Parents to be surveyed on alternatives to faith schools

Parents are about to be surveyed about demand for alternatives to faith-specific primary schools but the local Catholic bishop will have final say on which other patron a building can transfer to.

Education Minister Richard Bruton is today announcing 16 areas — one in each Education and Training Board (ETB) area — where parents of pre-school children are to be first surveyed. Although the ETBs themselves may be vying to become patron if there is sufficient demand for multi-denominational schools, they have been given responsibility for analysing and reporting the survey results to Mr Bruton’s department.

This report will include responses by the prevalent patron or landowner in the area, which will be the local Catholic bishop in most cases. While the parents and staff of local schools will be further consulted on accommodating demand for diversity by transferring patronage of one of the existing schools in an area to a new multi-denominational or non-denominational patron, the final decision rests with the existing patron.