Number of religious teachers falls to 80

The number of priests, nuns, and brothers still teaching in schools has fallen to around 80, according to the Conference of Religious of Ireland.

About 50 religious are still teaching in primary schools and 30 are in full-time teaching positions in secondary schools.

Figures from the Central Statistics Office show, in 1970, nearly one in five primary school teachers were members of religious orders but, by 1998, they represented just 3%.

The number of second- level teachers in religious orders was very high but fell sharply over the years. There were 3,700 in 1970, but only 740 in 1998.

An outline of the current situation was made by the co-director of education at Cori, Sr Eithne Woulfe, for the latest issue of the Reality Magazine, published by the Irish Redemptorists.

Sr Woulfe said that there are 375 secondary schools associated with religious congregations but, over this academic year, only nine will have a religious as principal. Another four religious are principals of community schools.

About 100 religious are involved in voluntary pastoral work at primary level and about 90 religious have similar roles in secondary schools. There are 10 religious employed as chaplains in community schools.

There at least six religious involved in full-time third level teaching and a similar number are chaplains.