Sir, – Education and Training Boards Ireland general secretary Paddy Lavelle is correct when he says that progress towards reconfiguration of our primary school system is too slow (“Constitutional change needed to provide more multidenominational schools, says education chief”, News, March 1st). However, abandoning the significant added value currently brought to schools throughout the country by voluntary board members and patrons is not the answer. Board members of voluntary schools (of which I am one) bring a range of valuable skills and experience to schools, as well as strengthening community engagement and local accountability. To describe them as “goodwill ambassadors” does not reflect the huge value being brought to many schools and other voluntary organisations around the country. Instead of running this contribution down, the State should be improving supports to voluntary boards in order to leverage this goodwill and ensure continued strong governance.
The new State model of primary school that ETBs have established is a welcome addition to the landscape of Irish education.
But the largest increase in equality-based provision in recent years has been through the establishment of Educate Together schools by parent-led community campaigns around the country. The best way to accelerate the expansion of equality-based provision is to support both models to develop, rather than imposing a monopoly. – Yours, etc,
GARY DOYLE,
Straffan,
Co Kildare.