Here are some questions frequently asked about Educate Together schools. We hope they will give you an insight into what we are.
No child is an outsider
What is Educate Together?
Educate Together is the representative organisation of the Educate Together schools and associations throughout the Republic of Ireland. It owes its origins to the movement to establish new multi-denominational primary schools, which emerged in the late 1970s and early 1980s. By 1984, when Educate Together was established, there were three schools and the organisation acted as their co-ordinating body. Since then the movement has grown considerably.
Today there are 56 schools, 26 of which are in the greater Dublin area. The organisation became a company limited by guarantee in 1998 and has charitable status. It has a small national office which provides representative and support services to existing schools and start up groups. The Directors and members of the company work in a voluntary capacity.
Educate Together aims to meet a growing need in Irish society for schools that recognise the developing diversity of Irish life and the modern need for democratic management structures. In particular, Educate Together guarantees children and parents of all faiths and none equal respect in the operation and governing of education.
What is an Educate Together School?
Educate Together schools are fully recognised by the Irish Department of Education and Science and work under the same regulations and funding structures as other national schools. However, they have a distinct ethos or governing spirit. This has been defined in the following terms:
Multi-denominational i.e. all children having equal rights of access to the school, and children of all social, cultural and religious backgrounds being equally respected. The Learn Together Curriculum is delivered covering a wide range of religious, moral, social and ethical issues, with no specific emphasis on any one religion.
Co-educational and committed to encouraging all children to explore their full range of abilities and opportunities.
Child centred in their approach to education. This means that teaching is carried out according to the developmental interests of the child. Each child is encouraged to learn at his/her own pace and individual learning needs are met in so far as class size allows. Interaction between teacher, child and parent is actively encouraged. It also means that the Board of Management of the school takes the educational interests of the children as its fundamental priority.
In a school context, it is important to understand that the Board’s commitment is to all the children in the school whose interests must be considered equally.
Democratically run with active participation by parents in the daily life of the school, whilst positively affirming the professional role of the teachers.
How are Educate Together Schools different?
In Ireland, the fundamental operational policies of State-funded primary schools are determined by their “Patrons” In most cases (98%) the patron is the local bishop of either the Roman Catholic or Anglican Church. However, in Educate Together schools, the patron is a company whose legal basis obliges it to operate schools that guarantee equality of access and esteem to children “irrespective of their social, cultural or religious backgrounds”. This is the fundamental difference.
Educate Together schools are also “parent initiated schools”. They are set up by groups of parents who wish for this type of school in their locality. As a result there is a high level of parental participation in the operation of the school.
The corporate nature of Educate Together as a patron means that all its actions are bound by its legal articles. Each school is a member of the company and so there is transparency, accountability and democratic involvement by the school communities in the decisions it makes as a patron.
You can see the fundamental legal basis of the Educate Together movement in the Educate Together Charter
What exactly does multi-denominational mean?
The idea is to provide a school environment in which the spiritual background of all children in respected whatever their viewpoint. Our Ethical Education Curriculum has a specific strand which educates childre
n about the main religious faiths in the world (this includes non-theistic and humanist viewpoints). This programme aims to inform rather than instruct. It teaches children “about” religions rather than that one is “the right way to think”. Our school boards are not permitted to promote any particular faith. We feel that specific religious formation is the responsibility of parents and religious organisations outside school. Within the school we aim to ensure that no child has to be set apart as a result of their religion. However, to assist any group of parents who wish to do so, our school board facilitates the organisation of voluntary doctrinal instruction classes outside school hours. Many parents with deep religious convictions choose our schools and find that their viewpoints are fully respected.
What is Learn Together?
Learn Together is the name given to the spiritual, ethical curriculum which supports and implements the guiding principles and ethos of the school by covering a wide range of religious, moral, social and ethical issues, with no specific emphasis on any one religion.
The knowledge and attitudes which the children derive from either their own religious or non-religious philosophies and beliefs are a significant resource which may be drawn on during spiritual, ethical curriculum classes.
The Learn Together Curriculum is divided into four broad strands:
1. Moral and Spiritual Development
2. Equality and Justice Issues
3. Belief Systems
4. Ethics and the Environment
Can my child do his/ her Communion?
Yes, but sacramental preparation does not take place in the classrooms during the school day. The school does however remain open to facilitate parents who organise religious instruction after school. Children attending our school have done their Communion. It is best to speak to your Parish Priest about any particular concerns you may have over your child doing Communion.
Who runs the school?
The Board of Management is responsible for the day-to-day running of the school and its finances. It is set up and run according to the Rules for Boards of Management of National Schools as laid down by the Department of Education and Science.
It consists of 8 people as follows:
· The Chairperson and one Educate Together nominee (both appointed by the Patron)
· Two Parent Nominees elected by the parent body (one male, one female)
· The School Principal and one teacher from the teaching staff.
· Two wider community representatives elected by the six appointed members.
Do you teach the same subjects as other schools?
Absolutely. The curriculum followed is that set out by the Department of Education and Science. It is broadly based, encompassing the core subjects of English, Maths and Irish as well as Social, Environmental and Scientific Education (History, Geography and Science), Arts Education (Visual Arts, Music and Drama), Social, Personal and Health Education and Physical Education. These are taught both as separate subjects and in an integrated way across the whole curriculum.
As a multi-denominational school we are required to have our own Spiritual, Ethical Curriculum which has been developed specially for Educate Together schools. It is called Learn Together.
Is it a fee paying school?
No, Educate Together Schools are part funded by the state as are most national schools in the country. Unfortunately there is, as in all schools, an annual shortfall. This shortfall is made up through voluntary donations and fundraising which incidentally can provide an enjoyable social focus for parents and families.