Majority of Irish say Church should hand over schools to government

February 01, 2010

A poll conducted for The Irish Times has found that 61% of Irishmen believe that the Church should transfer the control of its primary schools to the state. Currently, the Church, with state funding, operates over 90% of the nation’s primary schools.

Expressing concern at the poll findings, Cardinal Seán Brady, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, told Vatican Radio that a Catholic education contributes to the education of the whole person and formation of good citizens. He added that the Church now operates “too many” schools, leading to a dilution of Catholic identity, and called for an orderly “disengagement” of the Church from some of these schools.

 

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Further information:

• Church and schools: the public speak (Irish Times)
• Quality not Quantity in Catholic Education, says Cardinal Brady (Vatican Radio)
• Irish bishops, government officials discuss Church handover of primary schools (CWN, 11/12/09)
• Catholic Schools Week 2010 (Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference)