asked the Minister for Education the steps she intends to take to ascertain the clear wishes of parents in an area, referred to in 3.8 of the Programme for Action in Education, prior to support being provided for multi-denominational primary schools.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Multi-Denominational Primary Schools.
2.
National Schools are local schools established as a result of local initiative. It would be a matter for the agency proposing the establishment of any school in a particular area to satisfy my Department that sufficient parental support existed to warrant such a school and to ensure that it would be viable educationally.
Would a report of a survey of the wishes of parents in an area satisfy the Minister and would it be acceptable to the Department, or would there have to be a separate inquiry by the Department?
Parents who wish to establish a multi-denominational school in an area must satisfy the same kind of criteria as any other kind of school, which is that the school will be educationally viable. In urban areas there should be the prospect of the school going to a principal and seven assistants. In smaller towns the qualification would be in regard to a school of three or four teachers. On the question of how parents' opinions could be tested before a decision would be taken, the position is that a multi-denominational school is proposed by a voluntary group as an alternative to existing schools and parental opinion need only be tested to establish the need for such a school. We must ensure that sufficient pupils will continue to be enrolled so that the school will continue as a viable unit.
I take it then that the opinions expressed by parents in a survey, etc., would be acceptable to the Department as being the clear wishes of parents in the area, but is there any other criterion which must be fulfilled to establish the clear wishes of the parents, apart from a survey? Would a petition signed by parents be accepted?
That would be acceptable provided the Department were satisfied.