Study reveals backgrounds of primary school pupils

Children from a mix of social, religious, and other backgrounds attend all primary schools but Catholic schools are still dominated by Catholic pupils, research shows.

Parents in five areas yesterday began online surveys to indicate their satisfaction or otherwise with local school choices and preferences for alternative patrons.

At the same time, the ESRI study gives the first detailed view of the backgrounds of pupils in the range of primary school models.

The research was funded by Educate Together, a patron to 65 multi-denominational primary schools.

Among the key findings are that:

* Half of children at multi-denominational schools are Catholic;

* 30% of pupils at Church of Ireland and other minority faith primary schools are Catholic;

* The level of education of pupils’ mothers was higher in multi-denominational schools than in Catholic or minority faith schools.

Social class did not have as strong an impact in school selection, but higher proportions of children from professional, managerial, and technical backgrounds attend minority faith and multi-denominational schools than Catholic ones.

“While the population has become more diverse in recent years, student intake in the Catholic schools is still predominantly Catholic. However, where Catholic schools have migrant pupils among the student body, the spread of nationalities is wider compared to the other two types of primary school,” the ESRI said.

The growth in pupil intake has been more marked in multi-denominational schools and the report’s authors — Merike Darmody, Emer Smyth, and Selina McCoy — say schools such as Educate Together are more likely than others to be oversubscribed.

Most children across the three sectors liked their school and their teacher, and reported doing well in their school work. Pupils who were particularly positive about their schools and teachers were from a variety of backgrounds.

In the five areas where pilot parent surveys are being carried out — Arklow, Co Wicklow; Castlebar, Co Mayo; Tramore, Co Waterford; Trim, Co Meath; and Whitehall in Dublin — only one of the 26 existing primary schools is multi-denominational.

Another 39 areas, where stable populations mean new schools are not likely to be built, will be surveyed next month.

Parents of primary pupils and preschool children in the five areas have been asked to complete the online survey by Nov 9 but can request a paper-based version if they can not access it online.

The process is being overseen by the independent New Schools Establishment Group and parents must provide their PPS numbers, which will be checked against child benefit data to verify their residence in the area and to avoid multiple responses from families.

Dublin 4 has been removed from the list of survey areas as a primary school to open in the next few years will provide diversity in the area, as reported by the Irish Examiner last week, and is replaced by the Cherry Orchard, Ballyfermot, Chapelizod, and Palmerstown area of Dublin.

Often-thorny school issues will be outside minister’s control