Steiner education superior, court told

An Aer Rianta manager whose daughter attends a school based on the Steiner teaching system in Co Clare told the High Court yesterday he believed this system was "superior" to that in State-funded national schools.

The State's refusal to fund Coolenbridge School at Tuamgraney was "a disgrace", Mr Martin Moroney said. It was his constitutional right to choose what school his daughter should attend and the State should make provision for that school.

Mr Moroney, of Ennistymon, Co Clare, was giving evidence on the third day of a constitutional challenge by Nora O'Shiel, a pupil at the school, suing through her mother, Mrs Margaret Boyle O'Shiel; other pupils and parents of the school; and Coolenbridge Ltd, owner and manager of the school.

They want a declaration that the school provides primary education and, as a result, the State is constitutionally obliged to fund it. The action is taken against the Minister for Education, Ireland and the Attorney General.

If it has withheld funding, which is denied, the State pleads this is not unconstitutional.

The court has heard the school was set up in 1986 and has 105 pupils. The plaintiffs claim they sought funding from 1991 and were refused in 1995 on the grounds that such schools did not conform to the "Rules for National Schools Under the Department of Education", published in 1965. The plaintiffs claim they were told neither their teachers nor curriculum met the requirements.

In court yesterday, Mr Moroney said he held degrees in engineering and a Master's in business administration and was a general manager with Aer Rianta in Shannon. He said his national school education was too strictly academic with little on the arts or creative side. When his daughter Jessie was born, he and his wife discussed schools and knew of the Steiner school. Jessie, now 12, attended the school's kindergarten from the age of four and the school at seven. She was happy there from the start.

Jessie would begin secondary school at 14 and he was happy about that. He had left school at 12 and felt it was too early.

Mr Moroney contributed weekly to the school. Initially, this was £21 and was now £27.50. He also helped raise funds. He would be willing to pay twice as much but believed it was "unjust, unnecessary and unsustainable" that the State would not fund the school.

In cross-examination, Ms Blathna Ruane, for the State, put to Mr Moroney that if the State funded the Steiner school, it would also have to fund 57 Montessori schools and other private schools run by religious orders. He replied he would hate to think his school was not funded because the State had concerns about other schools.

He agreed his view of the recognised curriculum was based on his own national school education but said his view was that of an intelligent person who had experience in life and drew conclusions based on that.

He agreed the recognised curriculum was not "fossilised" but said the rate of change was slow and dependent on budgetary considerations.

The hearing before Ms Justice Laffoy resumes on Tuesday.