New Educate Together school proposed for Tullamore - 12th January 2004

We are constantly told that people are busier then ever before, that time is the new currency…. yet hundreds of parents in Ireland have been increasingly taking the future of their children’s education into their own hands.

This Saturday a group of parents from Tullamore will hold the first pre-enrolement launch for a proposed new Educate Together school in the area. Throughout the country, voluntary groups of parents are establishing and developing new Educate Together schools. Currently there are 31 schools to date with another 4 to come on stream in the coming year. In 2002 seven new schools were opened, more than twice the number of new schools opened by all other sectors of education combined.

The pre-enrolement launch will take place in Durrow Room in Bridge House on Saturday, 17th January from 10 am to 3pm. The pre-enrolement policy of Educate Together schools is first come first served so anyone interested should come along as early as possible on the day.

Educate Together schools serve the needs of the whole community, catering for all denominations and beliefs. Parents are encourage to become actively involved in the education of their children, with the belief that this involvement will enhance their children's learning experience.

Educate Together schools have a distinct ethos and are set up and developed by groups of parents in a local area who wish to send their children to a national school that is founded on a number of core principles; multi-denominational education, co-education, Child centred in their approach to education and democratically run with active participation of parents in the daily life of the school. The the department of Education and Science curriculum is followed in all Educate Together schools and Educate Together schools are non fee paying and operate according to the rules for national schools as laid down by the Department of Education and Science.

This growing demand can be credited to factors in modern Irish life, namely the rapid diversification of society, economic growth, increasing population, and improved communications. It is also due to the increasing demand of Irish parents to participate as partners in the educational process and a wish that their children should grow up at ease with social, religious and cultural difference.