Catholic partnership sets out markers on what changes it may find acceptable [IrishTimes]
- Published: 07 April 2011
ANALYSIS: The Catholic Church will not give up control of primary schools easily
THE 8,000-WORD position paper prepared by the Catholic Schools Partnership is an impressive document which outlines in a measured way the contribution made by Catholic schools to Irish society.
The partnership unveiled the document in St Patrick’s National School in Diswellstown, west Dublin. With 45 nationalities and children of all faiths and none, it’s the kind of school which represents the new, inclusive face of Catholic education in modern Ireland.
During the press conference, much praise was lavished on a primary school system which is high quality and supremely cost-efficient. A central theme? The system was not broken – so why rush to fix it?
The problem of course is that Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn has a very different perspective. The Minister has cited the views of Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, who has said he has 90 per cent of all Dublin schools under his control to cater for about 50 per cent of the population who actively want a Catholic education.
Opinion polls also suggest an appetite for change. The most recent Irish Times poll on the issue indicated clear majority support (61 per cent) for State control of primary schools.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
