IPPN

The Catholic Church secured a crucial pledge from Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe yesterday on preparing pupils for Holy Communion in the new Community National Schools.

The minister reassured the bishops this preparation could take place during school hours. The assurance was given at a meeting in Leinster House. It had been requested by the bishops who wanted the situation clarified.

Two community national schools opened under the Co Dublin Vocational Education Committee this year. They are open to pupils of all religions and none.

In multi-denominational schools run by Educate Together, preparation for the sacraments takes place after school hours, but the Catholic church wants provision made within the school day for the new schools.

The bishops confirmed again their desire to see the additional model of patronage in Community National Schools succeed. They emphasised their wish to be able to assure Catholic parents of pupils in Community National Schools that their children would follow the same religious education programme as in a Catholic school.

Reaffirmed

A statement last night from the bishops said that Mr O'Keeffe reaffirmed the policy on religious education in these schools as announced by Minister Hanafin on December 13, 2007.

This announcement stated that the new schools would be "aiming to provide for religious education and faith formation during the school day for each of the main faith groups represented".

"Minister O'Keeffe gave an assurance that the commitment to provide religious instruction and faith formation during the school day on a denominational basis for the pupils whose parents request it stands.

"The minister also added that the Community National School will be an additional model of patronage and is not designed to replace existing models," added the statement.

Afterwards Bishop Leo O'Reilly, chair of the bishops' Education Commission said: "We welcome the minister's reaffirmation of the policy on religious education provision originally announced and we look forward to it being implemented accordingly.

"Once again we welcome this additional model of patronage and wish it well."

Also attending were: Bishop Donal Murray, chair of the bishops' Department of Catholic Education and Formation; Bishop Brendan Kelly, member of the bishops' Commission on Education; Monsignor James Cassin, executive secretary of the bishops' Commission on Education; Monsignor Lorcan O'Brien, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Dublin; and Monsignor Dan O'Connor, member of the bishops' Commission on Education and parish priest of Dun Laoghaire/Glasthule.

- John Walshe