Department asks for multi-faith school

IN an unusual reversal of roles, the Department of Education has asked Educate Together to open a multi- denominational school — at short notice — in a fast-growing part of north Co Dublin.

The organisation is the patron of more than 40 schools around the country that guarantee equal access and respect for children and parents of all faiths — or none. More than 95% of the country’s 3,300 primary schools are still run on a denominational basis, mostly by the Catholic Church or Church of Ireland.

Educate Together has complained in the past that the Department of Education was slow to recognise the growth in demand for this type of education model — with parents usually waiting years for proper funding and buildings.