Landmark survey shows strong preference for change to multi-denominational primary schools

The vast majority of primary schools in Ireland remain under Catholic patronage.

A significant proportion of families who intend to send their child to a religious-run primary school have told a landmark survey they would prefer it to be multi-denominational.

Almost 21,500 households with children not yet in school (42%) expressed a preference to the Department of Education for their preferred denominational primary school to change to a multi-denominational ethos.

On a county-by-county basis, this figure varies, ranging from as high as 58% in Wicklow, 55% in Dublin, 52.7% in Cork, and 51.% in Kildare, to as low as 29% in Monaghan.

The vast majority of primary schools in Ireland remain under Catholic patronage.

Overall, 40.7% of households linked to a religious-run school, or who indicated an intention to enrol their child in a religious-run school, expressed a preference for multi-denominational education.

A significant number of parents of pre-school children have also expressed a strong preference for more Irish-medium education (education through Irish or English), ranging from as high as almost 35% in Galway to almost 16% in Longford.

The survey also found a strong preference amongst parents for co-educational schools, over all-boys or all-girls schools.

These figures mirror findings published earlier in the year that indicate there is a strong demand for change amongst parents when it comes to school patronage.

On Tuesday, the Department of Education published in full the findings of its primary school survey.

This was the first ever survey to ask parents and guardians to give their preferences on school patronage and ethos, Irish-medium education and co-education.

It also surveyed staff members and boards of management, with survey findings also indicating a strong demand for change amongst this cohort.

Overall, 31.6% of staff and boards of management associated with denominational schools expressed a preference for multi-denominational patronage.

The survey received just over 32,900 valid responses from primary school staff and board of management members.

The Department of Education received 66,403 responses from families of children not yet in primary school.

For these households, 90.7% indicated that they intend to enrol their child in a denominational school in the future.

Of this figure, 42%, equalling 21,464 out of 50,980 households, expressed a preference for the denominational school to change to a multi-denominational ethos.

The survey received responses from more than 241,300 parents and guardians overall, representing just under half of eligible households.

Just under 41,000 of these responses were deemed invalid and excluded, meaning the survey had an overall response rate of 41.3%.

Responses were tied to households’ Eircode data to ensure submissions were genuine.

Education minister Hildegarde Naughton: 'These results are a starting point for conversations about the future.' Picture: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

These figures are national results, and individual schools may vary depending on their local response rate and the preferences of local parents. A more detailed view of the results can be found on the Department of Education website.

Individual schools were issued their results two weeks ago, detailing the preferences of those in their community.

On Tuesday, all individual school reports have been published online by the Department of Education alongside a national summary report.

Results from the survey have been described by the department as a “starting point” to inform the future direction of primary education in local communities.

Education minister Hildegarde Naughton said the survey responses represent “the voices of parents and families on the future of education in their area.”

“For the first time, we have a detailed picture of what parents want their primary schools to look like in the years ahead, whether that relates to school ethos, language of instruction or the type of educational provision available to children in their community,” Ms Naughton said.

Every school community is “unique”, she added.

“While the national findings provide valuable context, it is the views expressed within each local community that matter most. These results are a starting point for conversations about the future, led by the people who know their schools best: parents, students, staff and local communities.” 

The next stage is for school communities to come together to reflect on the results, Ms Naughton added.

“Boards of management will play a key role in facilitating those conversations, but the future direction of schools should be informed by the views and aspirations of the communities they serve.” 

Where survey findings indicate “demand for change”, boards of management may apply to be included in the first group of schools that wish to act on the outcomes of the survey process, the Department of Education said.

It has asked schools to begin consultations with their full school community, including parents, parents’ associations, student councils, school staff and the wider local community, before making any decisions.

Schools that wish to be in the first group to act on survey results are asked to notify the department and their patron by October 31, 2026.