Patronage change sought in surveys
December 12, 2012
The Department of Education is set to press ahead with the process of handing over Catholic-run schools to other patron bodies after the results of parent surveys were published today.
The Department insists the surveys show strong parental demand for a greater choice of patron.
But the very low turnout in some areas – less than 40 per cent- will be seized on by critics as evidence the public is not greatly exercised about changes to school patronage.
The surveys were conducted on a pilot basis in five areas Arklow, Castlebar, Tramore, Trim and Whitehall. Shortly , they will be rolled out in 44 other areas which have been identified as those where the Catholic church may be over represented.
In the five areas, the multi-denominational group Educate Together emerged as the first choice of alternative patron. Each of the five areas already has an existing Gaelscoil, which is capable of accommodating the demand expressed for Irish language medium schools.
“Parents have been given a voice through this survey process to express a preference for the types of schools they want to send their children to. While many are happy with the schools already available in their area, there is a clear demand from others for greater choice,” Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn said.
“I will now ask the main patron in each area, the Catholic Bishop or Archbishop, to consider the re-configuration options open to him which would allow sufficient school accommodation to be made available to facilitate this choice.”
Mr Quinn is requesting each of the patrons to consult with their local school communities.
The Department is requesting an interim response in three months and a final response in six months.
Mr Quinn has also announced that the survey will be rolled out to further areas in early January. “Parents from the other towns identified following the Forum Report on Patronage will be able to express their views on the choice of primary schools in their towns via the survey from the 9th of January for one month.”
The report published today outlines in detail the result of the surveys carried out over three weeks, beginning in late October.
Parents of pre-school and primary school children were asked to take part in a survey, with almost 99 per cent doing so online, to determine if there is demand for a wider choice of patron in their locality.
The aim of the survey was to establish the level of parental demand for a wider choice of patronage in primary schools in the areas.
Each town has a relatively stable population and therefore little prospect of a new school opening there in coming years. A total of 1,788 valid survey responses were received. These represented 3,459 children in the five areas.
The number of parents who supported a wider choice of patron ranged from 37 per cent to 50 per cent of respondents in the five areas. The percentage of parents who said they would send their children to an alternative school patron if available ranged from 25 per cent to 35 per cent. While those who did not want to see more choice ranged from 35 per cent to 44 per cent of respondents.
On their preference for the English or Irish language school medium, 70 per cent to almost 80 per cent of respondents chose English language schools, while the preference for instruction in the Irish language ranged from almost 10 per cent to 21 per cent.
Of those parents seeking wider choice of patron, Educate Together was the first preference of 56 per cent to 76 per cent of parents, An Forás Pátrúnachta was the first choice for between 6 per cent to 26 per cent of parents and the VECs ranged from 10 per cent to 18 per cent.
Number of responses in the five pilot areas :
* Arklow: 384 responses, representing 706 of the 1,965 pupils in primary schools in the area.
*Castlebar: 465 responses, representing 932 of the 2,261 pupils in the area.
*Tramore: 276 responses , representing 563 of the 1,644 pupils in the area.
*Trim: 300 responses, representing 588 of the 1,540 pupils in the area.
*Whitehall: 546 responses, representing 987 of the 2,449 pupils in the area.
