“Keeping the show on the road” [educationmatters.ie]
- Published: 23 February 2011
Remarks regarding patronage of primary schools in Ireland by Archbishop Diarmuid Martin from his address to the Cambridge Group for Irish Studies.
"There is a growing debate in Ireland about schools and the patronage of schools. I am patron of about 470 primary schools - and patronage is not just an honorary title, it is one with practical consequences. I am responsible for the management of the ethos of those schools, for senior appointments, and - being a practical man - I recognise one particular practical consequence of being patron, namely, that I am the one who can be sued when legal action takes place.
“I am the patron of about 93% of all primary schools in the Archdiocese of Dublin while Catholics compose only about 85% of the population. There may be historical reasons why this is so. These Catholic schools may be very good schools, open and tolerant, welcoming the disadvantaged sectors of society, multi-cultured and inclusive rather than exclusive. Such a massive presence of the Catholic Church in the management of schools is, however, patently a remnant of the past and no longer tenable today.
Full Story: www.educationmatters.ie
Catholic Church Could Fall 'Over The Brink'
- Published: 23 February 2011
The Catholic Church could "fall over the brink" and become irrelevant to society, according to the Archbishop of Dublin.
In a dramatic speech to the Cambridge Group for Irish Studies in the Magdalene College in Cambridge, Diarmuid Martin said that Catholicism in Ireland was being reduced to a tiny minority and becoming "irrelevant in society".
During the speech entitled 'Keeping The Show On The Road', examining the future of the Catholic Church in Ireland, Bishop Martin quoted the Archbishop of Boston, who had conducted an Apostolic Visitation in the Archdiocese of Dublin, and found that Ireland has only five or at most ten years before it falls 'over the brink'.
Full Story: www.constructionireland.ie
Teachers' skills [IrishTimes]
- Published: 23 February 2011
Madam, – Mary Coughlan’s claim that teachers lack the “requisite skills” to boost literacy and numeracy standards (Breaking News, February 17th) is simply wrong. Teachers lack the “requisite resources” because her government failed to reduce class sizes and fund schools adequately. Ms Coughlan was invited to debate such issues with other education spokespersons at an INTO conference recently, but did not attend. Her absence coupled with her subsequent comments will not make any teacher’s heart grow fond. – Yours, etc,
JIM HIGGINS,
President,
INTO,
Parnell Square, Dublin 1.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Catholic dominance of schools not 'tenable' [IrishTimes]
- Published: 23 February 2011
THE DOMINANCE of the Catholic Church in the patronage of the State’s primary schools is “a remnant of the past and no longer tenable today”, Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin has said.
The Government had been “very slow in providing a plurality of patronage models”, Dr Martin added, calling for a national forum to debate such plurality.
In a lengthy address to the Cambridge Group for Irish Studies at Magdalene College yesterday, he said: “I am the patron of about 93 per cent of all primary schools in the archdiocese of Dublin, while Catholics compose only about 85 per cent of the population.”
Such “a massive presence of the Catholic Church in the management of schools is, however, patently a remnant of the past and no longer tenable today”.
It was “obvious that there is a desire for change in the management structure of Irish schools. It is recognised that the Irish Government has an obligation to ensure that parents who do not want a religious ethos in the formation of their children can, as far as possible, exercise their rights.”
A very high proportion of Catholics would prefer their children to attend a school with a pluralist mix, albeit with some basic religious culture. “I believe that there is need for a national forum to debate the issue. Plurality in management is needed to address the changed Irish culture. Plurality in school management can only benefit the true Catholic identity of Catholic schools.”
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
Call to Employers for Expressions of Interest for the Internship Development Programme [education.ie]
- Published: 22 February 2011
The Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills, Ms. Mary Coughlan, today (22 February 2011) called for qualifying enterprises who wish to take part in a new initiative, the Internship Development Programme, to register ‘Expressions of Interest’ with FÁS.
The Internship Development Programme is a new enterprise-led labour market activation initiative aimed at those who are at least three months unemployed. Under this programme participants will be offered a 12 month placement with host organisations. In addition to the actual placement, participants will undertake an education and training component, which will be certified and will aim to improve their skills and competencies.
The programme is open to companies in the Private, Commercial Semi-State and Community/Voluntary Sector (Host Organisations). The criteria for becoming a host organisation includes a requirement that a company must have a minimum of 1 full time employee and has not made any person redundant in the last three months. Under the criteria of the programme it is proposed that host organisations who participate in the programme will contribute €150 per week per intern.
The Tánaiste said that from today, FÁS is inviting ‘Expressions of Interest’ from qualifying enterprises who wish to offer internships under this programme. She said that the success of the programme will be entirely dependent on enterprises embracing the programme and offering quality placements to the unemployed.
Full Story: www.education.ie
