Thursday, November 15, 2012

Low response to patronage survey

Fewer than 2,000 parents have responded to surveys on local school patronage in five areas where the possibility of handing over Catholic primary schools is to be considered. 

Although official figures on the number of children in the areas are unknown, the responses to the Department of Education survey probably represent between one quarter and one third of those eligible to take part in Arklow, Co Wicklow; Castlebar, Co Mayo; Tramore, Co Waterford; Trim, Co Meath; and Whitehall in Dublin.

Education Minister Ruairi Quinn said the level of interest from parents was encouraging after the figures were released. The survey was open and to be completed online for three weeks up to last Friday.

The parents of 3,776 children answered the survey on current provision, whether they would prefer greater choice of school types, and, if so, which patron they would prefer for their children’s school.

This represents about 40% of the 9,859 children attending schools in the five areas but the department said it does not know the numbers of children of pre-school ages whose parents were also open to taking part in the survey.

Comparing participation just to existing enrolments, the response rates range from 34% in Tramore to 41% in Castlebar.

Mr Quinn’s officials will now prepare a report on the outcomes and seek feedback from the patrons offering to run schools in these areas before deciding if any changes to the survey process are needed.

Parents in a further 39 areas will be asked to take part in similar surveys in the next few weeks, including 12 parts of the Dublin Catholic archdiocese, four each in Tuam, Killaloe, and Waterford and& Lismore dioceses, and three each in Cloyne and Cork and& Ross.

The 44 areas were chosen because they have few or no multi-denominational primary schools. But they are not eligible for new schools to be built because there is insufficient population growth to justify the investment.

The exercise is one of the measures being followed arising from the report in June of the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector, which was set up by Mr Quinn last year. 


Where demand for alternative patrons in any of the areas is found, talks will begin in local communities about the transfer of Catholic schools but it may take a few years before control changes hands.