“Parents, who value their current school ethos, should be sure to fill-in this short survey. Otherwise, the choice of future school provision will be made for them” Archbishop Eamon Martin has said. He was responding to a survey launched by the Department of Education and Youth which is seeking views from parents on the kind of primary schools they want.
Archbishop Eamon Martin said that “The Catholic Church does not wish to have a monopoly on education, and we encourage all those eligible to participate in the survey to do so. At the same time, a faith-based education can be highly valuable for young people today.”
Dr Marie Griffin, the Chairperson of the Catholic Education Partnership (CEP), which represents the Catholic patrons – each diocesan bishop, also called on parents to make their voices heard in the online school patronage survey, saying it is vital that parents who value Catholic schools respond. “If Catholic parents and guardians want Catholic schools for their children, then they need to respond to the survey to that effect. Parents must vote now to secure patronage choice for the future.”
Catholic primary schools currently educate 88.3% of pupils, but 109 have closed in the past decade while 59 multi-denominational schools have opened. With enrolments expected to fall almost nationwide, especially in rural areas, more closures and amalgamations are likely.
Writing in this week’s Irish Catholic Dr Griffin said “Catholic primary schools are traditionally rooted in their local communities, educating generations of the same families, establishing strong links with the local sporting and other organisations and reflecting the interests in the areas they serve. Our schools have responded to national, European and global change, welcoming children from war-torn parts and fund-raising for their peers who need help worldwide. More recently, they have responded to the places needed for those with additional needs.”
Also writing in this paper former principal Dr Nicholas Cuddihy said: “This survey is not a referendum on Catholic education, but it is a moment to reflect on, and to affirm the enduring value of Catholic schools and the key role played by patrons and trustees in Catholic education. It is also an opportunity, in advance of the planned Education Convention, to consider how we imagine the future and how Catholic patrons and trustees will engage and contribute constructively to conversations on Ireland’s evolving educational and cultural landscape.”
The survey, titled “Have Your Say,” is open until 16 December 2025 at https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/campaigns/primary-school-survey/
