Whitehall parents have just one week to fill in survey on patron options for primary schools
Samhain 2, 2012
Deadline of 9th November only a week away
The Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn T.D., is calling on parents in Whitehall (including Kilmore West and Beaumont) to complete the survey on primary school patronage before the 9th November deadline.
In a new initiative, launched by Minister Quinn last month, parents of pre-school and primary school children are being asked what patrons they would like to see running their local primary schools.
Earlier this year, the Advisory Group to the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector made recommendations to on the divesting of patronage where there is a stable population and a demand for diversity of school types.
Following on from these recommendations, the Minister commenced a new process to examine the possibility of transferring some schools to other patron bodies in 44 areas around the country.
Last month, Minister Quinn asked parents of pre-school and primary school children in Whitehall to complete surveys stating their preferences for thetype of school they would like their children to attend. Parents in Arklow, Castlebar, Tramore and Trim are also being surveyed in this pilot phase.
The intention is to find out if parents would prefer a wider choice of school patron than is currently available to them. The responses of parents will be used to decide what changes, if any, should be made to widen the availability of other types of primary school in these locations.
The existing patrons in greater Whitehall are the Archbishop of Dublin (Catholic) and An Foras Pátrúnachta.
The bodies which have expressed interest in becoming patrons of divested schools in the area are An Foras Pátrúnachta, Educate Together and Dublin City VEC.
Minister Quinn said, “I am urging all eligible Whitehall parents to make sure that their voices are heard by taking part in these surveys. This is a historic opportunity for parents to re-shape the primary school landscape for generations to come.”
If the surveys identify demand for alternative patronage in these areas, the Department will explore with the existing patrons the transfer of patronage of schools.
The survey is available at: www.education.ie and all eligible parents or guardians are asked to complete it on-line by Friday 9th November. Parents or guardians are advised to have their PPS number to hand when accessing the on-line survey as this will be requested for validation purposes.
A free helpline is available in the Department for anyone who has any difficulties in completing the survey: 1800 303621. The helpline will be open from 9.30 to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm, Monday to Friday.
If parents cannot access the online survey, a paper based version can be requested by ringing the freephone number1800 303621.
