Educate Together school opens in Balinteer

BALINTEER Educate Together National School welcomed in its first classes of Junior Infants earlier this month.

The newly refurbished primary school for the youngsters has been built on the grounds of St Tiernan’s Community School on a temporary basis.

However, plans are in the pipeline to build a permanent building for the school in the same area over the next three years.

The school is multi-denominational and was officially sanctioned by the Department of Education earlier this year. It welcomes children and families of all religions and provides professional and experienced teachers who follow the National Primary School Curriculum as outlined and inspected by the Department of Education.

The children study beliefs and festivals from other cultures and religions, as well as other issues related to citizenship, ethics and morality.

The school also provides after hours facilities for religious instruction if needed. Educate Together has been providing multi-denominational education in Ireland since 1978.

There are now 65 primary schools in the network and three second-level Educate Together schools have been sanctioned in Blanchardstown, Drogheda and Lucan.

It is expected that pupil numbers in Educate Together primary schools will approach 16,000 this year.