THE LAST things Irish society needs are social division and conflict
associated with problems affecting local school provision, the chairman
of the forum said.
In his opening address, Prof John Coolahan said
the process of adjusting school patronage could involve the unlocking
of allegiances, long-held loyalties, aspects of identity and personal
engagement.
People could have an emotional attachment to their local
schools, which must be understood, he said.
He expressed
confidence that social conflict could be avoided, but he exhorted those
participating in the forum to consider not just a sectoral interest, but
to reach out and seek accommodation with other legitimate interests.
It
was crucial that unnecessary fears and apprehensions about the future
of religion in schools were not fomented by any agency, including the
media, he said.
He said the attempt to make greater provision for
the rights of some citizens “does not mean that we trespass on the
rights of others. There are likely to be adjustments and inconveniences
for some citizens with the restructuring of school patronage, but their
rights will not be threatened or abolished.”
Prof Coolahan said the 180-year-old Irish primary school system had served many generations of Irish people well.
“In
the modern, more multicultural Ireland, the national schools have been
successful in accommodating greater cultural, ethnic, linguistic and
religious diversity among their pupil bodies. The tradition of general
inclusivity in our primary schools needs to be guarded, and we need to
be alert that changes do not lead to greater social stratification in
our schools, or to a two-tier primary system.’’
While concerned to
uphold their denominational character, most Catholic primary schools
sought to be as inclusive as possible, he said.
Prof Coolahan
stressed that Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn had not asked the
advisory panel to design a new blueprint for the national education
system.
“Rather, he asked us to examine the existing form of
school patronage with a view to making it more generally acceptable to
all citizens.
“We were not asked as to whether change in existing patronage should be introduced.”
The plan for change, he said, was generally accepted.
The
forum, he said, would establish the demand for diversity of patronage;
tease out the practicalities of managing the divesting of patronage; and
examine how diversity could be accommodated where there was just one or
two schools serving a community with a static population.