TEACHERS WERE “somewhat agnostic” when it came to the patronage of
primary schools, Irish National Teachers Organisation general secretary
Sheila Nunan told the advisory group on school patronage Thursday.
They
were more likely to be drawn in when it came to boards of management,
she said.
Still, teachers attached “huge importance” to the
patronage debate and were “glad it hasn’t descended into trench warfare
as they have no vested interest in any patron body”, she said.
Sacramental
preparation was “a very key feature of our denominational schools,” she
said.
Over recent years “teachers have been concerned that a
responsibility has shifted to the school [for such preparation] which is
not necessarily reflected in the faith community itself”, she said.
The issue of teachers who were not believers being involved with such preparation “arose from time to time”.
There
had been no survey on the matter since 2002, which showed a majority of
teachers were willingly involved in such preparation, with younger
teachers less likely to be and rural teachers more willing, she said.
Where
schools were allowed discriminate against teachers whose lifestyles
didn’t comply with a schools ethos, particularly where divorce and
homosexuality were concerned, she said there were concerns such could be
barriers to employment or advancement.
About senior children she
emphasised that “they have an important contribution to make.”
They
could provide an insight into whether “diversity and plurality is
working.” Prof John Coolahan agreed it was “very important to hear the
children’s voices”.
He suggested to Marie Griffin, chief executive
of the Irish Vocational Education Association, that the five pilot
community (VEC) national schools were “at cutting edge work”.
Were they
successful in accommodating such diversity among its pupils, that would
be “of world importance if you can pull it off”, he said.
The VEC
policy, Ms Griffin said, was “always one of inclusion” but that this did
not mean ghettoisation. They were “very careful” when it came to the
percentage of special needs children, Travellers, and immigrant children
were accommodated in each school “to avoid ghettoisation.”
In
Scoil Colm in Dublin 15, 24 per cent of the children were Catholic, 14
per cent were Orthodox Christian, 31 per cent were other Christian, 29
per cent were Muslim, with “a handful” of Hindus, Buddhists and
Humanists.
“In practice we divide the children into four different
groups – Catholic, other Christian, Muslim and non-theist,” she said.
Children moved around the classrooms, as they did for other subjects. “It is the same for religion, they move around,” she said.
The schools ensured faith formation for children in accordance with parents wishes. All children studied the text ethical book
Goodness Me. Goodness You , provided in such schools and which all could accept, as well as stories from their different faith traditions.