Government plans to overhaul Ireland’s education sector are only halfway through
Dublin: In Ireland, the government’s move to make fundamental changes in the field of education has not progressed. The multi-denominational school system plans announced by the government are half way. The lack of support from schools, parents, and staff, not only from the Catholic Church, which currently holds most of the management, is hindering the decisive educational change.
An attempt to reorganise Catholic schools in the Portmarnock/Malahide area of north Dublin four years ago also failed. The parents opposed this change, citing baseless reasons. Critics pointed out reasons such as the fact that St. Patrick’s Day or Christmas could not be celebrated if the Catholic Church’s school leadership changed. There is also the allegation that the authorities have made no attempt to address such concerns.
The government has proposed that at least one of the Catholic Church-controlled primary schools in various towns and suburbs of the country be converted into a multi-religious category. Such a plan was devised by the government and the church together. However, reports given to the Archbishop of Dublin at the end of last month by Don Mahon, a former Department of Education inspector who facilitated the discussions, reveal that it has not been successful enough. According to the report, all discussions in this regard have failed.
Lesson given by Raheny.
In Raheny, near North Dublin, there have been discussions about a school change for the past nine months. There are three Catholic primary schools here: one mixed junior school and two single-sex senior schools. ETB attempted to take over one of them but was unsuccessful.
It is clear that the majority of BOM members are not ready to convert one of the three schools to multi-denominational. The majority of school employees, including the principal, BOM chair, and all staff members, are opposed to the school’s restructuring. This has been stated openly by the school principal.
In early December, Naíscoil Íde had also convened a meeting of parents in this regard. There was no clear plan or plan to change the school system, according to the response. Parents were also informed. It was a key meeting, attended by the principal and Monsignor Dan O’Connor, Episcopal Vicar of Education in the Dublin Archdiocese, the report said. Only a small minority supported the change.
The minister is also not interested.
Centres in ETB reveal that even the education minister does not have a clear vision regarding the multi-religious education system, which is supposed to bring positive changes.
The minister clarified that this scheme could not have been implemented without the support of all parents and employees. This increased the veto power of those opposed to it. The scheme was nowhere to be found. Everywhere, there are two sides. Critics point out that the new scheme is also in cold storage.
The horror of the hidden agenda.
Above all, parents and staff are concerned that the new system has a hidden agenda. The report indicates that only by removing all these; new educational changes will take place in Ireland.
Parents here prefer mixed education rather than multi-faith education. They prefer that boys and girls study together. However, no progress has been made in this regard. The current indication is that the schools will continue as they are.
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