A study into patronage of primary schools in Ireland is set to reveal there are strong differences surrounding the issue of religious education and the dominance of church-run establishments in the country.

The Irish Examiner stated a draft report received by Education Minister Ruairi Quinn has highlighted concerns over how pupils from non-Christian backgrounds are accommodated during faith formation classes in Catholic and Protestant facilities.

It has been noted by Educate Together - which is patron to more than 50 multi-denominational schools - that in many parts of the country, parents have no choice other than to send their children to a religious institution.

A key focus of the advisory group to the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector has been to examine how Catholic bishops may hand over schools to other patrons in areas where there are few or no alternatives to Church-backed establishments.

Recently, the Irish Times reported the Bishop of Meath Richard Clarke has warned that many Church of Ireland schools may lose a teacher in the coming years as a result of budget cuts.

Written by Donal Walsh
 

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