AT Cork Educate Together National School about three-quarters of the school’s 215 pupils are from Irish families, mostly in the local inner-city community or parts of the northside. The profile is quite different to most of the dozens of multi-denominational schools to open over the last decade, which cater for a more diverse mix of nationalities and ethnic backgrounds in areas of rapidly growing population. But its ethos is exactly the same.
Just like in every other primary school in the country, religious education is a core part of the daily curriculum that must be taught, but every school’s approach is left to the patron rather than being set down by the Department of Education.
A core aim of the overall curriculum for primary schools is to enable children to develop spiritual, moral and religious values, while schools are expected to allow pupils develop a knowledge and understanding of their own religious traditions and beliefs and respect for those of others.
Educate Together schools have had their own ethical education curriculum for a number of years, which is implicit through all subjects, including the daily period set aside for religious education. It has four different strands: moral and spiritual development, equality and justice, belief systems and ethics and the environment.
The instruction in any particular faith or belief system is not generally allowed during school hours, although Cork Educate Together National School is a minor exception to this. Around half of its pupils are children of Catholic families and, from these, dozens opt to have religious instruction and faith formation for one slot a week in the timetable.
"They go out to a nearby church hall for about an hour, where they are taught about Catholicism by a retired teacher and those in second and sixth class are prepared for First Communion and Confirmation. But they are still back in class for most of the ethical education curriculum as well and they don’t miss out on any other subjects," Principal Gerard Ryan said.
The school has 29 sixth-class pupils this year and nine of them will make their Confirmation with children from other local schools.
In the vast majority of other Educate Together schools, teaching or faith formation in any religion can only be taught after school hours but the classrooms are usually made available in the evenings.
As Cork Educate Together National School does not keep a record of the religious beliefs or otherwise of its pupils’ families, even the principal does not have a breakdown.
"We don’t ask anyone what their faith is or if they have any. Our enrolment policy is very simple, it’s first-come first-served but those with brothers or sisters can be given priority, that’s it," he said.
Some of the faiths which are, or have been, represented among the pupils over the years, include Hinduism, Islam, various Christian faiths, Baha’i, Jehovah’s Witnesses and many others.
"One of the things that makes this model of school different and attractive is that each child’s background will be respected and celebrated equally to all the others. So if we have Indian children in a class, for example, we will mark the important Hindu celebrations and all the other kids learn about it," he said.
While he believes denominational education, including Catholic schools, has served people very well and continues to do so, Mr Ryan said families also need to have as much choice as possible.
"Educate Together schools are in largely urban areas but they are filtering down beyond the cities into big towns and growing suburbs, like Midleton and Carrigaline here in Cork as demand grows," he said.
The school is one of 14 in the Educate Together network that has its own patron body, in this case an executive which mostly comprises parents, with a board of management with representatives of staff, parents and others, and also has a very active parents’ association.
The influx of immigrants to Cork, which once meant about half the school’s population was from international families, has slowed down in recent years as in most of the country. But the city centre Educate Together school is still in high demand and almost 90 applications were received for fewer than 30 junior infant places this year and families from the local community are turning to it as an option in rising numbers.
"When we first opened in the Presbyterian Church on Wellington Road in 1987, we were seen as very different. Now, we are simply analternative," Mr Ryan said.
Just like in every other primary school in the country, religious education is a core part of the daily curriculum that must be taught, but every school’s approach is left to the patron rather than being set down by the Department of Education.
A core aim of the overall curriculum for primary schools is to enable children to develop spiritual, moral and religious values, while schools are expected to allow pupils develop a knowledge and understanding of their own religious traditions and beliefs and respect for those of others.
Educate Together schools have had their own ethical education curriculum for a number of years, which is implicit through all subjects, including the daily period set aside for religious education. It has four different strands: moral and spiritual development, equality and justice, belief systems and ethics and the environment.
The instruction in any particular faith or belief system is not generally allowed during school hours, although Cork Educate Together National School is a minor exception to this. Around half of its pupils are children of Catholic families and, from these, dozens opt to have religious instruction and faith formation for one slot a week in the timetable.
"They go out to a nearby church hall for about an hour, where they are taught about Catholicism by a retired teacher and those in second and sixth class are prepared for First Communion and Confirmation. But they are still back in class for most of the ethical education curriculum as well and they don’t miss out on any other subjects," Principal Gerard Ryan said.
The school has 29 sixth-class pupils this year and nine of them will make their Confirmation with children from other local schools.
In the vast majority of other Educate Together schools, teaching or faith formation in any religion can only be taught after school hours but the classrooms are usually made available in the evenings.
As Cork Educate Together National School does not keep a record of the religious beliefs or otherwise of its pupils’ families, even the principal does not have a breakdown.
"We don’t ask anyone what their faith is or if they have any. Our enrolment policy is very simple, it’s first-come first-served but those with brothers or sisters can be given priority, that’s it," he said.
Some of the faiths which are, or have been, represented among the pupils over the years, include Hinduism, Islam, various Christian faiths, Baha’i, Jehovah’s Witnesses and many others.
"One of the things that makes this model of school different and attractive is that each child’s background will be respected and celebrated equally to all the others. So if we have Indian children in a class, for example, we will mark the important Hindu celebrations and all the other kids learn about it," he said.
While he believes denominational education, including Catholic schools, has served people very well and continues to do so, Mr Ryan said families also need to have as much choice as possible.
"Educate Together schools are in largely urban areas but they are filtering down beyond the cities into big towns and growing suburbs, like Midleton and Carrigaline here in Cork as demand grows," he said.
The school is one of 14 in the Educate Together network that has its own patron body, in this case an executive which mostly comprises parents, with a board of management with representatives of staff, parents and others, and also has a very active parents’ association.
The influx of immigrants to Cork, which once meant about half the school’s population was from international families, has slowed down in recent years as in most of the country. But the city centre Educate Together school is still in high demand and almost 90 applications were received for fewer than 30 junior infant places this year and families from the local community are turning to it as an option in rising numbers.
"When we first opened in the Presbyterian Church on Wellington Road in 1987, we were seen as very different. Now, we are simply analternative," Mr Ryan said.
No comments:
Post a Comment