Christian Brothers to hand over 130 schools by 2008

THE historic hand-over of more than 130 schools run by the Christian Brothers is in progress and could be formally completed within two years.

The work has been going on for around two years to pass responsibility for the 29 primary and 109 second-level schools to a lay trust, the Edmund Rice Schools Trust (ERST).

Although it will be run predominantly by non-clerics, the aim is that the ethos of the Christian Brothers will be maintained in the schools to which it will act as trustee.