NORTHSIDE parents are being urged to have their say on the future of local schools as part of a pilot scheme that could see many Catholic Church schools transferring patronage.
Parents and guardians in Whitehall are being invited to share their views as part of the initiative, which was recently announced by Minister for Education Ruairà Quinn.
Whitehall, which includes Kilmore West and Beaumont, is one of five areas across the country to be surveyed as part of the scheme which will be extended next month to a further 39 areas.
The initiative follows an advisory group report earlier this year recommending the divesting of patronage where there is a stable population and demand for diversity of school types.
The department will initially survey parents of pre-school and primary school children and their views will be canvassed on single-sex schools, Irish language schools, and other patronage models.
A code of conduct will be in place during the survey period. This has been worked out in consultation with patron bodies and it will limit excessive spending by any one side. The code is designed to ensure the surveys are conducted in a reasonable manner, without conflict.
Launching the initiative, Minister Quinn said:
“For many parents, not only in the greater Whitehall area, this will be the first time they will have a real say in the type of primary school they want their children to go to, whether it is denominational, multi-denominational, all-Irish or another kind.
“Modern Ireland is hugely diverse and we have to be sure that our schools cater for this diversity.
“Whitehall is no different, and we must now ensure that current and future pupils can attend schools that best cater for the beliefs and views of the local community.
“Whilst we owe a debt to religious bodies for their contribution to education, there is now the potential for change within the primary patronage system to better reflect our society.
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Currently, 93 per cent of the State’s 3,200 primary schools fall under Catholic patronage.
The existing patron in greater Whitehall is the Archbishop of Dublin (Catholic).
The bodies that have expressed interest in becoming patrons of divested schools in the area are An Foras Pátrúnachta, Educate Together and Dublin City VEC.
Minister Quinn urged all eligible Whitehall parents to make sure that their voices are heard by taking part in these surveys.
“This is a historic opportunity for parents to re-shape the primary school landscape for generations to come,
? he stated.
“The responses of parents in these areas will be used to decide what changes, if any, should be made to widen the availability of other types of primary schools in these locations.
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Dublin North West TD John Lyons (Lab) was among those who welcomed the launch of the online survey.
“Irish society is changing and the time has come to consider how the patronage of our primary schools serves this new diversity,
? he stated.
“The views of parents and guardians must be at the heart of this change.
“This is another step in the reform of our education system being undertaken by Minister Quinn and I would encourage all parents and guardians in Whitehall, Kilmore West and Beaumont to have their say on the school patronage arrangements they would like for their area.
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Parents in the outlined areas can fill in an online survey or complete a paper version and submit it to the Department of Education by November 9.
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The online survey can be found on www.education.ie and a paper based version can be requested by ringing the Freephone number 1800-303621.
Parents and guardians are advised to have their PPS number to hand when they complete the survey.