New type of primary set for Kerry

KETB TO TAKE OVER RUNNING OF NATIONAL SCHOOL FROM CHURCH

PLANS are in place to establish at least one new multi-denominational primary school in Kerry by mid-2018 as part of a nationwide move to begin divesting the Catholic Church of its traditional widescale patronage of the sector.

Details of the plans were set out at the Education and Training Boards Ireland (ETBI) annual conference in Killarney’s Gleneagle Hotel last week in an address to the 200 plus delegates in attendance by ETBI general secretary Michael Moriarty.

Mr Moriarty said that it is now an objective of the ETBI to ‘reconfigure’ at least one primary currently under church patronage into the ETBI’s new Community National School (CNS) model.

“I am very excited about this model of primary school now that patronage is transferring to the ETBs,” Mr Moriarty said. “I believe that this model has a lot to offer any belief community, including those whose children are attending schools under the patronage of the various churches. Why would parents find the CNS model attractive?

“The clue is in the title. CNS schools seek to reflect the values of their local communities. Community national schools value the cultural and religious diversity which exists in our schools today and encourage the children to value and respect their classmates’ different belief systems and value systems,” Mr Moriarty added.

It was one of many topics discussed over the two days of the conference in Killarney, from an overview of the junior cycle to the welcoming of revised pay conditions for teachers.