Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)

I thank the Office of the Ceann Comhairle for facilitating me in raising this matter, which concerns enabling the Educate Together movement to be recognised as a patron to operate a secondary school in this country. I will give some context. We have 3,300 primary schools catering for a population of approximately 486,000 pupils. The Central Statistics Office estimates that figure will grow to anywhere between 500,000 and 650,000, depending on projections between now and 2025. We have a growing population that does not leave school when it reaches sixth class at 12 years old.

There is a demand among the 56 schools currently operated by Educate Together to be allowed continue that ethos into the secondary level. This ethos is basically a multi-denominational setting within which parents of all faiths — some are secular, humanist or would profess to have no faith in the traditional sense — would like their children to be brought up in tolerance and harmony with each other and with a mutual respect for the diversity of views that now represents multicultural Ireland.

In the greater Dublin area there are approximately 28 Educate Together schools, just over half the total of 56 around the country. The catchment area for a secondary school is much wider than that of a primary school and if located on a transport route, the catchment area can be extended further. The Department has consistently refused to recognise the Educate Together movement, which currently operates 56 primary schools and is the fastest-growing patron in that sector, as a patron for second level. No proper explanation has been given, although it has been indicated that educational policy is under review in some way.

Nevertheless there is a contradiction in north County Dublin where two primary schools have opened and are operating under the aegis of the VECs, which have no legal status as patrons of a primary school. I am grateful for the Minister of State's presence, although I do not believe he is attached to the Department of Education and Science. I have been trying to discover why it is that the Department of Education and Science will tolerate the operation of a primary school by a body, recognised as a patron in the secondary sector but which does not have the legal status to be a patron in the primary sector, while refusing to grant patron status to a clearly successful and growing body in multicultural Ireland. It does not make sense. They currently have 56 primary schools and, on foot of demand from parents and pupils, they want to have a secondary school to continue the ethos into which they have been educated at primary level.

We need more post-primary schools. In different parts of the urbanising population, as noted in county development and local area plans, there are designated areas for a post-primary school. Decisions have yet to be made as to what form of patron will be in that school. The Catholic church, which was the traditional patron in post-primary schools, is in retreat in that area. They want to maintain their own ethos and under our Constitution they are perfectly entitled to do so.

Approximately 50% of the post-primary schools in our country are in the VEC, community college or community comprehensive sector. We have professed in this country a commitment to a diversity of provision in education that is embodied in our Constitution. All that the Educate Together movement is asking is to be treated equally with other providers of post-primary education. Its track record is proven and it provides a service. It cannot cope with the demand for places coming from parents who no longer necessarily want to bring their children up in the traditional religion in which they were brought up. They may want diversity of exposure, even if they adhere to their own religious convictions or have converted to other religious convictions. They want, uniquely, to have their children brought up in a culture that respects and tolerates all faiths on an equal basis. For that reason, they are seeking to have this introduced to the secondary level and the Educate Together movement is seeking to be formally recognised as a patron by the Department of Education and Science.

See this speech in context