Rt Rev Dr Richard Clarke, writing in the Irish
Times “Rite and Reason” column states clearly that the Republic’s
Department of Education and Skills should give proper and reasonable
support to the patrons of the 180 or so Church of Ireland national
schools into the foreseeable future.
Bishop Clarke writes: Mine is the perspective of the second-largest of
the patron bodies for national schools, and also the second-largest
involved from a religious or faith base.
Historically, the Church of
Ireland took the role of care (in education) for members of the Church
of Ireland, but also for those of others of the reformed Christian
traditions.
This evolved over time to mean the admissions policy for Church of
Ireland national schools was reasonably flexible, to include many who
were not Church of Ireland, but with the caveat that the sponsoring body
should not cease to be a majority holding in terms of overall pupil
enrolment.
This was the intended underlying philosophy, with an attendant
assumption that the schools would be Church of Ireland in spirit and
character, with an involvement (and the active volunteerist support) of
the local parish community, and with an important place for religious
education and school worship.
The religious education programme was designed, however, to be
broader than the narrowly confessional, and to leave proper space for
the role of family and of parish in the spiritual formation of the
individual child.
This broadly remains the philosophy behind Church of Ireland
patronage of national schools, and it is one which seems to accord with
the wishes and declared will of many parents and families throughout the
country.
This being the case, I believe the Department of Education and Skills
should give proper and reasonable support to the patrons of the 180 or
so Church of Ireland national schools into the foreseeable future.
On a wider basis, although I cannot predict the findings of the
recent census, in a country where a massive majority at the last census –
I think over 90 per cent – declared themselves as having some religion,
I do not accept there is any moral onus on the Government to rush into
radical changes with regard to school patronage.
I believe emphatically in the principle of “a mixed economy” in the
matter of education – that there is a respected place for schools of
different types, but I would ask for an honest and unequivocal statement
from the Department of Education and indeed from the Government as a
whole that this is also their understanding of the matter.
There is no doubt but that present policies – in terms of an
undifferentiating redeployment of teachers on a cross-patronage basis;
in reductions in support for school transport; in the cutting of numbers
of support teachers; in a very blunt threat to smaller schools – are
making patrons of Church of Ireland national schools wonder how we are
meant to secure a proper future for our schools.
Since becoming involved in the management of national schools 30
years ago, I have certainly never known a time when national school
teachers felt so insecure and so utterly unvalued by department and
Government.
We need to know whether this is as a result of the proverbial “law of
unintended consequences”, in which case we need to have very serious
discussions with the department on how to mitigate the effects, even in a
time of severe recession.
If it is, however, a policy that represents “intended consequences”,
but by subterfuge – the intentional dismantling of denominational
education for minorities by attrition and strangulation – then I would
like to hear some honesty in order that we can all look at the moral and
legal implications for all concerned.
If the department has a particular alternative ideology with regard
to national school education, we need to hear it, honestly and openly.
Then we can respond or react to it.
If not, then we as patrons need to be allowed to do our work properly
for the good not only of those who are our specific responsibility but,
I believe, for the common good also.