Day 2
Board of Education Report Highlights Issues Facing Church of Ireland Schools
The Report of the Board of Education was presented to General Synod in Limerick this morning (Friday May 5).
Proposing the report, Michael Hall (Elphin and Ardagh), outlined an extremely busy year for the Board of Education in the Republic of Ireland. He said that the proposed Admissions to Schools Bill had been a topic of much discussion. He said it was interesting that the Minister for Education and Skills should choose the offices of Equate, a special interest lobby group, from which to announce a 12 week consultation period on school admissions.
“The issue of school admissions has received much media attention and debate driven mainly by two special interest groups; Equate and Education and Equality. Our concerns were heightened further when the Minister reduced the consultation period to four weeks from 12 weeks, subsequently increased to 8 weeks after much lobbying from the Board of Education, Schools from the National and Secondary sectors, Churches, Parents, past pupils, The Incorporated Society and other interested groups or individuals,” he said.
He outlined Minister Richard Bruton’s four options in relation to school admissions:
The removal of the Equal Status Act 2000 section 7(3) (c)
The introduction of the “nearest school” rule
The introduction of a “defined catchment” area
The introduction of a “quota system” based upon religious denomination.
Mr Hall said all of the suggestions would impinge negatively on Church of Ireland primary and secondary schools. “Indeed it is the Board’s belief that the proposed changes have the potential to fundamentally undermine the Church Of Ireland Methodist Presbyterian Society Of Friends Patronage Body schools at both Secondary and Primary level to serve the Protestant population in the Republic of Ireland …. Thus removing the very purpose for their existence,” he stated.
He said that the Board of Education sought the views of parents of children who attend primary schools under Church of Ireland patronage. 87 percent of parents said it was important to them to have access to schools that provide education within a Church of Ireland/Protestant ethos.
He said that the board had made a number of submissions to the Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection on admissions to schools. He said that the Department of Education did not accept their concerns.
He pointed out that the Labour Party had introduced a Bill seeking to limit the role of the Board of Management in managing schools applications for admission to schools and legislating that Religious Education must be timetabled for the end of the school day.
He outlined a further change regarding school funding and said Protestant children attending many rural Church of Ireland Secondary Schools, were now in receipt of less funding for their ICT education from the Department of Education and Skills than if they were to choose to attend their local Catholic Voluntary School or ETB school.
Mr Hall said that the provide equality for a minority population requires additional and enhanced funding and support beyond that provided to the majority population. “Positive affirmation of a minority has proven extremely beneficial to the development of equality throughout the World. We do not ask for more funding than other schools, we are asking for the same along with equivalence of respect without discrimination,” he stated. “Otherwise there is a danger that the Republic of Ireland might be looking at the “Last of the Anglicans!” by the mid to end of this century.”
He drew synod’s attention to the work of Safeguarding Trust and the establishment of a new Safeguarding Trust Board. “The formation of the Safeguarding Trust Board places safeguarding as a core concern of the Church in its governmental structures and reaffirms the strong commitment of the Church of Ireland to ensuring that its policies on child protection, vulnerable adults and safeguarding in general are robust and seek a standard of excellence,” he stated.
Concluding, Mr Hall drew members of synods’ attention to the proposed changes to admissions and funding which would, he said, impinge negatively on national and secondary schools and with unforeseen consequences for a minority
Debate on the Republic of Ireland section of the report opened with a contribution from Margaret Jacob (Cashel, Ferns and Ossory) said she said she was very disappointed at the proposal to put RE into discretionary time at the end of the day.
Edward Pierce (Kilmore) said that his school was quick to respond to the request from the Board of Education and they sent letters to their local TDs which resulted in a question being raised in the Dail to which Minister Bruton said he believed it was unfair that children living some distance from a school should get preference over children of a different religion who live closer to the school and he also said it was unfair that parents feel pressure to baptise their children. Mr Pierce said the Minister gave no grounding for his beliefs. He said it was incumbent on all members of synod to make their views known to the minister.
The Revd Eithne Lynch (Cork) spoke of developments with the new local ETB school in Mallow into which the local Church of Ireland school has integrated mostly smoothly but with some problems.
Canon John Clarke (Meath and Kildare) said synod should send out a clear message to the Minister of Education and Skills and his department that the proposed changes to school admissions are not acceptable. He urged people to attend the CIPSMA conference in the Heritage Hotel in Laois which will be attended by the Minister.
The Revd Patrick Banber (Elphin) spoke about the place of Religious Education in school and said it would be a great sadness to see the place of RE downgraded. Schools have the opportunity to pass on faith and religion and they often have the opportunity to relate to more children and young people than churches do, he said.
Sheila Hunt (Cork) spoke about the place of the Church of Ireland in the Religious Education degree.
The Ven David Huss (Raphoe) said that the Minister’s proposals would not create one extra primary school place and do not solve the problem. He said that in Donegal the Church of Ireland schools presented the inclusive option for many parents.
In response, Mr Hall thanked all who spoke to the report and reemphasised how important the issues raised are to Church of Ireland schools.
The report was accepted by synod.