13/02/2015

Four New Multi-Denominational Schools Announced

Four new, multi-denominational primary schools are expected to open this September, the Department of Education has said.

Three of the schools will operate under the patronage of Educate Together, an independent non-governmental organisation that runs schools based on equality of access, regardless of pupils' religious or cultural backgrounds. The fourth will be a Gaelscoil operating under the patronage of An Foras Pátrúnachta.

The three Educate Together schools are intended to be in Tuam, County Galway, New Ross, County Wexford and Castlebar, County Mayo. The Gaelscoil will be located in Birr, County Offaly.

Minister for Education and Skills, Jan O'Sullivan, said: "This development will bring to nine the number of new schools opened under the patronage divesting process.

"I am particularly pleased that the Catholic Church has been able to offer an actual school building for immediate use by an alternative Patron in the case of Castlebar. The building in question arises on foot of a school closure."

The news follows surveys of parents on patronage choice in 43 towns. In 28 of these areas, parents said they would avail of an alternative model of schools provision if it was available. Birr is the only area where parents opted for a Gaelscoil, as most of the areas surveyed already had Gaelscoil provision.

(IT/JP)

Related Irish News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

27 June 2011
Up To 40 New Schools To Be Established In Six Years
Twenty new primary schools and twenty new post-primary schools are to be established in the next six years. Announcing the new schools, the Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn said: "My Department is forecasting an increase of over 45,050 primary pupils and 24,900 post-primary pupils by the start of the 2017/18 school year.
24 October 2017
Govt Slammed Over Failure To Meet Deadline Over Development Of New Schools
The government has been slammed over its failure to meet its own deadline over the development of new schools in Ireland. Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Education and Skills Thomas Byrne TD made the comments after the Department of Education and Skills revealed that the construction of 21 new schools earmarked for 2015 is yet to get underway.
12 November 2012
New Schools Construction Begins
The Minister for Education and Skills has welcomed the start of construction today of eight schools which are being delivered under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model. These are the first public sector projects to be funded under the PPP model since June 2010.
09 November 2007
Protestant Schools Protest Imposition Of Outside Staff
A bitter educational dispute is likely to lead to the courts as four Protestant schools in Dublin continue to refuse the imposition of teachers from other, now closed schools elsewhere.
03 November 2016
Bruton Unveils Patronage For Nine New Post-Primary Schools
Education Minister Richard Bruton has revealed which bodies will operate nine new post-primary schools once they are opened in 2017 and 2018. Patronage of the new schools in Limerick City & Environs (East), Malahide & Portmarnock, Firhouse Dublin 24, and Dublin South City Centre is being awarded to Educate Together.