Chance to grow school choice ‘lost in boom’

THE opportunity to create a greater choice of schools for parents was lost during the boom, a Catholic education leader has claimed.

The Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector will report to Education Minister Ruairí Quinn later this year on how a greater choice of school types might be available to parents. A particular focus will be on areas where there is little or no choice outside the existing Catholic schools and insufficient population growth to warrant new schools being set up.

The Catholic bishops are patrons to almost 90% of the country’s 3,300 primary schools and have indicated a willingness to divest patronage where there is local demand and agreement.