 20,000 and therefore little prospect of any new schools opening in coming years to cater for demographic demand.

A total of 10,715 valid survey responses were received, the vast majority of which were filled in on-line. More than 2,000 responses were deemed invalid as they did not contain a PPS number, the address of the respondent or their name. Responses were further checked against data held by the Department of Social Protection to ensure that the children listed in each response are linked to the PPS number given and the relevant survey area.

Late last year, surveys were carried out in five pilot areas and these showed there was parental demand for a change in school patronage in each area. “Almost two thirds of the areas surveyed as part of this process, including the pilot phase, have shown sufficient parental demand for a wider choice of school patron. We cannot ignore this call for change. We will now be contacting the Catholic patron in each of the areas where we have identified this demand to request they now consider options for reconfiguring schools under their management in order to allow the transfer of a school to a new patron,” concluded Minister Quinn.

Copies of the report will be sent to all primary school patrons in each of the 38 areas. The Catholic Bishop or Archbishop in the 23 areas where demand for change has been confirmed will be asked to submit an interim response within three months and a final response with detailed proposals on divesting a school in six months.

The full report from the surveys is available at: http://www.education.ie/en/Publications/Policy-Reports/Report-on-the-surveys-regarding-parental-preferences-on-primary-school-patronage.pdf

Ballina: Educate Together
Ballinasloe: Insufficient demand
Bandon: Insufficient demand
Birr: An Foras Patrunachta
Buncrana: Insufficient demand
Carrick-on-Suir: Insufficient demand
Carrigaline: Cork VEC
Celbridge: Kildare VEC
Clonmel: Educate Together
Cobh: Educate Together
Dublin 6: Educate Together
Dungarvan: Educate Together
Edenderry: Insufficient demand
Enniscorthy: Insufficient demand
Fermoy: Educate Together
Kells: Educate Together
Killarney: Educate Together
Leixlip: Educate Together
Longford: Insufficient demand
Loughrea: Educate Together
Malahide: Educate Together
Monaghan: Insufficient demand
Nenagh: Educate Together
New Ross: Educate Together
Palmerstown: Educate Together
Passage West: Educate Together
Portmarnock: Educate Together
Roscommon: Insufficient demand
Roscrea: Insufficient demand
Rush: Educate Together
Shannon: Educate Together
Skerries: Insufficient demand
Thurles: Insufficient demand
Tipperary: Insufficient demand
Tuam: Educate Together
Westport: Educate Together
Wicklow: Insufficient demand
Youghal: Insufficient demand

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