Almost 30% of parents in Donegal seek multi-denominational education - survey

The Primary School Survey shows that 29.1% of parents in Donegal would prefer their children to be in a multi-denominational school.

The Department of Education and Youth (DEY) has issued guidance to schools on the results. Schools received their school-specific survey results in June and have been asked to engage with parents and other members of the school community before deciding whether they want to express interest in changing patronage.

The closing date for schools to apply for patronage transfer was extended to November 30, to give schools more time to engage with the local community and consult with parents and families.

According to the results, 40% of parents in religious-run schools nationally would prefer a multi-denominational primary school. Specific reports for each Donegal school can be viewed here.

These numbers contrast starkly with current school provision, whereby 95.1% of primary schools nationally remain under denominational control.

Letterkenny Educate Together National School is the only multi-denominational school in County Donegal. This means that of the 171 primary schools in the county, only 1 has a multi-denominational ethos. Parents in many parts of Donegal have no choice other than to send their children to a denominational primary school.

“The data from the Primary School Survey has given schools an insight into what their parents want, but it doesn’t tell the full story,” Edward Platt, Schools Development Officer for Educate Together, stated. “We are encouraging all schools to engage with the parents to get a more rounded view of what the school community wants and what their vision is for the future of the school. If your local school is consulting parents, we strongly encourage parents to get involved”. 

The Department of Education and Youth recently published guidance for schools on how best to engage their school community. All schools are being asked to take time to consult their parents, as the survey has offered a unique opportunity to have discussions on what parents want to see from their local school in the future. Specifically, the Department has advised that:

“Schools know their communities best, so there is no one-size-fits-all approach. The suggestions below are intended to provide a structure for engagement while still allowing schools the flexibility to choose what works best for their community.

A more detailed engagement process may be particularly important where survey results are very close, for example, where around half of respondents favour keeping the school’s current arrangement and around half favour a change.”

Educate Together is the representative body for 97 primary and 21 second-level equality-based schools across Ireland. They support schools through the transfer process, having successfully transferred multiple schools to Educate Together patronage over the last decade.

Edward continued: “At the moment we are encouraging all schools to take this unique opportunity to examine the future they want for their local school. Once the deadline has passed and schools have expressed interest, we are very much looking forward to engaging with these schools and supporting them in patronage transfer. We are very excited to be able to engage with schools where demand for change exists and bring school choice to communities around Ireland.” 

Donegal families seeking more information are encouraged to go to Educate Together’s website to find out more about the process of school patronage transfers.