Church claims deal on primary schools

THE Catholic Church says it has agreed to cede majority control on the boards of its 3,000 primary schools after receiving legal guarantees from the Minister for Education.

But the announcement was greeted with surprise by the Minister for Education who, along with parents' representatives and Protestant education interests, said "nothing was agreed until everything was agreed" in talks on the restructuring of education.

The secretary of the Catholic Primary School Managers Association, Sister Eileen Randles, had told her organisation's annual general meeting yesterday that Ms Breathnach had agreed a deed of trust with the bishops which would ensure the continuation of Catholic schools.

But a spokeswoman for Ms Breathnach emphatically denied any deal had been done with the church in return for its agreement on school boards. Long-running talks with all the school management interests were nearing completion, but the Minister had not yet received the facilitator's report, she added.

Sister Randles told the conference in Swords that following legal advice the bishops had accepted the revised composition for boards, which was set out in last year's White Paper on Education. This gives teachers, parents and trustees two seats apiece, with two further members being co-opted from the wider community.

Up to now, trustees generally had four seats out of eight, and appointed the chair who held the casting vote.

The patron, usually the Catholic bishop, will continue to appoint the chair and will retain the right to dissolve the board in certain circumstances.

"It is expected that the revised structures will be in place in time for the appointment of new boards due in October 1996", Sister Randles said.

Mr David Meredith, secretary of the Protestant Education Committee, said Protestant schools could not come to any final agreement until the operational remit of the proposed new education boards was made clear. Clarification had been sought of several aspects of the proposed deed of trust.

He added that it was unlikely that new structures would be in place by next autumn.

The National Parents' Council also said it had not agreed to the proposed deed of trust. "We are concerned about children's rights and entitlements - and not Just those of institutions - and we want to see more guarantees for these in legislation," said Ms Fionnuala Kilfeather, co-ordinator of the NPC.

Sister Randles said she regretted that the Department had not yet concluded arrangements for the "de-vesting" of redundant primary school buildings. "As pupil numbers decrease, more empty schools will become available. It is imperative there are agreed procedures in place to ensure the school building can be put to alternative community used or disposed of, as appropriate," she said.

The Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Desmond Connell, told the conference that allegations made against individual religious had got wide coverage in the media. "But little if anything is heard of the long tradition of service, not to speak of the prodigal generosity in monetary terms, that built up our education system in schools throughout the country", he said.

He praised the Minister for her concern for and generosity towards children in disadvantaged areas.