VEC primary school wins recognition

A DUBLIN primary school to open next year, operated by a Vocational Education Committee (VEC), could mark the first significant step in altering the Catholic church’s domination of primary education.

Education Minister Mary Hanafin made the landmark decision yesterday to grant recognition to County Dublin VEC for the school in Diswellstown, which is expected to enrol its first pupils in September 2008.

Around 93% of the country’s 3,279 primary schools are under the patronage of the local Catholic bishop, but the pilot school could provide a model for other VECs to meet the educational needs of a diverse school population.