Cúrsaí teagaisc
Teaching matters
What model of primary school provision
for the future?
A legacy issue
e model of the state-aided private
primary school system, established in
the early 19th century, no longer satisfies
the needs of primary school provision
for Irish society in the 21st century. As
the system evolved, the private patrons
became almost exclusively the
authorities of religious denominations,
so that, by 2015, 93% of schools are
under denominational patronage.
However, Irish society has become
much more heterogeneous, multicultural, multi-religious and secular than
it has been in the past. A significant
minority of Irish parents now find it very
difficult, if not impossible, to exercise
their educational rights in line with
Article 42 of the Constitution.
e problem is not a new one, and
was publicly highlighted in the Report on
the National Educational Convention in
1994 and in the Report of the Constitution
Review Group in 1996. However, 20 years
later the issue has not been resolved.
Intervention towards change
e INTO, was the first group to call for
the establishment of a forum on school
patronage and religious education in
2002.
In April 2011, the Minister for
Education and Skills, Ruairi Quinn, TD,
took the initiative of establishing the
forum on patronage and pluralism in
the primary sector, prompted by the
expressed willingness of Catholic
authorities to consider divesting
patronage of some primary schools. It is
important to note that the forum was
not to engage in a fundamental appraisal
of the patronage system. Rather, its terms
of reference directed it to advise on “the
practicalities of how divesting of
patronage should operate” and how such
divesting “can be met on a widespread
basis nationally”.
e forum took a widely consultative
approach with all relevant stakeholders
and achieved a high level of consensus
among participants. e Report of the
Forum’s Advisory Group was published in
April 2012, over three and a half years ago.
e report’s recommendations
focussed on four key themes:
l
l
l
l
Decisions on patronage for newly
established schools.
Modes of divestment of patronage of a
school in towns where there was a large
cluster of denominational schools.
How ‘stand alone schools’ serving
rural areas, could be made more
inclusive when their pupils were of
different belief systems.
e introduction of a new subject
called Education about Religion and
Beliefs (ERB) and Ethics for all pupils.
A significant
minority of Irish
parents now find it
very difficult, if not
impossible, to
exercise their
educational rights in
line with Article 42
of the Constitution
Outcomes
While progress has been made on
the implementation of some of the
recommendations the overall outcome
has been disappointing over the time
span.
Since 2011, progress has been made on
the planning of appropriate patronage
patterns for 24 primary schools in areas
where increased pupil numbers have
justified the building of new schools.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that some
progress has been made in some stand
alone and other schools moving towards
becoming more inclusive. However, this
is due to the common sense, humanity
and professional acumen of individual
teachers rather than to a coordinated,
structured approach to inclusion, as
suggested by the forum report.
e report recommended that the
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DECEMBER 2015
NCCA, in consultation, would prepare an
ERB and ethics programme for all pupils,
but particularly for pupils of no religious
belief system, to help them understand
the heritage of religious systems, and the
need for tolerance. In October 2015, the
NCCA issued a consultation document
on such a programme.
It is in the area of general divestment
of patronage where clusters of
denominational schools occur and
where there is parental demand for an
alternative type of school that progress
has been most lacking in drive and
engagement. At the request of church
authorities and as recommended by the
report, the Department of Education
and Skills conducted surveys of parental
views in 47 areas, where there seemed to
be a prime facie case for an alternative
form of school. e aim was to see if
there was a significant minority of
parents in those areas who desired
change. is was to be a first phase of
what was intended to become a more
national survey. It was adjudged that this
first phase indicated that change was
sought in 23 areas. is was
communicated to the Catholic patrons.
Local meetings were convened in these
areas to explore the possibility and
processes of divesting. Predictably,
knowing the sense of identity and loyalty
of local communities with schools, no
school community opted for the
voluntary divestment of its own school.
For divestment to become a realistic
option a much more committed and
proactive engagement by patrons and
public representatives would be
required, based on good communication
of why change was necessary and in the
public interest of a pluralist democracy.
To date, eight primary schools have
benefited from the school patronage
divestment process and there are some
omens that some progress may be made
through the process of school
amalgamations.
The on-going challenge
Even though Ireland has a very high
proportion of schools per head of
population by international comparison,
parents are expressing great frustration,
privately and publicly, at not gaining
access to primary education other than
in denominational schools. In some
areas where denominational schools are
over-subscribed, even access to the
denominational school may not be
possible when these schools give priority
to applicants of their own religion. To
gain access some parents engage in the
undesirable practice of baptising
children, but with no commitment to
the sacramental issues involved.
If the divestment is
not activated and
progressed in a
satisfactory way,
then pressure is
likely to build for a
more fundamental
approach to change
the model of
primary school
provision
Situations such as these may lead to
social conflict on school provision.
If the divestment is not activated and
progressed in a satisfactory way, then
pressure is likely to build for a more
fundamental approach to change the
model of primary school provision.
Politicians have been reluctant to engage
with the constitutional and legal issues
underpinning the current system.
However, the current system is not
sustainable into the future.
Ireland has already been subject to
international criticism on the issue from
a range of bodies such as the European
Commission on Human Rights and the
UN Conventions to which Ireland has
been a signatory. is is likely to become
more intensified and the state’s
embarrassment in the light of the
European Court's finding on the state’s
role in primary schooling, as expressed
in the O’Keefe case (2014), may be
further exacerbated.
An issue of such public importance as
the satisfactory provision of primary
schooling for the citizens of a pluralist
democratic republic cannot be allowed
to drift indefinitely without injury to the
body politic.
is issue of genuine political concern
demands satisfactory resolution.
Professor JOHN COOLAHAN is professor emeritus
of education in the National University of Ireland,
Maynooth. He has lectured extensively in Ireland
and abroad, is author of three books and has
published over 120 articles in Irish and
international journals. He was a founding member
and president of the
Educational Studies
Association of Ireland,
and was editor of Irish
Educational Studies.
He is chairperson of
the governing body in
St Patrick’s College
since 2007.