The Christian Brothers are to set up a charitable trust so that lay people can run their schools, the order confirmed today.
The Edmund Rice Schools Trust (ERST) will enable the Christian Brothers, whose numbers are diminishing, to leave the daily running of their schools to lay people from the community and the Catholic Church.
Christian Brothers communications director Brother Edmund Garvey told ireland.comthe new
Brother Edmund Garvey
structure would enable the ethos, tradition and spirit of the Christian Brothers to continue into the future.
"The Christian Brothers cannot do this [run the schools] themselves. Numbers are diminishing, and other religious orders are in the same position," said Br Garvey.
He said all the schools would benefit from being under the corporate structure of one trust as the trust will negotiate with the State for funding and generate funds for schools.
"This is an historic move for education in this country. Religious orders are there to provide what others don't. We've stayed around a long time, and it's time for a new future for us," added Br Garvey.
He said the process of the switch to the trust would start soon but could take as long as a year.
Brother John Heneghan, head of education with the Christian Brothers said: "Insofar as there are brothers teaching in the schools they will continue to teach in the schools. The brothers won't have direct responsibility for the schools anymore."
He said Brothers would not be stopped from working at the schools as private citizens but would be a lay operated entity.
The Christian Brothers were founded by Edmund Rice in Waterford in 1802 to provide education for those who could not afford it. Their motto, Facere et Docere, means "To do and to teach".