Pupils release their balloons to celebrate the official opening of Holywell ETNS

TDs Michael Kennedy and Trevor Sargent join Educate Together CEO Paul Rowe to plant the first tree at Holywell ETNS

Educate Together’s Regional Development Officer, Gerry McKevitt said, ‘Today is a proud and exciting day for the entire community of Holywell. I would like to thank local residents and parents for the huge amount of hard work, dedication and support they have put in over the years.’

Holywell ETNS Principal Maria Boyne

Commenting on the school opening, Holywell Educate Together’s Principal Maria Boyne said ‘On behalf of all the staff I would like to welcome all new parents, children and families to the school. I look forward to getting to know each family in the school and hope we can build a happy and dynamic learning environment.’

Parent Christian Welters

Christian Welters, whose son Nathan and daughter Skyla will be starting Senior and Junior Infants respectively said ‘”For the past year I have been actively involved in campaigning for an Educate Together school to open here. My wife and I are from Germany and we feel that Educate Together  is similar to the German school system, being co-educational and multi-cultural. Previous to starting school here we travelled daily with Nathan to the Educate Together school in Thornleigh so we when we heard about the proposed new school here in Holywell we wanted to help out anyway we could.”

Holywell parent Emma with her 11-month old, Andrew

Emma, whose son Karol started Junior Infants said “Our main reason from choosing Holywell was due to its proximity to our home. However, Educate Together has a great name in the community. Karol hates wearing uniform and likes to be his own person so I’m sure he’ll love his Educate together experience.”

The new school in Holywell is the 58th Educate Together primary school to open and the third in Swords. Educate Together schools are multi-denominational and place a strong emphasis on learning through equality of esteem.

Principal Gerry Breslin and teacher Michael Walsh welcome their new pupils

The exterior of the new building on Railway Street

Educate Together’s Regional Development Officer, Amy Mulvihill said, ‘Today is a proud and exciting day for the entire Portlaoise community. A new Educate Together School has been established in response to strong demand from local parents over a number of years. I would like to thank them all for the huge amount of hard work and dedication they each put into this project and congratulate them on their plan finally coming to fruition.’

Portlaoise ETNS Principal Gerry Breslin, who also teaches Junior and Senior Infants

Commenting on the school opening, Portlaoise Educate Together’s Principal Gerry Breslin said ‘I would like to take this opportunity to welcome all our new pupils to the school. All the teachers and staff are looking forward to getting to know our classes and start learning!’

Parent Naomi Keye

Naomi Keye, whose son Joshua started Junior Infants said ‘We moved here from Dublin three years ago and something we were always concerned about was the right school for Josh.  Community support has been fantastic. We chose Educate Together because our family is Jewish so we were keen to place Josh in a school where he wouldn’t feel segregated  for any reason.”

Parents Caroline and Ray

Caroline and Ray from Stradbally, whose son Oisin started Junior Infants said “The school is great. We love the building, it’s perfect for kids. We chose Educate Together as all the other schools in the area are Catholic are we are not. We also liked the multicultural environment Educate Together provides.”


The new school in Portlaoise is the 57^th Educate Together primary school to open and the first in the area. Educate Together schools are multi-denominational and place a strong emphasis on learning through equality of esteem.

Educate Together’s CEO Paul Rowe said, ‘Today is a proud and exciting day for the communities of Portlaoise and Holywell. The new Educate Together Schools have been established in response to strong demand from local parents over a number of years. I would like to thank them all for the huge amount of hard work and dedication they each put into this project and congratulate them on their plan finally coming to fruition.’

Naomi Keye, whose son Joshua will be starting Junior Infants on Monday said ‘”Since moving to Portlaoise 3 years ago I have been campaigning for an Educate Together school to open here and I’m really looking forward to bringing my son Joshua in for his first day at school on Monday.”

The new school in Portlaoise is the 58^th Educate Together primary school to open and the first in the area. Educate Together schools are multi-denominational and place a strong emphasis on learning through equality of esteem.

Educate Together’s Regional Development Officer, Gerry McKevitt said ‘Educate Together is looking forward to the first official school day for Holywell ETNS on September 1st. This open evening gives everyone in the local area, whether or not they will have children attending the school, an opportunity to tour the facilities and welcome the staff. I would invite everyone to bring their family, friends and neighbours and enjoy a cup of tea in the new school building!’

For more information please check out the South Dublin Educate Together Start-Up Group website.

Commenting on his appointment Mr Sweetman said ‘I was very happy to be asked to join the Educate Together advisory group. I have been aware of their interest in the patronage of the proposed new second level school for Gorey for some time. Needless to say I still maintain an active interest in education and am happy to give whatever small advice and assistance I can. In that context I would hope to foster a cooperative and mutually beneficial relationship between the existing community school and the new school. Gorey badly needs two vibrant, innovative and forward looking schools and the involvement of Educate Together in the patronage of a community type school offers a real prospect of providing that’.

Educate Together’s local parent group, who have been actively campaigning for the school, have also expressed their delight at the news. Committee chairperson Angie Dooley said “Nicholas Sweetman commands huge respect in Gorey for what he has achieved. Gorey Community School is very highly rated for both accessing higher education and the provision of special needs services. His involvement in Educate Together’s second level project says a huge amount. I think that any parent in Gorey who has any questions left about what about what we are trying to achieve here will be very reassured by Nicholas’ involvement’.

Educate Together first applied to open a second-level school in Gorey in March 2008. Since a public meeting in May in this year, parents of 650 children have registered their interest in sending their children to the school. The Minister of Education and Skills recently announced a consultation process for a decision on patronage of the new post-primary school, due to open in September 2011. Local parental choice will be a critical factor in her deliberations.

Commenting on the Tánaiste’s statement, Mr Rowe said ‘Educate Together has been informed by the Department that the Minister wishes us to enter discussions with the VEC on an approach to operating the new Lucan second-level school as a formal partnership. We will evaluate this proposal when we receive the documentation from her office. While we do not discount productive discussions with the VEC, they would be entered into on the understanding that any partnership must facilitate delivery in full of Educate Together’s blueprint for second level education. In addition these discussions should not override Educate Together’s right to have its longstanding applications adjudicated upon under existing education legislation’.

Educate Together’s local parent group has run a 10 year campaign to open a second-level school in Lucan which commenced with 1,500 expressions of interest. A formal application was made in 2007 but this has still to be adjudicated upon by Department officials. A national petition by Educate Together calling for Second-Level recognition had over 700 signatures from Lucan alone.

Emer Nowlan, Head of Education and Network Development for Educate Together says “Parents have been campaigning for an Educate Together school in Lucan for years now. To meet this demand any proposed new model would have to provide a real choice for parents in the area – it must be a brand new type of second-level school which delivers Educate Together’s specific democratic ethos”.

Mr Rowe again ‘We have a responsibility to the local people of Lucan who have supported us to ensure that our vision of a second-level school, the one they have fought so hard for, is delivered to the community for the community’.

Educate Together’s Blueprint for Second Level education proposes a new approach to the delivery of the second level curriculum. The approach is learning centered rather than exclusively focused on teaching to a test. It also encourages and fosters the development of key life skills such as critical analysis, problem solving, independent research, leadership, teamwork and innovative thinking. Educate Together second-level schools will build on the values of democracy, equality of esteem, cultural awareness and parental participation which have been tried and tested for over 30 years in its primary schools.

The Tánaiste also announced the establishment of a new expert group to establish a transparent and accountable framework for second and primary level patronage. Educate Together has welcomed this initiative.

Established in 1978 with the opening of the Dalkey School Project, Educate Together is the representative body for 58 multidenominational primary schools nationwide. It applied to open its first second level school in Lucan in 2007, where it has five primary schools in operation. Educate Together’s Blueprint for second level has attracted widespread acclaim from educationalists, industry and parent and student groups. It has also been endorsed by representatives from all the major political parties in the Oireachtas.

Educate Together CEO Paul Rowe stated ‘Gorey should be one of the first beneficiaries of the Tánaiste’s proposed open and transparent framework on school patronage. The local community has strongly endorsed Educate Together’s application for patronage of the new school with an astonishing 650 pre-enrolments received already. Such a strong vote of confidence in the merits of Educate Together’s proposal will have to factor heavily in the patronage decision to be made this October’.

The allocation of patronage has been an ongoing issue of discussion and debate in education circles for many years. It is hoped the new expert group convened by the Tánaiste will establish the new framework without delay and a robust transparent system will ensue.

Support for Educate Together in Gorey has grown steadily over many years. It established its first primary school there in 2005 following a strong campaign by local parents. The Gorey Educate Together Second Level group was established with a similar ambition to achieve patronage for Educate Together of the new school the town so badly needs.

Castaheany Educate Together pupils Jack, Skirma, Ibi and Alva launch Educate Together Destinations research

Click here to download the full “Where to Next?” Report

Click here to download the Executive Summary

Educate Together launched it’s Where to Next? research on second-level educational destinations of its graduates today in Dublin. This follows yesterday’s announcement by the Tánaiste of an expert group established to deliver a transparent and accountable framework for second level patronage.

The Destinations research shows children leaving Educate Together primary schools go on to attend all types of post primary schools with a preference shown for co-educational models. The report also cites a 90% preference expressed by parents for second level Educate Together schools for their children if available.

Speaking at today’s launch in Buswell’s Hotel, Paul Rowe Educate Together CEO stated “Where to Next? shows us that parents whose children go to our schools, try to send them on to second level schools that best match our ethos. The vast majority of them would prefer to have an Educate Together school to go to instead. The Tánaiste’s patronage framework initiative is welcome – we have been calling for a transparent process by which school patronage can be democratically determined for many years. We look forward to the expert group green lighting our second level applications that will allow us without further delay to deliver the model of second level education our research shows us is in high demand”.

Educate Together has longstanding applications lodged with the Department of Education and Skills to open second level schools in a number of locations nationwide. It welcomes the establishment a clear framework on second level patronage but cautions on the urgent resolution of a number of existing second level school applications, particularly in Lucan and Gorey, where a shortage of school places has already forced the implementation of emergency accommodation procedures.

In relation to the Minister’s plans to establish a new Lucan second-level school as a formal partnership, Educate Together has been asked to enter discussions with the VEC on an approach to achieving this. While the organization does not discount productive discussions with the VEC these discussions would be entered into on the understanding that any partnership must facilitate delivery in full of Educate Together’s blueprint for second level education. In addition these discussions should not override Educate Together’s right to have its longstanding applications adjudicated upon under existing education legislation.

Emer Nowlan, Head of Education and Network Development for Educate Together says “Parents have been campaigning for an Educate Together school in Lucan for years now. To meet this demand any proposed new model would have to provide a real choice for parents in the area – it must be a brand new type of second-level school which delivers Educate Together’s specific democratic ethos”

Educate Together’s Blueprint for Second Level education proposes a new approach to the delivery of the second level curriculum. The approach is learning centered rather than exclusively focused on teaching to a test. It also encourages and fosters the development of key life skills such as critical analysis, problem solving, independent research, leadership, teamwork and innovative thinking. Educate Together second-level schools will build on the values of democracy, equality of esteem, cultural awareness and parental participation which have been tried and tested for over 30 years in its primary schools.

Established in 1978 with the opening of the Dalkey School Project, Educate Together is patron to 58 multidenominational primary schools nationwide. It applied to open its first second level school in Lucan in 2007, where it has five primary schools in operation. Educate Together’s Blueprint for second level has attracted widespread acclaim from educationalists, industry and parent and student groups. It has also been endorsed by representatives from all the major political parties in the Oireachtas.

In November 2008, CSO figures for registered births and the Department of Education’s own Geographical Information System anticipated the need for 100,000 new primary places by 2015. However yesterday’s Capital Review announced provision for 80,000 new places – 10,000 of which will be in temporary accommodation.

Commenting on the revised funding figures Educate Together CEO Paul Rowe stated ‘The Department of Education and Skills has been planning since 2008 for a 100,000 surge in primary school places up to 2015, approximately 14,000 per annum. Yesterday’s announcement has both reduced the number of places planned for and extended their provision over an additional year. Educate Together is concerned that this will place enormous pressure on the Department’s ability to meet the demand for places we all know is there. As every child in the state has a right to an education this apparent shortfall has to be addressed and additional investment may well be required.’

Educate Together is the patron body for Ireland’s multidenominational primary schools and has opened 14 new schools since 2008. It estimates that up to 40 new schools will be required for 2011 alone and is calling for the publication of the Department of Education and Skills’ immediate plans for new schools at the earliest opportunity.

Paul Rowe again ‘We are committed to working with the Department on the upcoming new school programme and look forward to doing our part in the challenge of meeting the state’s educational needs. To this end we are requesting the publication at the earliest opportunity by the Department of detail on how the €272m allocated to primary education in 2011 will be spent. It is vital that a new process for the recognition of new schools at primary and second-level is put in place, so that patrons can plan properly and schools can be opened professionally and with the full support of parents”.

The allocation of school patronage is currently at the discretion of the Minister and made on the recommendation of Department officials. In addition to the requirement to provide new school places the Department also has to make allowances for renewed calls by educationalists and parents for the provision of choice in education provision beyond the predominant denominational model.