School Patronage

There has been much recent public debate in respect of patronage of both primary and second level schools. IVEA has welcomed this debate as both appropriate and essential in the context of the significant societal change in Ireland over the past decades.

Much of this debate has focused on the provision of primary education, as various members of the Catholic hierarchy have raised the prospect of the Catholic Church divesting itself of some of the 92% of Irish primary schools of which it is patron. The Church's long and fine traditional service in primary education is broadly acknowledged.

The development of the Community National School model provides a new model of school at primary level which broadly meets the needs of the new Irish communities in their diversity of ethnicities, cultures and creeds. They operate through an ethos of inclusiveness and respect for all beliefs, both religious and non-religious, and recognise the wishes of parents to have their children receive faith-based education or morality-based education as an integral part of the school curriculum.

This model is currently being piloted in two new schools in County Dublin VEC, and three more will be piloted from September in County Kildare, County Meath and County Dublin VECs. This model needs time and space to be developed so that a full review can be undertaken by the Department of Education and Skills.

VECs already have a distinguished record as patrons of multi-denominational schools at second level, of which there are 250 nationwide. Some recent media comment would appear not to have comprehended that VECs have been providing multi-denominational second level education for generations of Irish students and parents.

Through the statutory capacity and flexibility of VECs to work with other educational bodies and agencies, VECs have also developed the second level Designated Community College model through co-trusteeship with former patrons, including Catholic and Protestant church authorities. There are 40 such Designated Community Colleges throughout Ireland. In this model, a Deed of Trust provides guarantees in terms of school ethos and culture.

What is important to note is that VECs can act in partnership, as they currently do with Catholic and Protestant church authorities in the Designated Community College model. This statutory capacity of VECs can be further developed through modification of the patronage model to reflect the ethos of other bodies such as Educate Together. Indeed Educate Together is on record as stating that they would work with others to develop schools which would reflect their ethos and culture in terms of multi-denominational education and diversity.

In the past, The Irish Vocational Education Association (IVEA) and Educate Together have engaged in bilateral negotiations which found there was much in common between us. These talks could and should be resumed, to determine if VECs can facilitate Educate Together in the development of a Community College model where the patron VEC provides an agreed range of guarantees. Just as VECs were able to develop, with other trustees, new second level school models in the 1970s (the Designated Community College model), there is no reason why this route should not also be explored in 2010. I am hopeful that this proposal would find favour.

Through their governing legislation, VECs are accountable to the Minister, the Oireachtas and Oireachtas sub-committees, as well as the Auditor & Comptroller-General for the performance of their statutory functions. These accountability lines provide significant transparency and answerability to the state in terms of educational structures.

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