Primary teachers 'agnostic' on issue of school patronage [IrishTimes]
- Published: 24 June 2011
TEACHERS WERE “somewhat agnostic” when it came to the patronage of primary schools, Irish National Teachers Organisation general secretary Sheila Nunan told the advisory group on school patronage yesterday. They were more likely to be drawn in when it came to boards of management, she said.
Still, teachers attached “huge importance” to the patronage debate and were “glad it hasn’t descended into trench warfare as they have no vested interest in any patron body”, she said.
Sacramental preparation was “a very key feature of our denominational schools,” she said. Over recent years “teachers have been concerned that a responsibility has shifted to the school [for such preparation] which is not necessarily reflected in the faith community itself”, she said.
The issue of teachers who were not believers being involved with such preparation “arose from time to time”.
There had been no survey on the matter since 2002, which showed a majority of teachers were willingly involved in such preparation, with younger teachers less likely to be and rural teachers more willing, she said.
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