One of Shannon’s 9 primary school is set to be stripped of its Catholic Church patronage
It follows surveys of parents in 38 areas by the Department of Education -a to meet what it calls immediate parental demand for a non denominational school set up- such as Educate Together.
Shannon is one of the areas earmarked for change – despite the majority of those questioned in Clare’s second town stating they were in favour of the status quo.
This study surveyed parents of children under 12 in nine schools in Shannon town itself and within a 5 km radius – and it produced the highest level of valid responses of the 38 areas looked at.
There were 720 responses representing almost 13 hundred children.
Of the 1880 preferences for a a particular language at a given school – there was an overwhelming response for English and 48 for Irish.
In regards to the wider issue of whether parents wanted a wider choice of patronage – i.e. a catholic run school or an educate together one, 234 supported a wider choice- with 154 saying they would avail of it – however over 800 stated they weren’t in support of wider change.
However the survey found that they was a viable demand for change and the Bishop of Killaloe will now be asked to reconfigure the current school system in Shannon to accommodate an educate together school.
