Irish parents will shortly begin to vote for who they want to run their local school in a historic new step for Irish education.
The move is intended to end the dominance of the Catholic Church in primary education, handing over some of the 92 percent of the Irish schools it currently controls to other patron bodies.
According to the Irish Independent, the church is in agreement with the Irish government that greater choice is required to reflect growing cultural and ethnic changes and plans to hand over control to other patrons in line with parental demand.
The Irish Department of Education is responding to a demand for greater diversity, acknowledging that it has no plans to open a new school. The five areas picked for the first transitions from religious to secular control are: Arklow, County Wicklow; Castlebar, County Mayo; Tramore, County Waterford; Trim, County Meath and Whitehall, Dublin, while the remaining 39 other areas targeted in the first round will vote in November.
Parents will reportedly be asked to vote in order of preference for the alternative patrons who have expressed an interest in running schools in their areas.
They'll also be asked if they prefer single sex or co-educational schools and if they would prefer an Irish-speaking or English-speaking school.
The Department of Education will conduct its surveys online but there will also be a paper-based option for parents, and surveys must be submitted before November 9.
Where a demand for alternative patronage is identified, the department will explore with the existing patrons the transfer of patronage of schools.
It's not yet known how many of the Republic’s 3,000 Catholic primary schools will be handed over, but Irish Education Minister Ruairi Quinn wants to name the first batch by next June.
Quinn called the move a historic opportunity for parents to reshape the primary school landscape for generations to come.
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.eiriamach | Oct 26, 2012, 06:32 PM EDT
In the USA, Catholic schools once offered a great education, especially to the poor, who could afford the low cost. Now, the bishops are shutting down Catholic schools that are not self-supporting with high tuition that keeps poor kids out. Why? They no longer have selfless nuns who taught faithfully with no expectation of real salaries. Why do they no longer have enough nuns to keep costs down? The bishops accuse the nuns of heresy and (oh that dreaded word) "feminism," and insist on managing the nuns! So lokionline's comment applies also to Catholic schools here: The "march of history" has ended that kind of education. I'm grateful for the 12 years I had in Catholic schools, but sadly those schools of a bygone era, where I learned to educate myself for a lifetime, to think for myself, and to live in the spirit, are gone forever.
lokionline | Oct 26, 2012, 02:25 PM EDT
Good! We see the march of history at play here. Does anyone really think this trend will reverse? I guess there are enough who do, but you must be feeling pretty embattled I would think. Being educated in a religious environment is one of the main predictors of who will be terrorists tomorrow. Religious education is a source of intolerance and the source of the justifications for imposing that intolerance on others.
ignorant amos | Oct 25, 2012, 09:22 AM EDT
@jetsnoone "After 800 years the British have it all figured out: Don't fight the Irish, just ignore them, and they eventually will surrender." Are you aware of how and why the NORMANS came to invade Ireland? It always helps to know your history before making such comments.
Smyrnian | Oct 25, 2012, 07:13 AM EDT
All the postings seem to have the right take on this one. The only thing I would add is Irish Central's palpable ecstacy at a possible reverse for the Catholic Church. Feeds their rabid anti Catholic rhetoric so often seen here.
aloistmartin | Oct 24, 2012, 06:23 PM EDT
Ireland, without Catholic School, is like Korean Spaghetti and Meatballs, like Vegan Bratwurst and Near Beer, like Baked Cheetos, Like Decaffeinated Coffee ! YUUUK !
aloistmartin | Oct 24, 2012, 05:58 PM EDT
For it follows that Today`s Schoolchildren, are tomorrows filial, Protestant Pandering, Labor Exclusionist, Immigrant Mongering, Bourgeois Capitalists ! ( Haec Dona, Haec Munera, Heac Santa Sacrificia Illibata ? )
jetsnoone | Oct 24, 2012, 02:18 PM EDT
After 800 years the British have it all figured out: Don't fight the Irish, just ignore them, and they eventually will surrender.
cillowen | Oct 24, 2012, 10:21 AM EDT
Shatter is yer man for this as demonstrated by his pawn moving skills,