Those with an interest in education and members of wider society have a “once in a generation opportunity” to help shape Ireland’s education system for decades to come. The National Conversation on Education was launched today (Wednesday January 14) and everyone is invited to take part.  Archbishop Michael Jackson, chair of the General Synod’s Board of Education (RI) and school patron, and Dr Ken Fennelly, Education Secretary, attended the launch of the National Conversation on Education at the Department of Education and Youth in Dublin.

The national conversation commences today and the outcomes will be used to inform the agenda for the Convention on Education which will take place later this year with a view to building a long term strategy for the future of education in Ireland. Members of the public can join the conversation by completing an online survey, making a submission on behalf of an individual or organisation, or hosting their own conversations in schools, youth settings and organisations.

The survey can be found here.

The National Conversation was launched by Minister Hildegarde Naughton, TD, Minister Norma Foley, TD and Minister of State, Mr Michael Moynihan, TD. The chairperson of the National Convention is Professor Anne Looney.

At the launch, the consistent themes of the contributions by the Ministers was the positive impact of education on children, students and the whole of Irish society, both currently and over all past generations. The launch heard from primary school children about their aspirations and hopes for their own education journey and the possibilities for what the convention and national conversation on the future of education might bring.  In launching the Conversation, Minister Naughton observed that for generations our education system has served Irish society well and stated that there are currently one million students in education. She went on to note that history does not stand still and that we are at the beginning of another unique point in the development of Irish education.

The Minister advised that, for this reason, children and young people would be included in the Convention, along with other stakeholders to ensure the conversations at the Convention are as inclusive and as representative as possible.  Minister Foley spoke not only from her current perspective as Minister for Children but drawing on her experience as Minister for Education and Skills, about how Irish society values education and helps focus our collective sense of identity. In a memorable phrase she said education does this “from cradle to creche to childminder”.

She spoke of the importance of the earliest possible access to the provision of education for the development of the child. She also offered a compelling image: that the windows of the classroom should always open to the future.  Minister Michael Moynihan underlined the need for the best possible outcome for children and young people with special needs and highlighted the role of churches and patron bodies in that regard in national education provision over many generations.

Professor Anne Looney, chairperson of the Convention, pointed to the fact that this is a formal launch of a conversation that goes on informally all the time. “What did you do in school today?” is a question every child is asked and is part of the lexicon of Irish society. She focused attention on the fact that these regular conversations concentrate on the present and the future simultaneously.  The Convention provides a unique opportunity to look to the long term future and to enable us all to move from reactive to responsive mode, Professor Looney said. She went on to say that her hope is that the conversations at the Education Convention 2026 will be talked about in 2056 by the young people present, their peers and successive generations.

Speaking after the launch, Archbishop Michael Jackson said: “The conversation which begins today offers Irish society a unique opportunity to shape the future education of our citizens. I encourage members of the Church of Ireland to join this conversation and to offer our specific perspectives so that our voices can be included in this great venture. The Church of Ireland has contributed to education in this country for hundreds of years. Our schools cater not only for our own community but offer a welcoming and safe space to those of all faith backgrounds and none. I encourage everyone to continue this contribution by taking part in the survey, making submissions and starting conversations in your own schools and parishes.”

Dr Ken Fennelly added: “Through my work as Education Secretary, I see at first hand the great things that Church of Ireland schools achieve year in, year out. I also see the challenges faced by schools and bring them to the Department. Now we have the opportunity for every one of us to be part of the conversation and I encourage you to join in.”

The Church of Ireland Board of Education is a recognised Education Stakeholder and representative of Church of Ireland schools and the Church of Ireland sector in education generally. In this regard, the Board and its representatives look forward to participating in the conversations in the Convention over the coming year.

Report by Lynn Glanville (Communications Officer, Dublin & Glendalough)

The Board of Education (Republic of Ireland) represents the Church of Ireland in all educational matters applying to the State, including as an education partner with the Department of Education and other educational bodies.  It also supports religious education in primary schools under Protestant management and provides support, training and advice to primary level patrons and boards of management.

Enquiries can be made through the Church of Ireland’s online contact form at the following link: www.churchofireland.org/contact

Dr Ken Fennelly

Secretary, Board of Education (Republic of Ireland)

The Church Education Society was established in 1839 and aims to support Church of Ireland children in primary schools under sole or joint Church of Ireland patronage by making grants available in various ways.  The Society is regulated by a Deed of Trust and governed by an elected Executive Committee.  The Society receives many requests for funding each year and tries to support as many as possible provided finance is available and the request itself falls within the terms of the Society’s Deed of Trust.

The sum of money expended by the Society from its own funds over the last 25 years now exceeds €1 million.

Over the course of each year:

• almost 60 small primary schools under sole or joint Church of Ireland management receive grants of up to €600 each towards the purchase of non–consumable resources like religious education books, IT equipment, PE equipment and musical instruments;
• approximately eight bursaries are sanctioned to a maximum of €2,500 each to teachers in Church of Ireland primary schools who wish to follow postgraduate educational management courses which clearly demonstrate a leadership or mentoring component;
• grant–aid is provided for Religious Education provision;
• other grants consistent with the aims and objectives of the Society are also considered and provided, including grants towards relevant publications.

Full details of all schemes are furnished by email to schools in spring each year.  For further information, please write to the Assistant Secretary, Jennifer Byrne, at email ces@ireland.anglican.org

The Board of Education (Republic of Ireland) represents the Church of Ireland in all educational matters applying to the State, including as an education partner with the Department of Education and other educational bodies.  It also supports religious education in primary schools under Protestant management and provides support, training and advice to primary level patrons and boards of management.

Enquiries can be made through the Church of Ireland’s online contact form at the following link: www.churchofireland.org/contact

Dr Ken Fennelly

Secretary, Board of Education (Republic of Ireland)

An exciting new video resource for the Follow Me Religious Education programme was launched on Friday, 26th September 2025, at St Fin Barre’s National School, Cork.  Follow Me is a Religious Education programme for National Schools under the patronage of the Church of Ireland, the Methodist Church in Ireland, and the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. It is published by the Church of Ireland General Synod Board of Education, and readers can visit its website here: www.followme.ie

The programme consists of eight books supported by online materials.

Introducing the new video, which introduces the pipe organ in a child–friendly way, Dr Jacqui Wilkinson, editor and author of Follow Me and Assistant Professor in Religious Education at Dublin City University, recalled her first conversation with Peter Stobart (Director of Music in St Fin Barre’s Cathedral, Cork) about her idea for a video to introduce children to the instrument.

She said: “Many school children only see organs on church visits or hear them played at carol services or other big events.  This interactive video titled ‘Pulling Out all the Stops’ introduces primary school children to the different parts of the organ and showcases the many skills of the organist. I want to thank Peter Stobart for taking my seed of an idea and bringing it to life in the wonderful video resource we have today.”

The video was directed and produced by Fuchsia Fishbourne from Mainframe TV and features Peter Stobart, Matthew Breen (Assistant Director of Music at St Fin Barre’s), and children from St Fin Barre’s National School.

Those visiting the school for the launch were Dr Wilkinson, who is co–ordinating the Follow Me redevelopment, Ms Carolyn Good (a member of the Follow Me Committee), and Dr Ken Fennelly and Mrs Susan Ellis (from General Synod Board of Education). They joined members of the school community: Ms Susan Durcan (acting principal), members of the school council, and some of the children who featured in the video, Dean Nigel Dunne, Mr Stobart and Mr Breen.

The video – which is available at www.youtube.com/@FollowMeRE - will be freely available to schools on the Follow Me website and has an accompanying lesson pack compiled by Mr Ian Packham (from Kildare Place School, Dublin) and Dr Wilkinson.

Earlier in the day, everyone had visited St Luke’s National School, Montenotte, to thank Karen Allsopp, special needs assistant (SNA) in the school, who was commissioned by the General Synod Board of Education to create a set of images for the new second class slide decks in the Follow Me programme. As it was the day after SNA Appreciation Day, it was an appropriate time to thank Karen for sharing her talents. The pupils and staff viewed some of Karen’s artwork during assembly.  Karen, Mr Eddie Pepper (school principal) and Ms Shilling from Carrigaline National School (whose class will use the artwork) were each presented with a framed print of one of Karen’s pictures.

The vibrant and engaging artwork will be featured in specific lessons about God and Easter and will also be available for schools to print as images for display in classrooms or corridors.

With thanks to Denise Stobart, Communications Officer for the Church of Ireland Diocese of Cork, Cloyne and Ross, for article and photography.

The Board of Education (Republic of Ireland) was among the signatories of a joint letter sent to the Minister for Education, Minister for Finance and Minister for Public Expenditure on Monday of this week on behalf of all stakeholders in primary education.

On Tuesday afternoon, Archbishop Michael Jackson, as Chair of the Board of Education (Republic of Ireland), and Board of Education staff Ken Fennelly and Susan Ellis met with the Minister and presented the Board’s Budget submission.

Dr Fennelly remarked: “For Church of Ireland primary schools, which tend to be smaller, the increased costs over the past number of years are a major challenge. Many schools are fundraising to pay basic bills and this is no way to run an education system. A significant funding investment in schools is needed now to keep pace with the reality of rising costs.”

The group welcomes recent positive steps, including the increase in the basic capitation rate and the introduction of free schoolbooks and meals. However, it warns that these measures are not enough to offset the dramatic rise in school running costs over recent years.

A comprehensive analysis of school accounts, commissioned by the Catholic Primary Schools Management Association (CPSMA), reveals:

• Heating costs have soared by 83% and water/refuse costs by 51% since 2018/19.
• Utility costs now account for 6.1% of school expenditure, up from 3.3% in 2019.
• Accounting, auditing, and management information system expenses have also risen sharply.
• The average primary school now faces a €17,000 deficit on capitation–related income and expenditure.

Despite cost–of–living supports, most schools are struggling to balance their books, with many facing the prospect of impossible financial decisions in the coming year.

The coalition is calling for:

• An immediate increase in the basic capitation rate from €224 to at least €299 per pupil.
• Substantial increases across all other grant categories, including minor works, ICT, and ancillary grants.
• A detailed analysis of the actual running costs for schools facing additional challenges, such as those in temporary accommodation or with special classes.

The signatory organisations stress that underfunding directly impacts children and families, particularly those in disadvantaged communities. They urge the Government to demonstrate its commitment to free, quality education by ensuring schools are adequately funded and families are not forced to make up the shortfall through voluntary contributions or fundraising.

Signatories on behalf of their respective organisations:

Caoimhín Ó hEaghra (An Foras Pátrúnachta)

Ken Fennelly (Church of Ireland Board of Education)

Seamus Mulconry (CPSMA)

Emer Nowlan (Educate Together)

Paddy Lavelle (Education and Training Boards Ireland)

Andy Pike (Fórsa)

Asiya Altawash (Muslim Primary Education Board)

Eileen O’Rourke (National Association of Boards of Management in Special Education)

Páiric Clerkin (Irish Primary Principals’ Network)

John Boyle (Irish National Teachers’ Organisation)

Niamh Dalziel (St. Vincent De Paul)

The Board of Education (Republic of Ireland) represents the Church of Ireland in all educational matters applying to the State, including as an education partner with the Department of Education and other educational bodies.  It also supports religious education in primary schools under Protestant management and provides support, training and advice to primary level patrons and boards of management.

Enquiries can be made through the Church of Ireland’s online contact form at the following link: www.churchofireland.org/contact

Dr Ken Fennelly

Secretary, Board of Education (Republic of Ireland)

Rest and relaxation is essential to human health and well–being, and is an essential part of our ethos in the Church of Ireland!  We read in Mark 6:30–31 that Jesus recognised the importance of rest for his disciples:

The Apostles gathered around Jesus and told him all they had done and taught.  He said to them, ‘Come away to a quiet place all by yourselves and rest awhile.’

School holidays are times to ‘rest awhile’, reflecting important times and seasons in the Christian year.  School holidays provide time for school staff and pupils to rest from teaching and learning, to focus on the enjoyment of leisure time and time with friends and family.

It is important to recognise that holidays are part of the life of the school community, and an expression of the Church of Ireland ethos of the school.  So enjoy your holidays!

The Board of Education (Republic of Ireland) represents the Church of Ireland in all educational matters applying to the State, including as an education partner with the Department of Education and other educational bodies.  It also supports religious education in primary schools under Protestant management and provides support, training and advice to primary level patrons and boards of management.

Enquiries can be made through the Church of Ireland’s online contact form at the following link: www.churchofireland.org/contact

Dr Ken Fennelly

Secretary, Board of Education (Republic of Ireland)

The importance of people of minority faiths having continued access to education in their own ethos was highlighted at the Council of Schools Charities’ annual meeting on Monday (April 28). Looking back to his own education, guest speaker Minister Neale Richmond told the representatives of schools and charities that schools instil an ethos and value system in the lives of young people which provide a bedrock for them and their communities for life.

The Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade outlined some of the challenges and opportunities facing education and pledged to maintain an open line of communication in relation to issues experienced by those represented by the Council of Schools Charities organisation.

The Council of Schools Charities is an organisation chaired and organised by Protestant Aid Charitable Services to ensure positive collaboration between schools, charities and the Secondary Education Committee (SEC) with the ultimate objective of assisting Protestant families to send their children to a secondary school in accordance with their ethos.

He said his school experiences were seared into his brain and participation in events like the Concern Christmas Fast and Whitechurch Parish’s connection with Rwanda which began after the genocide there, impacted his ministry in Foreign Affairs and Trade today where he has responsibility for international development and diaspora.

He outlined his 16 year career in politics to date and said that in the first few months of his current ministry he had had the opportunity to visit countries experiencing disadvantage. He would travel to Ukraine in the coming weeks as well as Sudan and Brazil, he said adding that a planned visit to Gaza had been postponed twice.

Thanking his parents for his education and everyone who worked in the area both professionally and voluntarily, he said that the meeting was a good opportunity to open up a trusted line of communication and that his door was always open.

In the area of education he said there were both challenges and opportunity, noting that “things are tight and are at the precipice of whether they would get tighter or be maintained” at the current level. Referring to the global geopolitical events,he said many factors were out of the State’s control. “I am scared by what happening in the US and some of Europe but it is an opportunity for us in Ireland to show what our values are,” he stated. It was important to prioritise key issues facing people on a daily basis, he added.

Archbishop Michael Jackson also addressed the meeting which he described as an important way of drawing together perspectives and capacity and enabling charities to work to the best advantage of those who they want to serve.

“Every year we hear that it gets tighter to deliver what we want to deliver – that is the comfort and assurance that our children can be educated in an ethos where they can flourish and their parents and guardians can be confident. That is not to say it is exclusive but we are a minority and we want to facilitate children to be members of this State,” he commented.

Vivienne Rountree,Operations and Support Manager for the SEC which administers the Protestant Block Grant on behalf of the Department of Education, outlined the work of the SEC.She detailed the eligibility criteria and the application process for families who seek a grant. Three new allowances had been introduced, she said: the single parent allowance, multiple birth allowance and a 3+ allowance.

She said that application numbers for SEC grants had reduced in recent years and was interested to explore the reasons for this. This was echoed by Geoff Scargill,Head of Charitable Services at Protestant Aid, who chaired the meeting.

Discussion around the table questioned whether the ethos or religion of a school was less important to children who wanted to attend the same school as their friends and whether the emphasis on the need to attend a Protestant school was dying either because of the rise in community schools or people becoming more secular.

Information on the SEC grant can be found at www.secgrant.ie. School bursars have information on charities which support families in the education of their children.

The Board of Education (Republic of Ireland) represents the Church of Ireland in all educational matters applying to the State, including as an education partner with the Department of Education and other educational bodies.  It also supports religious education in primary schools under Protestant management and provides support, training and advice to primary level patrons and boards of management.

Enquiries can be made through the Church of Ireland’s online contact form at the following link: www.churchofireland.org/contact

Dr Ken Fennelly

Secretary, Board of Education (Republic of Ireland)

Archbishop Michael Jackson, as Chairman of General Synod Board of Education (Republic of Ireland), has shared the following message with Church of Ireland primary schools and boards of management in the Board’s pre–Christmas education newsletter: 

Christmas often finds us exhausted but at the same time excited. 

Christmas gives us a break from our routines at the darkest time of the year. It also gives us time to do some of the things we have had to shelve over the previous months and to do them with people whose company we value. 

In schools, Christmas comes after a long–term of settling in for new pupils and staff. It is an equally long term for those preparing to move into the next stage of life beyond the classroom. 

I want to thank all who have made our schools happy places for students and staff in 2023 and to 

wish you all happiness at Christmas and in 2024. 

Keep safe and keep happy at Christmas! 

Dr Ken Fennelly, Secretary to the Board, added a further reflection: 

As we move towards the end of this term and look forward to the Christmas break, the annual round of carol services and Christmas concerts will be in full swing! In this last week before Christmas, the preoccupations of getting things finished off before school closes on Friday, or trying to get the last few family Christmas presents sorted out means reflection and taking time to sit for a moment and ‘gather thoughts’ is low on the priority list. Yet, as the experience of the Covid pandemic should have 

taught us, we all need to mind ourselves, especially at the busy times of year. So, I invite you to take a 

moment to pause! 

Christmas is a time for reflection and for giving thanks for all the blessings that we have received over the last year; and there are many blessings! 

The most important blessings are the children in school. It is a privilege and blessing to be able to provide children with a happy, rewarding and fulfilling time in school; an experience that is being 

denied to so many children in other parts of the world currently. In a very real sense, this is the essential expression of our Church of Ireland ethos and of the Christmas message of welcome, peace and joy. 

The former English poet laureate, Philip Larkin, in his poem ‘Christmas 1940’ reflects on how the message of Christmas and the Incarnation is so profound that adequate words of description elude him. Perhaps we could draw a parallel with school, knowing all it provides for a child, but rarely having the voice or opportunity to articulate it? 

May I wish you a very happy Christmas. 

‘High on arched field I stand 

Alone: the night is full of stars: 

Enormous over tree and farm 

The night extends, 

And looks down equally to all on earth. 

‘So I return their look; and laugh 

To see as them my living stars 

Flung from east to west across 

A windless gulf? 

– So much to say that I have never said, 

Or ever could. 

Christmas 1940 by Philip Larkin 

The Board of Education (Republic of Ireland) represents the Church of Ireland in all educational matters applying to the State, including as an education partner with the Department of Education and other educational bodies.  It also supports religious education in primary schools under Protestant management and provides support, training and advice to primary level patrons and boards of management.

Enquiries can be made through the Church of Ireland’s online contact form at the following link: www.churchofireland.org/contact

Dr Ken Fennelly

Secretary, Board of Education (Republic of Ireland)

The ethos of Church of Ireland primary schools needs to be part of each school’s self–evaluation and stem from dialogue with the whole school community. This is according to Dr Jacqui Wilkinson of DCU’s Institute of Education who presented her research on Church of Ireland primary schools at the DCU Church of Ireland Centre’s ‘Making Connections’ conference recently. She said Church of Ireland schools needed to ask if they have rooted their ethos in their Christian identity and if they have a lived ethos, not simply one which is prescribed by the Patron.

The conference gathered personnel from Church of Ireland primary schools the All Hallows Campus of DCU. Apart from Dr Wilkinson’s research, participants heard from Jacinta Regan of the NCCA (National Council for Curriculum and Assessment) on developments in primary education. A panel discussion highlighted developments from three schools and one parish: Anna Ovington talked about Delgany NS’s smartphone policy, Rachel Harper outlined the It Takes a Village initiative in Greystones and Delgany, Sarah Richards spoke of the development of Whitechurch NS’s outdoor classroom, and 4th year B.Ed student Sophie Ray brought news of the Lighten our Darkness by Numbers initiative in Mullingar Union.

Dr Wilkinson has spent five years researching ethos in Church of Ireland schools. Her empirical study involved more than 3,200 students from 4th, 5th and 6th classes in 92 Church of Ireland primary schools exploring ethos.

She defined ethos as “the core shared values, beliefs, attitudes and practices of an educational community” (O’Brien DCU). In identifying what the Church of Ireland says about its schools, Dr Wilkinson found that they have certainty about their Christian identity, promote inclusion, regard parish–school links as important, value worship and religious education, and hold a set of core values with a foundation in Christianity.

Her findings on students’ attitudes towards their schools identified that students surveyed felt that assembly was important, God was important, school was a safe place, teachers cared for the students and the school, the school taught them to respect others, caring for others was important and school taught them to care for the environment. She said there was lots more work to do but that it was clear from the children’s answers that the Church of Ireland ethos was apparent in the schools.

Jacinta Regan of the NCCA outlined the function of the 26 member council which develops advice for the Minister of Education on the curriculum. She spoke about the ongoing work in redeveloping the primary school curriculum in particular the RSE (Relationships and Sexuality Education) course.

Outlining the key findings of the NCCA’s research based on surveys of students, teachers and parents, Ms Regan said that those who responded felt that RSE was important, it was too biological, called for content relevant to the children’s needs, and highlighted the importance of the teach and classroom climate. The survey also highlighted that students found information about RSE in the following order: internet, friends, teachers, parents. Feedback from parents suggested that the curriculum should include content around respect, relationships, consent, safety, social media awareness and diverse family types. A minority of parents said that there should be no talk of sex or LGBT issues on school grounds, she reported. The draft specification for the NCCA RSE programme will go to publication in Spring 2024 with the final specification to be published in September 2025, she said.

Anna Ovington outlined Delgany NS’s smartphone voluntary code. The school and parents worked together to develop the code four years ago when parents became concerned about the amount of smartphone ownership among primary school children in the broader community. “The perception is that everyone has a phone and that if your child doesn’t have one, they feel they are losing out,” Ms Ovington explained. “The parents’ association thought about how they could support parents … and considered adopting a voluntary code. The code is supported by the school and the board of management but it is led by the parents.” She said that the feedback from parents had been very positive with 95% of students now not owning smartphones. Anyone wishing to learn more can email SmartphoneVoluntaryCode@gmail.com

‘It Takes a Village’ is a community wide initiative involving eight local primary schools, dedicated to the wellbeing of the children of the area. Rachel Harper, principal of St Patrick’s NS in Greystones, explained that coming out of Covid she saw increased anxiety in children. A survey of parents, teachers, principals and SNAs in the eight local schools found that an overwhelming majority of responses saw increased anxiety levels in children and they decided to take action. It Takes a Village aims to fund two play therapists for the schools. But there are also workshops for parents and the schools work on monthly themes with their students. More information is available on https://www.ittakesavillagegreystones-delgany.com

Whitechurch NS’s new outdoor classroom was highlighted by principal Sarah Richards. She suggested that any school can use their outdoor environment by exploring it in their own contexts. Since establishing the outdoor classroom, Ms Richards said there had been many benefits in the areas of movement and exercise, multisensory, links to all areas of the curriculum, the whole school community was involved, developing environmental awareness and getting fresh air. The classroom is used as part of the school day and she reported that the students loved it.

In May of this year members of General Synod were moved by the presentation by the Lighten Our Darkness by Numbers initiative which highlights the critical importance of youth leadership in climate change. Sophie Ray explained that the initiative looks at climate change through the lens of faith and focuses on youth leadership in seeking to promote their faith and raise awareness of climate change while having a positive impact on the world around them. Lighten Our Darkness came about when the Rector of Mullingar, Canon Alistair Graham, saw an opportunity to bridge the gap between declining youth membership in the church and concern about climate change. Sophie explained that, through youth leadership, parishioners of all ages were encouraged to take steps to make changes in support of biodiversity and conservation. You can find more information on the Mullingar Union of Parishes website: https://mullingarunionofparishes.net

Report and photos by Lynn Glanville, Dublin & Glendalough Communications Officer

The Board of Education (Republic of Ireland) represents the Church of Ireland in all educational matters applying to the State, including as an education partner with the Department of Education and other educational bodies.  It also supports religious education in primary schools under Protestant management and provides support, training and advice to primary level patrons and boards of management.

Enquiries can be made through the Church of Ireland’s online contact form at the following link: www.churchofireland.org/contact

Dr Ken Fennelly

Secretary, Board of Education (Republic of Ireland)

The number of Protestant faith–based schools in particular parts of the world, she outlined, depends firstly on the history of individual countries.  In the Netherlands, for example, more than 70% of schools are faith–based with the Protestant sector being the largest, even in what is today a very secular country.  In the former East Germany, Protestant education has become very popular since it re–opened after the Cold War as many parents, while not having a faith at all, didn’t want their children to be brought up in the (former Communist) state education system.

Where governments are unable to provide education, faith–based education is seen as a “huge alternative” as seen in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has 22,500 Protestant schools.  The status of religion in a region is another important factor.  For example in Rwanda, an emerging democracy, Protestant schools are seen as “spaces for finding little alternative solutions in the public sphere” and provide more space for democratic expression compared to state–run schools.  The growth in Protestant schools in Africa opens up the potential for deeper learning and shared history, including different stories about the experience of colonisation.

In Germany, 70 per cent of Protestant schools specifically serve non–privileged students from disadvantaged backgrounds, or who are living with disabilities, or who are taking part in vocational training.  One beautiful example in the foothills of the Alps educates 50% of the country’s Winter Olympic medallists and is also a school for children with breathing difficulties who need to participate in mountain sports to improve their health: “Isn’t this a great form of integration and social justice?”

Data from the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) indicate that Protestant schools have a high reading capacity – an encouraging finding as “being Protestant means to be able to read the Bible by yourself and by this to get your own understanding.”

After the genocide in Rwanda, education for democracy is “at the heart of Protestant schools” and they have a statistically significant higher performance in this area of learning compared to other schools: “It is, of course, something that is in the core of being Protestant as well – to allow you to be part of a deciding community and to be responsible for what you’re doing.”

In 2017, as the 500th anniversary of the Reformation was marked, the international Protestant schools network GPEN produced a position paper on what unites schools with this history.  A theological ‘root’ emphasised Creation, unconditional love, God–given freedom, trust in the Holy Spirit, and global solidarity, hope, peace and justice in God’s kingdom.  This, in turn, led to a pedagogy where every student learns to develop their own potential and be joyful and is offered ‘error–friendly forgiveness’ – an approach which places an importance on being committed to freedom and responsibility, high quality teaching, and striving for social justice.

Professor Scheunpflug suggested that more empirical and historical research into the role of Protestant schools, and their connection with each other, was needed along with a recognition of these schools in ongoing large–scale educational assessments.  Those involved in schools also had to lobby together “because we are now in a secularising world”.  This work has been taken forward by the Association for Protestant Schools and Educational Institutions, based in the Netherlands, in co–operation with the International Office of Catholic Education (OIEC).  There is also a role in connecting schools and enhancing global learning together.

Reflecting on this bigger picture, she noted: “Even if every denomination is different in the Protestant world, even if every nation has its own history, there is something that connects us.”

The Board of Education (Republic of Ireland) represents the Church of Ireland in all educational matters applying to the State, including as an education partner with the Department of Education and other educational bodies.  It also supports religious education in primary schools under Protestant management and provides support, training and advice to primary level patrons and boards of management.

Enquiries can be made through the Church of Ireland’s online contact form at the following link: www.churchofireland.org/contact

 

Dr Ken Fennelly

Secretary, Board of Education (Republic of Ireland)

]]> https://www.ireland.anglican.org/news/12446/a-global-perspective-on-protestant https://www.ireland.anglican.org/news/12121/are-protestant-comprehensives-multiply-invisible Mon, 20 Nov 2023 16:00:00 +0000 The Revd Professor Anne Lodge, who leads the Church of Ireland Centre at DCU, has presented new research into Protestant compreheneive schools, drawing on interviews and document archives, to tell their origin and contemporary stories and how their lived ethos is expressed.  She was speaking at a recent seminar on this theme, co–hosted by the Church of Ireland Centre and the Educational Studies Association of Ireland (ESAI) at Dublin City University’s Purcell House on Friday, 27th October.

This research project’s rationale was to capture the memories and insights of those involved at the start of comprehensive schooling, and also a concern about the visibility of the diversity of school type in research and policy–making.  It therefore sought to document and analyse the stories of the five Protestant comprehensives, and compare them with the nine other comprehensives and the 20 other Protestant second level schools.

Of the 14 current comprehensives, 10 were amalgamations of other schools, three were on greenfield sites, and one was a single school continuing to operate on its site.  Nine were rural and five were urban, four were in the DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity In Schools) Plan for communities at risk of disadvantage and social exclusion, one had boarding, and one was in the Gaeltacht.

The five Protestant comprehensives are more likely to be large urban schools, and they account for 42 per cent of all comprehensive students.  Four out of the five came from the amalgamation of a range of different private secondary schools, while the other emerged out of local lobbying.

Their histories drew on roots in formal schools which were “complex structures and privately owned in many cases.”  These went back, in the case of the Royal and Prior in Raphoe, Co. Donegal, to the formation of Royal Schools in the Plantation of Ulster to educate the sons of Protestant settlers for university and civil service across the Empire.  Other predecessor schools included Cork and Kingstown Grammar Schools and charity schools such as the Hibernian Marine and Bertrand High School, formed respectively to educate the orphaned sons of seafarers and female orphans.  Five private secondary schools, such as the innovative Avoca College, were amongst the predecessors.

The General Synod’s Advisory Committee on Secondary Education (1962–1965) visited 42 post–primary schools in the State – of which 19 now remain – as well as three schools in Northern Ireland, and three Roman Catholic schools south of the border.  Its key findings were that buildings and educational facilities were inadequate, as were budgets and teacher salaries.

Its recommendations included appropriate secondary education for all Protestant children and young people, fewer and larger schools with adequate buildings and better facilities, and a range of school types including senior secondary, secondary, junior secondary and comprehensive.  Two comprehensive schools were initially sought – one in West Cork and one in Co. Donegal.

Several smaller schools were amalgamated in 1970 – Avoca and Kingstown Grammar; Cork Grammar and Rochelle; and Mountjoy and Hibernian Marine – while others were moving to new sites with new buildings.  In the following year, the Government proposed more comprehensive schools – two large ones for Dublin, one for Donegal, and one for Cork city.  This came to reality with the opening of Newpark, Mount Temple, Royal & Prior, and Ashton in 1972 with new premises for the Dublin and Cork comprehensives following in 1974.

By the late 1970s, the four Church of Ireland comprehensives were educating almost 2,000 children and the Secondary Education Committee was seeking greater flexibility for their boards of management in financial matters; there was a continuing concern throughout these years to protect fee–charging and boarding schools.

In terms of culture and ethos, around 70–100% of pupils at rural Protestant comprehensives are from a Protestant background compared with 35–50% in their urban counterparts although each one has an admissions policy giving priority to Protestant entrants.  All five schools had seen an increase in ethnic and cultural diversity and up a third of their pupils experienced disadvantage, as shown in payments for the book grant and other forms of support. 

History remained important as seen by artefacts preserved from legacy schools, and links through past pupils and teachers, sporting achievements, and cultural competitions and events were also appreciated.  “For some schools,” Professor Lodge added, “the history of half a century and everything that has actually happened in those stories is a very, very important part of the story they are now telling.”

The schools found a common ground on ethos – e.g. seeking to value diversity and all members of the school community equally, being Christian schools educating all inclusively in partnership with parents, a family atmosphere, and an everyday outworking of the Christian faith in values such as kindness, respect and ambition.

Lived dimensions of ethos included awards to reflect values, celebrations of sporting, art and cultural achievements, formal addresses at the start of the school year, chaplains and school assemblies (although the number of assemblies with a religious component varied significantly).

School leaders felt that the comprehensive model was suitable for a wide range of student abilities and encouraged a willingness to innovate and a sense of community across all learners.  Parents tended to proactively choose a comprehensive school.  However, conversely, small or medium–sized schools found it challenging to offer the full range of subjects in the curriculum, and comprehensives needed to keep an eye on the balance between holistic flourishing and academic outcomes.

Professor Lodge concluded by calling for a new phase of academic research about comprehensives, including the Protestant schools and education sector, and that Protestant educational discourse needs to recognise and include the comprehensives.  Indeed, the model gives great opportunities for professional sharing across sectors, and a larger version of the ‘Six Sisters’ cluster – an informal grouping of the five Protestant comprehensives and Temple Carrig School in Greystones.

Report on keynote address to follow.

The Board of Education (Republic of Ireland) represents the Church of Ireland in all educational matters applying to the State, including as an education partner with the Department of Education and other educational bodies.  It also supports religious education in primary schools under Protestant management and provides support, training and advice to primary level patrons and boards of management.

Enquiries can be made through the Church of Ireland’s online contact form at the following link: www.churchofireland.org/contact

 

Dr Ken Fennelly

Secretary, Board of Education (Republic of Ireland)

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