Church 'got no warning' on plan to curb control of schools [Independent.ie]
- Published: 09 March 2010
CATHOLIC bishops say they were taken by "surprise" when Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe last week unveiled his plans to curb the number of schools under Catholic control. Bishop Leo O'Reilly, chair of the church's education commission, said yesterday the church had been given no warning of last Friday's announcement by Mr O'Keeffe.
In a speech to Catholic school managers, the minister declared the church would relinquish control of up to 1,500 of their primary schools within two to three decades.
The church runs more than 3,000 primary schools across the country, or 92pc of the total figure. But that would fall to about 60pc, said the minister, who did not say how the 60pc figure was arrived at.
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