Forum to examine school patronage [IrishTimes]
- Published: 28 March 2011
Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn has set up an expert group to decide how up to half of all primary schools will be moved away from Catholic Church patronage.
The forum will be chaired by Prof John Coolahan, professor emeritus at NUI Maynooth, and will meet for the first time in May.
Dr Coolahan will be assisted by Fionnuala Kilfeather, former chief executive of the National Parents' Council, and Dr Caroline Hussey, former registrar and deputy president at UCD.
They will advise the Minister on how best it can be ensured that the education system provides a sufficiently diverse number and range of primary schools catering for all religions and none and the practicalities of how transferof patronage should operate for individual primary schools in communities where it is appropriate and necessary.
The current economic climate and the willingness of the Catholic Church to consider divesting patronage will be taken into account.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
