Bishops challenge Quinn over transfer of school patronage [IrishTimes]
- Published: 18 June 2011
CATHOLIC bishops have criticised the suggestion by Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn that 50 per cent of primary schools under their control could be transferred to other patrons.
Ahead of next week’s opening of the forum on school patronage, the bishops describe the Minister’s remarks as “very unhelpful”, as it suggests to those involved in Catholic schools that “they will be forced into change against their will. ”
This, they say, will not be the case. “We are not involved in social engineering but in the voluntary transfer of patronage where there is demonstrable demand for such. ”
The comments are made in a formal submission to the three-day forum, which begins on Wednesday at the Department of Education.
The submission is one of four from Catholic education groups. All signal that Catholic Church representatives will take a tougher line at the forum than that articulated by Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin when he first raised the patronage issue three years ago.
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