The Minister for Education has received criticism for a “slip” in not mentioning parents specifically in a social media post about her newly announced national conversation on education
The Catholic Education Partnership (CEP) insisted the Government’s National Convention on Education must ensure that parents views are “central” and allow discussion on all topics of concern.
Alan Hynes, CEO of the CEP, told The Irish Catholic that while the Government’s press release mentioned parents, “in the video the minister put on social media there was no mention of parents”.
“Parents ought to be central to this national conversation alongside the voices of young people,” he said, “I would take it that the minister made a slip in not mentioning them in the video, but it is important that slip is not made again.”
The National Convention on Education is set to be the largest conversation on education since the State’s foundation, according to Government. It will focus mainly on primary and post-primary education but will include the transitions children make from early childhood education to primary and from post-primary to further and higher education. Its work will inform a new long-term strategy for education in Ireland.
“Parents are the only stakeholder specifically mentioned in the Constitution as having a priority regarding the education of their children. The Constitutional position of parents needs to be respected throughout this process,” Mr Hynes said.
Regarding the process of changing the Catholic patronage of schools in line with community desires, Mr Hynes said that “in terms of the divestment issue, both Church and State have been very cautious to make sure that the views of parents in the individual schools have always been fully respected, their views taken on board, and I hope this will continue to be the approach with this national conversation”.
He added that recent curricular changes in senior cycle, junior cycle, “need to be open to debate again to see if this is the correct approach, just noting the concerns that a number of teachers and teacher trade unions have expressed about the reforms”.
“Consultation processes in the past – with respect to the curriculum including SPHE – do not seem to have always taken on board or made a full effort to engage with the full scope of parental opinion. This might be an opportunity to correct those past lapses.”
Mr Hynes said that the CEP, in terms of their engagement with the department but also with its Chair Anne Looney “who we greatly respect”, will “absolutely be insisting that the centrality of parents is recognised”.
The Convention’s agenda will be approved by Government next year following a national conversation and consultation involving the public, early childhood education and school communities and other stakeholders which include: children and youth; early learning and care providers, community; business and industry.
