It’s the result of a survey by the Department of Education across 38 areas in the country conducted in response to the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism and shows that 23 (over 60%) support an immediate change from an existing church patronage to either Educate Together, a VEC-run community national school, or An Foras Pátrúnachta schools.
‘Almost two-thirds of the areas surveyed have shown sufficient parental demand for a wider choice of school patron. We will now be contacting the Catholic patron in each to request that they now consider options for reconfiguring the schools under their management in order to allow the transfer of a school to a new patron’, said Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn. ‘I would like to thank all of the Cork parents who took the time to express their interest in this topic. We have heard what you have to say and we will work with all the partners to reflect that in local school provision’.
A total of 978 valid responses were received from Carrigaline, Passage West, Cobh and Fermoy, where the primary schools have a total of 1,939 children.
Nationally the total was 12,813 (10,715 valid) on behalf of 20,369 children and most replies were online.
There were 746 responses from parents of pre- and school-going children in the Carrigaline area, which also comprises Crosshaven, Ringaskiddy, Shanbally, Ballygarvan and Minane Bridge.
These are currently under the patronage of either the Catholic or Protestant bishops or Educate Together and the area already has a Gaelscoil.
The conclusion here is to request the Bishop of Cork and Ross to provide accommodation for a VEC English language community national school.
‘Today’s results are significant as they clearly show demand for diversity of school type exists across Cork. Minister Quinn is to be commended for the forum initiative’
There were 391 valid responses in the Passage West area that includes Monkstown and Rochestown and the preference from parents is for an Educate Together school. It was the same in the Cobh and Fermoy areas in the Diocese of Cloyne.
The Department of Education report indicated ‘insufficient demand’ for change in the Bandon-Innishannon area, which has eight primary schools including one Church of Ireland and a Gaelscoil. There was also ‘insufficient demand’ in the Youghal area.
There were 170 valid responses from the parents of 360 pre- and school-going children in the Bandon area. The principal of one of the schools told The Southern Star that all parents were fully informed of how to respond in paper or online.
Welcoming the overall survey results, regional development officer Jarlath Munnelly said: ‘Educate Together is delighted that so many parents in Cork want an Educate Together school in their community. The Forum for Patronage and Pluralism has given parents in these communities the opportunity to express preference for the schools they want. We are honoured that so many communities have put their trust in Educate Together and our educational ethos.
‘Today’s results are significant as they clearly show demand for diversity of school type exists across Cork. Minister Quinn is to be commended for the forum initiative. It has given parents a real opportunity to choose the type of schools they want for their children’s education.’
Although the survey didn’t consider that the remaining 15 areas, including Bandon and Youghal, currently showed sufficient demand for a change of patron, Educate Together said the situation could well be revisited in the future and it would continue to represent the interests of parents seeking an Educate Together school for their children.
‘The goodwill shown by the Catholic patrons to the forum’s process is also to be recognised.
The survey results show that, in addition to the interest in diversity, many parents are very happy with the Catholic national schools in their communities. Educate Together certainly expects that any school reassigned to our patronage will continue to play an active part of its local community’, Jarlath added.
There are currently 3,200 primary schools in Ireland, 2,900 of which are under Catholic patronage. Educate Together, established in 1978 to provide multi-denominational schools, has 65 primary schools nationwide with 15,300 pupils, including Cork, Carrigaline and Midleton. There is also a growing number of Gaelscoileanna, VEC community national and other primary schools.
All the survey findings, which were verified by overseeing body, the New Schools’ Establishment Group, have or are being sent to each of the schools.
Bishops are required to submit an interim response within three months and a final response with six months for divesting a school where a change of patronage has been sought by parents.
All going well, the changes in patronage, where requested, will come into effect in September 2014.