For Immediate Release

News Release from Educate Together
24 September 2007

Bracken Educate Together National School is opening today at Sunshine House, Balbriggan. This school school has been configured in record time to provide places for a considerable number of local children who have no school to go to. The school will open with 4 classes, 2 of Junior Infants, and two other classes. Frieda McGovern, a recently retired Educate Together Principal, is leading the school on an interim basis until the usual recruitment process for permanent staff can be completed.  Frieda is a Director of Educate Together and one of the four authors of Educate Together's ethical curriculum, "Learn Together".

Educate Together agreed to open this school in an emergency programme because we believe that there is a serious shortage of places in Balbriggan for families who wish to have their children educated in an Educate Together school. We were already planning to open a second school in the area in 2008 and this development allows us to accelerate these plans. In addition, we are in receipt of assurances from the DES that the State is in the process of acquiring and building permanent accommodation for the school and that the DES will take full responsibility to provide any temporary accommodation needed until this is ready.

Speaking at the school this morning, Paul Rowe, CEO of Educate Together, the patron on the school  said "We would like to thank all those who have supported us in our efforts to get this school up and running in time for children today. The Department, local schools and businesses, the north Dublin Educate Together network and many well-wishers have given us fantastic support. We would particularly like to thank the authorities in Sunshine House, from whom we a renting the space for the school, for accommodating us at such short notice and the principal, staff, parents and children of  Gaelscoil Bhaile Brigín with whom we are sharing part of the building.
  

"We would also like to thank all the local, national and international media who sensitively reported on the complex situation in which a considerable percentage of children seeking places in the school are from Irish ethnic backgrounds.

"As an educational body committed to equality, we naturally share the concern voiced by many commentators that ethnic minority families appear to be bearing the brunt of the shortage of school places in Balbriggan and in other areas of rapid housing growth around Dublin. We have been outraged by the media description of this school as being "a school for blacks' and wish to state categorically that this is not the case. Bracken Educate Together National School operates the same 'first come first served' enrolment policy of other Educate Together schools and will not permit any discrimination in access on religious, racial, cultural or social grounds. 
For those who suggest that the current ethnic mix of the children in the school is evidence of racist policies being implemented by school authorities in the area, we would like to state as managers of the school, that we have uncovered no evidence to support such views. We are satisfied that all patron bodies are committed against any form of racist division in Irish education and would like to state that the reasons for the ethnic mix of the school are complex and are chiefly to do with the chronic failure of planning for new schools in new communities.

"We believe that there are three main issues in this situation.

"Firstly the government has failed to amend planing legislation to require the transfer of sites for schools as a condition of planning permission for housing estates. As a result it has failed to ensure that schools are built in time for families moving into new houses. This is the root cause of school place shortages in new suburban areas.

"Secondly, although there is no evidence of institutional racism in the Irish education system as yet, there is profound, embedded and institutionalised religious discrimination throughout the system particularly at primary level. This discrimination is the responsibility of the State, not of schools or religious bodies. It is inevitable that - in a system where 98% of schools are faith-based and permitted to prefer members of their faith in enrolments - those not of the majority religions will be disproportionately represented at the bottom of the queue for places. This is unacceptable and dangerous. It is essential that the State ensures that there are sufficient places in schools operating on the basis of equality in all areas. Only then can we ensure that parents have equal access to education and that no one is compelled to choose a faith-based school against their conscience.

"International experience has demonstrated that there is an inter-section between religious and racial discrimination and that if religious discrimination goes unchecked, racist division is almost inevitable.

"Thirdly, we have to draw attention to the inadequate supports available to new and developing schools. If we are to open the number of schools that the DES estimates that are needed in the next 13 years we cannot continue to bankrupt schools before they open. The system is like a car that only has a fourth gear and can only be started if it is pushed by volunteers. It costs approximately €3,000 to equip a classroom with curricula materials, it costs even more to provide computers, music and PE equipment. New schools and schools taking on additional classrooms do not receive any funding for additional equipment and must wait a year until their capitation grants catch up with their new numbers. 

"In this emergency programme, we are delighted that we have received the funding necessary to provide basic materials for the four classrooms we are opening today. However, the inequity involved in the under-funding of new and developing schools must be addressed and we call on the Minister to ensure that any school opening a new classroom receives adequate funds to equip it. The children and families attending new schools are entitled to the same level of  State support as children attending established schools and it is unfair and unacceptable that this inequality has been allowed to go on for so long.


In conclusion, we are confident that the Bracken School will develop into an excellent Educate Together National School. We are very encouraged by the quality of applications for the teaching posts and the support it has received from the community. We are sure that given time and space to grow it will quickly develop to reflect the natural diversity of the Balbriggan community. I would ask all of you in the media to give it some time and space away from the glare of lenses and microphones and allow us to get on with our work. Our job is to establish a school atmosphere of care and kindness in which children can be empowered to learn, teachers can delivery excellence in teaching and all can work together in respect and equality. When we have got up and running, the starter motor is done with and the Minister has given us a first, second and even a third gear, we would be delighted to invite you back to talk to our permanent staff, parent representatives and student body. Thank you very much."


Educate Together
Educate Together is a patron body for schools that are committed to equality of esteem and access to children irrespective of their social, cultural or religious backgrounds. It currently operates 44 national schools in Ireland. It is working to establish a national network of such schools to provide an alternative to the 98% predominance of faith-based schools in Ireland. It is recognised by the Department of Education and Science as a partner in education, is a company limited by guarantee and a registered charity.


For further information:

www.educatetogether.ie
info@educatetogether.ie <mailto:info@educatetogether.ie>

Phone: INT 353 (0)1 4292500

Instructions for members of the press:
The first day of school is always an important one for both parents and children. We would ask all members of the media to respect the privacy and confidentiality of the occasion and make it as stress free as possible for all families. A press conference is being held at 9.15am in the Bracken Court Hotel which is a short walk away from the school.  Unfortunately Bracken ETNS can not give permission for any photographers or camera crews to have access to the school on Monday. This would require permission from the parents which we cannot obtain at this stage. The children have missed three weeks of important school time and the priority must be for them to settle in with as little fuss as possible. Members of Bracken ETNS’ patron- Educate Together would be happy to answer any questions you may have on Monday at the Bracken Court Hotel.