Proposal for new schools to share grounds [IrishTimes]
- Published: 04 January 2011
PROPOSED NEW primary schools must signal their readiness to be part of a “campus development” with other schools in order to gain recognition by the Department of Education, according to a draft report for Minister for Education Mary Coughlan.
The report – on the procedures for establishing new primary schools – says it is no longer practical for “every student to be provided with access to a place in a school operated by a patron of their choice”.
In future, it says patrons must be able to show clear public demand for their proposed schools. In a proposal which could generate difficulties for Catholic schools, it also says patrons must demonstrate that the demand for any proposed new school is not already being met.
Last year, the department identified possible areas where the Catholic Church might divest itself of certain primary schools.
In a submission to the department, Catholic school managers said the preparedness of the church to consider a transfer in patronage “is something which will merit favourable consideration in applications for recognition of new Catholic primary schools, this would be a reciprocation of goodwill”.
The report by senior Department of Education officials and education partners wants a radical overhaul of the existing, informal procedures for the recognition of schools.
At present , schools can be established with a minimum number of just 17 pupils. The new report says schools should have capacity for up to three streams, or about 75 pupils.
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