David Quinn: We need to know how far we'll go to take religion out of schools [Independent.ie]
- Published: 24 June 2011
The forum on the future of Catholic schools has been hearing the viewpoints this week of the various stakeholders in Irish education, from the Catholic bishops to Educate Together.
The forum, established by Education Minister Ruairi Quinn, is to report back to him later this year on the best mechanism for handing over Catholic schools to other patron bodies.
The final figure could turn out to be the 50pc one touted by the Minister, or the 10pc figure mentioned by Fr Michael Drumm of the Catholic Schools Partnership.
But whatever it turns out to be, an even more important question is whether the independence of the denominational schools that remain will be properly respected.
The Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO) made its own submission to the forum and if its recommendations were to be accepted by Ruairi Quinn, the denominational schools that are left after this process is finished would not be worth having.
The INTO submission attacks the admissions policy of denominational schools, their employment rights, and their ethos.
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