New research reveals that while the majority of parents want change in school patronage, they still want religion taught within the school day
April 30, 2012
According to an IPPN commissioned RedC poll, Three out of four parents would opt for primary schools run by patron bodies other than churches, while a similar majority want religion taught within the school. This poll provides IPPN with independent evidence of parental and wider public opinion, enabling the network to engage with, and contribute to, the debate on patronage and pluralism with a meaningful and credible voice.
The research shows that:
- 30% of parents would prefer to send children to primary school run by VEC on behalf of the State
- 27% of parents would opt for Church-run primary schools – current model
- 24% of parents would choose multi-denominational primary schools – eg. Educate Together model
- 20% of parents would opt for State-run primary schools – no patron.
Three out of four parents would send their children to schools run by patron bodies other than Chruches if they had a choice, according to the results of a major new poll carried out by RedC on behalf of the Irish Primary Principals’ Network (IPPN), the professional body representing primary school leaders.
The poll was conducted before Easter among 729 respondents aged between 18 and 54.
Of the respondents to the poll, 45% were parents with dependent children under 16 and the rest had no dependent children.
This is the first independently commissioned professional research capturing the public’s views on primary school patronage since the publication of the report of the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism which is advising the Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn, on patronage and pluralism in primary schools.
When asked which type of school parents with dependent children and those without dependent children would choose for their children, the poll found that:
- 30% of parents with dependent children and the same number of those without dependent children would choose to send their children to a primary school owned and managed by a VEC, on behalf of the State, which provides for the instruction of religions within the school day;
- 27% of parents with dependent children and 20% of those without dependent children would opt to send their children to a primary school owned and managed by a Church which provides for the instruction of its own religion within the school day;
- 24% of parents with dependent children and 25% of those without dependent children would choose to send their children to a school owned and managed by a multi-denominational group – for example, Educate Together – which facilitates the instruction of a number of religions on the school premises outside the school day; and,
- 20% of parents with dependent children and 25% of those without dependent children would opt to send their children to a primary school owned and managed directly by the State without patronage which provides for the instruction of religion outside the school day.
When asked about when religious instruction and preparation for the sacraments should be taught – for example, first confession, first communion and confirmation – 67% of parents with dependent children said during the school day and 31% said outside the school day.
When the same question was asked of those parents without dependent children, 61% opted for religious instruction during the school day and 38% chose outside the school day.
According to 4% of respondents, that question did not apply to them.
Of the parents who opted for religious instruction outside the school day, 60% wanted that responsibility to fall to parents, 26% to the clergy and 15% to teachers.
Of those without dependent children who opted for religious instruction outside the school day, 59% wanted that duty to fall to parents, 28% to the clergy and 13% to teachers.
Seán Cottrell, IPPN Director, described the poll as a ‘snapshot of the preferences of broad Irish society, which included parents with and without dependent children, on the type of school they want for their children’.
‘IPPN represents principals in primary schools of all patronage types without favouring one over another. We are committed to researching the various models and to listening to the voices of parents who are the most important stakeholders in primary education patronage. IPPN commissioned this research to gauge parental and wider public opinion on the type of patronage, ethos, religious or otherwise, that should inform primary school education as we embrace changing societal demographics,’ said Mr Cottrell.
As Minister Quinn considers the report of the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism, IPPN has a number of concerns:
Many parents will have raised expectations which may not be possible to deliver and will present difficulties due to accommodation and staffing limitations;
There will be further pressure on principals who may find themselves in a game of high-stakes diplomacy between a host of stakeholders;
While principals strive to make schools as inclusive and open as possible, the change implications from the forum report are not within the gift of principals. This is a point about which the majority of parents may not be aware; and,
The essential focus for every principal must be to lead and manage the quality of learning at a time of unprecedented change in schools.
Gerry Murphy, IPPN President, said the the ‘independent professional research will help to inform decision-making and play a constructive role in helping Government and education partners understand the preferences of parents today and those of the future’.
‘Strikingly, the vast majority of both parents with dependent children and those without dependent children believe that religious instruction and sacramental preparation should be taught during the school day – even though there is a similar majority who would prefer schools not to be owned and managed by the main churches. While there appears to be a public appetite for choice in the models of school patronage available, with most people opting for models that are not based on the ethos of a Church, there is still strong demand for religious instruction to be taught within the school day. In all this, however, we must not lose sight of our overriding objective which is to uphold the highest standards of teaching and learning for our children regardless of their background,’ said Mr Murphy.
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