THE INAUGURATION of the Catholic Schools Partnership yesterday marked a “historic day in the life of the Irish church”, said Bishop Leo O’Reilly of Kilmore.
The partnership is an umbrella support group for everyone involved in Catholic education. It was set up to take account of the changing role of the religious in education. Its 33-member council includes bishops, parents, teachers and priests.
It was launched by Cardinal Seán Brady, who said the vitality of the Catholic Church was closely linked to the health of Catholic schools.
Partnership chairman Fr Michael Drumm said there had been huge changes in society, and he called for a “serious dialogue” within the church on its role in education. This must address “where we see ourselves in the future, how much energy do we have for it and how can we provide for lay leadership as religious become fewer and fewer on the ground”, he said.
The key issue was parental choice and parents must continue to be at the centre of the story. “Everyone agrees, and there is no question about this, that there needs to be some change, of course, at primary level. There are too many Catholic schools for the number of Catholics in our State and there are some people, Catholics and others, who would prefer and would welcome a broader range of diversity of provision.”
But he said there was also a need for new Catholic voluntary secondary schools to offer choice to parents. “There have been none now for almost several decades,” he said. “Surely if one took due regard of parental choice at second level, there would be diversity of provision in new schools.”
He also questioned the sustainability of some “extraordinarily small” primary schools. “But just as the church, internally, has to face the issue of how to continue small churches . . . serving very, very small rural and scattered communities, so too we have to seriously look at the unsustainability of some small schools,” he said.
There are about 3,500 Catholic primary and secondary schools in the State. Fr Drumm said people seriously underestimated the time and dedication offered by those on boards of management in these schools. “There are about 20,000 volunteers on boards of management at primary level and a further major group again at second level,” he said.
“Where’s the equivalent in other aspects of Irish society? Where is it in health, if I could dare to mention it?” he said, to laughter. Fr Drumm is the brother of Prof Brendan Drumm, HSE chief executive.
“Where is it . . . in policing? Where is it, for heaven’s sake, in local government of all things?”
People could criticise boards all they wanted, but schools were thriving because of this voluntary effort, he said.
Also yesterday, Cardinal Brady launched the all-island Catholic Schools Week, which begins on Sunday.
