Patronage reform process begins
October 24, 2012
Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn has launched the first step towards the divesting of primary schools from the Catholic Church in 44 communities as a result of a huge demand among parents for a change of patronage.
To ensure the demands of the public are met, a survey is being distributed among parents in 5 areas where schools, currently under the Catholic Church, are to reform their patronage: Arklow, Castlebar, Whitehall, Trim and Tramore.
Surveys will be distributed in the 39 other areas next month with the hope of reforming patronage in primary school by September 2012 if parents comply with survey deadlines.
The five patrons which will compete in these five areas are An Foras Pátrúnachta; Educate Together; VECs; the National Learning Network; and the Redeemed Christian Church of God and strict handling guidelines have been put into place to ensure that information will be disputed fairly among parents.
In the survey, which is being distributed mainly online, parents will be asked to state whether they feel a wider range of patrons are needed and to vote their preference of the patrons which have expressed interest in their area. Parents will also be asked whether they prefer same-sex or co-education and English speaking schools or Gaelscoileanna.
An Foras Pátrúnachta is the first choice for parents who wish to promote all Irish speaking education in their area. 61 primary schools and 3 secondary school are currently under their patronage and students in those schools are immersed in the Irish language from their first day onwards.
“We are the only patron who can offer parents a choice of spiritual ethos which include Multi-denominational, Interdenominational and Catholic.” said Caoimhín Ó hEaghra, Ard-Rúnaí, An Foras Pátrúnachta.
Minister Quinn is asking parents to complete the survey before 9 November 2012. All information on the process is available on www.foras.ie and surveys can be found on www.education.ie.
GAELPORT.COM
