Educate Together - Briefing Document

Situation

In terms of administrative support and resource allocation, Educate Together is at the bottom of the pile in the Irish education system. Successive governments have found it acceptable to place enormous obstacles in the way of setting up Educate Together schools. This policy of hindering the development of education that welcomes and guarantees respect for all ethical and religious traditions in our society raises serious questions of the commitment of political parties to inclusive social development.

The obstacles placed in the path of Educate Together national schools are:

Parents must set up such a school if none exists.

The state does not regard that it has any obligation to provide in this area. In contrast, the state does consider itself obliged to assist the establishment of Irish-speaking schools and through state boards provides resources to support a national office, development officers and coordinators for this purpose. Educate Together is however, forced to rely on charitable contributions for its continuing existence.

Groups of parents wishing to set up an Educate Together school must provide a site for the school.

Given the fact that Educate Together groups are voluntary associations of parents in a given area and have very limited means, this is the single greatest barrier to the growth of multi-denominational education. In urban areas, sites for schools can cost around £500,000 if they are available at all. The state therefore operates a policy that limits the right to multi-denominational education to those who can acqui . re property. The state does not apply this restriction to those wishing to set up Irish-speaking schools. The rationale of the state has been that this is treating Educate Together the same as the denominational authorities. It is clear to any impartial observer that this is an inappropriate comparison.

In addition to the absurdity of treating Educate Together as if it were another large denominational institution with huge financial resources, Educate Together schools are denied capital grants during a period of "provisional recognition".

During this time all expenditure on the fabric and furnishings of a school h as to be borne by the parents and is not reimbursed. In contrast, denominational schools are given 85% capital grants from the outset. In the case of gaelscoileanna (Irish Language Schools) the state recognises that these schools often operate without the 'parochial contribution' and provides them with sites, affords them 100% capital grants, and an additional capitation allowance per child.

Future Prospects

There is growing demand for multi-denominational education both from parents and educationalists. Recent surveys have indicated that a majority of teachers would prefer to teach in a multi-denominational environment and although no proper survey of parent wishes has ever been attempted, wherever Educate Together schools have been set up, they have proved to be extremely popular. In the Dublin area, established schools have to turn away at least three times as many children as they can accommodate. In an area of declining school-going population in Cork, the Educate Together school has been instructed by the Department not to take any more children. In Celbridge, 2 years after its foundation, the North Kildare National School Project has had to turn away children from its oversubscribed junior infant classes. There are currently plans to open a number of new schools. All these prospective schools face a daunting task of identifying and obtaining premises.

The continuing policy of obstruction of pluralist education in Ireland is denying Irish citizens a right to choose the ethical environment in which their children are educated.

It should not be supported.

Educate together is asking for your support for the following immediate government decisions.

  1. A commitment from the state to provide for multi-denominational education where it can be adequately proven that demand for such education exists. In particular that the state will provide and own the site upon which such schools are developed.
  2. Provision of adequate funding for the national organisation of Educate Together schools. This should be minimally sufficient to fund an office, co-ordinator and development officer.

17/O5/97.

We would be glad to hear your comments. You can E-mail us at:cspadmin.ias@eircom.net


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