Schools say changes must be voluntary [IrishTimes]
- Published: 07 April 2011
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS will resist any moves to impose changes in patronage against their will and without the agreement of parents and the wider school community.
In a position paper published yesterday, the Catholic Schools Partnership said the process of transferring some Catholic schools to other patrons must not be rushed since this would draw hostility and resentment.
The partnership – a group providing support for all partners in the Republic’s Catholic schools – called for a lengthy period of consultation and said changes should only be considered after a series of pilot studies were assessed.
By contrast, Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn envisages a speedy timetable, where the process could begin by January. The Minister envisages that 50 per cent of the church’s 3,000 primary schools could be transferred to other patrons.
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