There are five Educate Together schools in Lucan. Over 300 pupils will shortly transfer from primary to second-level but the Department still refuses to allow Educate Together act as a patron for second level, writes GRÁINNE FALLER
CONSIDERING HER eldest daughter is just in second class, it seems strange that Carol Dunne would be worried, or even thinking, about second-level education at this early stage. But the Lucan-based mum of four is very concerned.
“My children go to Griffeen Valley Educate Together school,” she says. “But, to be honest, I’m worried about their lack of second-level options. I chose the Educate Together ethos for a reason. Everyone is accepted for who and what they are and I thought it would give my children a good grounding for later life.”
By the time Dunne’s daughter reaches second-level, she will be one of close to 300 Educate Together students graduating in the Lucan area each year. There are five Educate Together primary schools in Lucan and its surrounds, but while Educate Together has become a real force at primary level in this country, running 56 schools nationwide, it has yet to be approved for a single second-level school.
Dunne is worried. Because of where she lives, her children would be quite far down any enrolment list for the local community colleges. “I know that quite a number of Educate Together children leave Lucan for secondary school,” she says. “It’s just not ideal at all.”
Added to that, the transition to second-level can be difficult, according to Dunne. “I suppose in some ways we’re regarded as the hippies in the corner and I’d be afraid that some of that stigma would follow our children into second-level,” she says. “The children are taught to question and to stand up for what they believe in. Realistically, that’s not always the best way to approach school.”
There is a new second-level school planned for South Lucan, where Dunne lives. Educate Together has been aware of this for quite some time and back in 2007 the group contacted the Department of Education seeking recognition as a second-level patron, and in 2008 it submitted an application to become patron of the new second-level school in Lucan. The application was unsuccessful and County Dublin Vocational Education Committee (VEC) was approved as patron in 2008.
This was not entirely unexpected. Educate Together, up until now, seems to have been battling against an unofficial Department policy that over the past number of years has recognised, with very few exceptions, the VECs as the sole patron of second-level schools. Of the last 23 second-level schools recognised by the Department of Education, 20 have been community colleges, run by the VECs. The remaining three have been smaller gaelscoileanna under the patronage of An Foras Pátrúnachta.
The tide appears to be turning, however. Earlier this year, the then minister for education Batt O’Keeffe received legal advice suggesting that there was no reason why Educate Together could not become a patron of second-level schools.
Furthermore, the Department appears to be taking this admission seriously. Although patronage for the new South Lucan school was originally awarded to County Dublin VEC, it is now being reconsidered. A Department of Education source said: “The question of the patronage and management model of the new school will be reconsidered as part of the broader examination of policy issues relating to the recognition process for second-level schools.”
Paul Rowe, CEO of Educate Together says: “We would certainly welcome the fact that the patronage and management of the new school is being reconsidered and that a proper process is being established in which the rights and interests of parents and their children are being respected.”
There are all sorts of reasons why some parents choose the Educate Together ethos. Some like the fact that religious instruction is left for after school hours and appreciate the focus on ethics, citizenship and world religions. However, for most parents, religion is only a tiny part of why they want the Educate Together option.
Rowe explains: “The way an Educate Together second-level school would be run is very different to the way a VEC or a Catholic school is run. Parents and students are very involved in the management and running of our schools. That’s an important element of the Educate Together ethos.”
Rowe believes, however, that the debate needs to move on from the multi-denominational aspect of Educate Together’s ethos and rather focus on the blueprint it is presenting for second-level education. The blueprint aims to revolutionise the way in which the curriculum is delivered by providing an integrated approach to curriculum at junior cycle to improve teacher-student relationships, ease primary-secondary transition and provide a more relevant, connected learning experience for young people.
“The aim is to encourage independent thinkers and problem solvers,” says Rowe. “We conducted research into what second-level education needs and how we could change and improve it. It’s a challenge for the Department to take on but they have acknowledged now that reform is needed. We have provided a blueprint for that reform.”
Students would not be streamed and, interestingly, they would not be entered for the Junior Cert examinations as a matter of course. “It is time to re-examine the value of the Junior Certificate in the light of the pressure it places on students and teachers to cover large amounts of content – restricting the time available for deeper engagement and more practical, relevant learning experiences,” says Rowe.
At the moment the Department is keeping its options open. It is considering a number of broad policy issues relating to the recognition process for second-level schools and, according to Department sources, the Minister for Education Mary Coughlan will bring his recommendations on the further development of patronage in second-level schools to Government in the near future. “We look forward to the completion of the process and hope that the substantial demand for a second-level Educate Together school will be met,” Rowe says.
Dunne hopes that the process will bring some solution to her problem. “It is our right as parents to educate our children as we see fit,” she says. “Other schools certainly won’t close down in the presence of an Educate Together school – it would just provide an option for parents who have made certain choices about their children’s education. I believe it’s our right to have that option.”
Demanding change: The parents who want second-level Educate Together schools
Meena Baskarasubramanian
I'M SUREthe VEC runs great schools, but the thing is that my daughter and son will be asked to go to the library and read during religion class. Educate Together schools are run within a particular ethos.
There are three community colleges already in Lucan. Why set up another one? Our children need somewhere to go.
I actually moved to Adamstown in the hope of getting a place in an Educate Together school.
We moved to Ireland from India in 2006 when my daughter was three years old.
At the time we were living in north Dublin and I was looking at the different school options for my daughter. I did quite a bit of research and a colleague pointed me towards Educate Together. The minute I read the charter I knew that this was it.
It’s not just a religion aspect. We are Hindu but that was probably the last consideration. When you look at the four curriculum strands, they emphasise things like equality, ethics and justice. It just seemed exactly the kind of education we were looking for.
There was no chance of getting a place in any of the Educate Together schools in north Dublin. There is huge demand and they take names from birth. We decided to take a risk and buy a property in Adamstown because at the time there was a possibility that an Educate Together school was going to open up there. When pre-enrolment opened I started queuing at 4am so that we could be certain of a place. That’s how important it was to us.
My daughter loves it. She is not asked to leave her religion or her culture outside of school. Diversity is celebrated. She is proud of being Indian and she is proud of being Irish.
There is great parental involvement – to a point of course. You don’t interfere with class time or the running of the school day, but parents come in and help with reading or gardening or whatever is needed.
I’m the chairperson of the board of management there so I’m very involved and I always feel welcome.
Judith Neuman
I BELIEVEin a school that takes a holistic approach to education and I want to be involved in my children's education.
Educate Together schools meet my family’s needs in that respect. My eldest child is in second class in Griffeen Valley Educate Together school so we have four years before facing secondary school but, if we are to get an Educate Together second-level school, we need to be campaigning now.
At the moment, there is a Catholic boys’ school and a Catholic girls’ school in Lucan.
There is a gaelscoil and there are three community colleges. They just wouldn’t be my choice of schools. It’s no fault of the VEC.
Religion is on the national curriculum. It has to be taught, but the upshot of that is that children from other denominations, or those who opt out of religious instruction, are sent to sit in the library for an hour. The VEC should technically be offering instruction in all religions if they are providing Catholic instruction, but that would be impossible. VECs are multi-denominational, but that should mean more than taking on students of different religion.
Educate Together is about more than that. Parents and students are involved in running the schools. I’m very involved in our school. Teachers know me and I know them. We’re all part of the same team.
In the VEC structure decisions are made at the top and they trickle down from there.
I don’t have the money to send my children to a private school so I will have no choice but to send them to a Catholic or a VEC-run school.
The constitution protects our rights as parents to educate our children as we see fit. As I see it, that right is being taken away.
