Galway Bay Newsroom- Galway has been selected as one of eight towns and cities across Ireland to be part of a pilot programme to increase multi-denominational education in this country.
The Department of Education will be engaging with these school communities about possibly moving their local school’s patronage away from the Catholic Church.
Mairéad Cleary reports:
The vast majority of schools in this country are State-aided parish schools, with the local bishop as patron.
But as demand grows for multi denominational education, Minister Norma Foley says change is needed:
The ETB runs 27 Community National Schools that don’t come under the Catholic ethos.
Director of Schools Seamus Conboy says students of any religion are welcome:
But according to the Principal of St Etchen’s Primary School, Westmeath Matt Mevlin, says religion plays a cultural role in Irish education:
The Department is encouraging any school interested in changing patronage to come forward
