Educate
Together Schools - Core Values and Ethos
I
would like to present to you some of the experience of the Educate
Together movement in handling the atmosphere and culture within
which our schools operate. But firstly by introduction, let me
briefly explain what Educate Together is and how it operates.
Educate
Together is the national representative organization of patron
bodies and Boards of Management of schools that subscribe to the
Educate Together Charter. There are currently 18 such schools
in the Republic of Ireland. They are all national (primary) schools.
These schools are recognised and funded by the Irish Department
of Education and Science, they are non fee-paying and operate
under the same set of regulations and law as do all state funded
primary schools in the Republic.
The
impetus to establish schools of this type in Ireland grew out
of the general trend towards educational reform of the 1970s,
and resulted in the establishment in 1977 of the Dalkey School
Project. Despite the enormous obstacles that had to be overcome,
other schools followed so that there are now 10 schools in the
greater Dublin area, 2 in Cork (one of which is a Gealscoil) and
others in Kilkenny, Limerick, Galway, Sligo, Ennis and Celbridge.
In practice this is a very diverse family. Some of the schools
are inner city schools, one with disadvantaged status; others
are in affluent suburbs. Some are in areas of enormous and growing
social diversity
The
structure of an Educate together school differs in only one respect
from the structure of other national schools. The role of the
patron (which is carried out by the bishop in the traditional
model) is occupied by a company limited by guarantee whose members
comprise the supporters of the school in the local area. This
membership generally consists of the parents, ex-parents and prospective
parents of children in the school itself but would also include
supporters from the general community. This company has charitable
status and is governed by the Companies Acts, which ensure that
it is run in a fully accountable and democratic manner.
Educate
Together schools are set up by small groups of committed parents,
teachers, educationalists and other interested parties. They have
to struggle against formidable difficulties in order to establish
schools that are run according to their ethical and educational
principles. The scale of these obstacles and the fact that have
been overcome clearly indicates the commitment of these individuals
to establish schools that are decisively different in ethos from
those in existing schools.
It
is as a result of this that questions of "Ethos" assume
a central importance in the life of an Educate Together school.
This
paper attempts to describe these questions and to reflect the
continuous self-analytical passionate debate that is at the core
of the development of Educate Together as a distinct educational
philosophy in modern Ireland.
What
is Meant by "Ethos" in and Educate
Together environment?
I
refer first to the definitions of ethos already mentioned at this
conference
"The
character, sentiment, or disposition of a community or people,
considered as a natural endowment; the spirit which actuates
manners and customs; also, the characteristic tone or genius
of an institution or social organisation.
"The
disposition, character, or fundamental values peculiar to a
specific person, people, culture, or movement
"…the
dominant pervading spirit or character of a place or institution"
Whilst
these seem appropriate in many social situations and organisations,
they would appear too general and perhaps almost ethereal for
many in an Educate Together school.
A
definition, which would be more understandable, would be: -
"The
ethical principles and educational policies upon which the school
strives to base all its activities."
Not
only this, a parent or teacher in an Educate Together school would
expect that this ethos would be expressed in a written form. They
would look for it in the mission statement of the Board of Management
and centrally in the memo and articles of the limited company
that carries out the responsibility of the patron.
The
written statement of ethos of an Educate Together school would
be expected to be used as the litmus test of the appropriateness
or validity of a wide range of school practices or activities.
These would include the way that the patron company conducts its
business, the way that elections are conducted for members of
the Board of management, the discussions of the Board itself,
as well as the day to day activity of the school both in and outside
of the classroom. In contentious policy debates, it is the "constitution"
which is appealed to settle disputes (usually by both sides with
equal passion) and most importantly it provides the common ground
around which parents, teachers and supporters of very varying
opinions can agree and work together.
Educate
Together would contend that it is a fundamental obligation of
any school to define its ethos in written form. We think that
it is essential that this should be in the form of a single stand-alone
document that is automatically available to anyone working in,
attending or supporting the school.
We
would also suggest that to be real, this statement must have a
legally enforceable character and should be written sufficiently
precisely so as to give positive security to all those involved
in school affairs.
Whilst
defining an ethos in this way could appear to an outside observer
to leave the stage wide open to doctrinaire and dogmatic school
policies and possibly the emergence of special kind of ‘political
correctness’, our experience has been to the contrary. By
clearly defining a set of unifying principles and attitudes, it
creates a zone of security within which can flourish vigorous
debate on interpretation and implementation. It allows all concerned
to know exactly where they stand and as a result, it spurs creativity,
initiative and innovation. We have found that it has attracted
many dedicated and talented teachers, built very high levels of
positive parental participation in educational life, and created
highly supportive atmospheres in which children have flourished.
To
take this discussion further, it will be best to examine the definition
of the Educate Together ethos is some detail.
The
ethos statements of all Educate Together schools originated in
the formation of the Dalkey School Project whose Memo and Articles
have been copied with very minor changes in the legal documents
of the 16 other limited companies that today operate as patrons
of Educate Together schools.
In
this document, the aims and objectives, powers and limits to the
powers of the patron body of the school are clearly defined. Much
of this is in legally detailed language, and as a result I will
extract only the key features effecting the ethical values that
the patron seeks to promote; -
The
objects for which the Association is established are as follows:
"To
advance education in Ireland, to develop, promote and support
the establishment of schools which accord with the following
principles:
1.
A child-centred approach to education
2. Co-education
3. Multi-denominational i.e. all children having equal rights
of access to the school and the social, cultural and religious
background of each child to be equally respected
4. Run by management committees which would be predominantly
democratic in character."
Later,
in 1990, the member companies of Educate Together met and drew
up the Educate Together Charter, which is now the basis of unity
of the Educate Together movement.
Again
extracting only the main features, this document commits the members
of Educate Together to: -
"3.1
Support the establishment of schools which are: -
Multi-denominational
i.e. all children having equal rights of access to the school,
and children of all social, cultural and religious backgrounds
being equally respected,
Co-educational
and committed to encouraging all children to explore their full
range of abilities and opportunities,
Child
centred in their approach to education
Democratically
run with active participation by parents in the daily life of
the school, whilst positively affirming the professional role
of the teachers."2
From
these extracts it can be seen that the fundamental driving concept
in these definitions is that of inclusion - that is - that children
should be educated together in an atmosphere in which difference
is specifically recognised, endorsed and welcomed. That this difference
covers ethical background and preference, religious views, social
and cultural roots, gender and physical and mental advantage and
disadvantage. The other major foundation idea is that the structures
in which this ethos is delivered should be democratic, respectful
and representative.
The
beauty of this formulation is in the fact that it includes a fundamental
commitment to respect the rights of minorities both in society
and within the school and couples it with a commitment to deliver
this in a form that is democratically accountable and subject
to majority votes. It is important to note at this point, that
although the ethos is legally enforceable; it is subject to a
legally enforceable method whereby it may be changed. To some
this may appear at first sight to be a weakness. Some may seek
a legal definition of ethos that once established becomes unassailable
and set in stone. Educate Together’s experience suggests
that this weakness is in fact a strength. If the promoters of
a school are aware that the ethical values which they uphold are
liable to democratic change, then it clearly requires them to
ensure that these values are constantly elaborated in the daily
life of the school. An ethos clearly cannot be maintained purely
by an external legal hand, it has to be a living, constantly regenerating
feature of the discussions in the playground, staff room, management
meeting and general meeting of parents. If the promoters of the
school fail in maintaining it in these places it will certainly
wither and fall.
The
democratic structures of an Educate Together patron are straightforwardly
protected by the law. AGMs must be held each year, proper notice
and notification of EGMs must be given, Directors must declare
their interests and be accountable to the AGM and no action of
the company can be outside its Memo and Articles. Even changes
to these documents cannot be made without recourse to the Companies
Office.
Further
safeguards to the definitions of ethos lie in the fact that a
school must operate under the regulations of the Department. Now,
for the new schools owned by the Department, they must conform
to the conditions of the new leases currently being developed
by the partners in Irish primary education.
To
successfully apply this ethos to a school and ensure that the
daily evolving culture of a school is educated by it, we would
highlight some factors listed below.
It
goes without saying that the selection of a teaching staff and
in particular a principal teacher who is committed to the implementation
of the ethos in the whole life of the school is of paramount importance.
We would highlight further that it is essential that this process
does not stop at selection but continues with active support of
the role of the principal who we see as the leader of the pedagogic
team and not as a bureaucrat. Rather than being converted into
an administrator, this leader should be provided with all the
necessary supports to carry out the demands of modern school administration.
Secondly
that the delivery of ethos and building of school culture is "an
ideas and discussion driven process". It has to be an ongoing,
integrated, cyclical process of self-analysis — of doubt
and questioning. It has to permeate all areas of school activity
from the big areas of the delivery of the religious education
core curriculum, through the way the school celebrates festivals
all the way down to the manner in which the PTA organizes Science
Week. This discussion should start before the school opens, be
part of the consultation phase with the local community and continue
until such a time when the school changes or is no longer needed.
It is the responsibility of the patron body or trustee to ensure
that this happens, that the issues of are brought up at the meetings
of the board and parent body, that the school’s response
to gender equity, the policy on peer pressure and bullying, the
response to the recognition of multiple intelligences, the response
to provision of facilities for religious instruction for those
parents who wish to avail it, to the response to children whose
native language is neither Irish nor English, I mention these
few in no particular order of merit — that these considerations
are carried out with full reference to the defined statement of
ethos.
Thirdly,
that the consideration of these questions must take place in a
situation where the participants have real power. The process
of review of ethos must be a process that has teeth. All participants
in this review must really know that they have a legally enforceable
right to participate and make a difference. If they do not and
are merely consulted, then they will not become the active deliverers
of this programme. It is our experience that any attempt to impose
an ethos in a hierarchical model is ineffective in today’s
world. Furthermore we think that it completely misses the huge
opportunities for creative involvement that the democratic model
offers.
There
are indeed dangers in this process. Democracy means that there
is no certainty that the voters will make the right decision.
Rights mean in essence the absence of control. In our schools
there is sometimes a danger that the local democratically formed
patron can become embroiled in the detail of school life and lack
sufficient detachment to carry out its supervisory role.
To
the first concern our experience would suggest that the benefits
far outweigh the possible dangers. In fact over 25 years despite
many — usually positive but sometimes highly controversial
- disputes over the implementation of the ethos our core values
have never been threatened. At the same time we have had to stand
back in awe at the confidence with which our ‘stakeholders’
- children, teachers and parents have enriched these core values
in practice.
To
the second, we feel that this is a management and training issue
that national bodies like ourselves must address in order to make
the system work. In the past year, we have put into place patron
and management training schemes that meet this requirement.
The
key issue here is one of trust. That is, trusting that the ethos
upheld genuinely corresponds to the best interests of the educational
community and that this community has been empowered with the
structures, practices and information necessary to protect it.
It
is our contention that the best way to support and protect a school
ethos is to define it in a legally enforceable form, which is
also legally bound to democratic evolution. The pressure of the
obligation to be held to account at regular intervals by one’s
constituency erodes dogmatic formulation. It constantly forces
a patron or promoter of a school to consciously explain and justify
the policies implemented. It openly encourages critical and constructive
comment and alternative suggestions. It provides a mechanism whereby
such suggestions can be evaluated by the community in whose interests
they are being advocated.
We
would also contend that the Educate Together model suits well
the emerging atmosphere in society in which parents, teachers
and children expect to have real rights and responsibilities in
their institutions and that policy decisions are taken with conscious
justification and openness.
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