![]() Principal of Coláiste Éamann Rís in Co Cork Aaron Wolfe says his school has been doing “brilliantly” since it welcomed boys and girls in 2018. But whenever schools have gone co-ed, it’s been extremely successful.” It’s a legacy issue of the past from religious orders. More schools moving to integrate all genders this year is a “welcome change” Ó Ríordáin says, as he feels there is “no justification anyone can come up with that stands up to any scrutiny that can make sense of the separation of girls and boys. Last year, Labour forwarded a Bill that would mean all single-sex primary schools turn co-educational within 10 years and at second level within 15 years. But more parents are making the move and asking why this legacy remains of the high number of schools which are gender segregated,” says Labour Party education spokesman Aodhán Ó Ríordáin. “We’re completely out of kilter with the rest of the world. Last year, Labour forwarded a Bill that would mean all single-sex primary schools turn co-educational within 10 years and at second level within 15 years However, the tide appears to be changing as many all-boys and all-girls schools have changed to become co-educational in recent years, and the department has not sanctioned a new single-sex school in 24 years. The Republic has the second highest proportion of single-sex schools in Europe, second only to Malta, and among the highest proportion of single-sex schools globally, outside of the Arab world. The school conducted surveys of its students and the boys’ response was “overwhelmingly positive”. Staff felt it was a big change, but they believed in it,” Stack says. We were lucky enough that at all steps, families were very excited. “But really it starts when you ask what staff and students think. The preparation took about 2½ years, Stack says, starting at board of management level, before going on to the school trust and then the Department of Education to assess feasibility. Tradition has to have reason,” Stack adds. A question came up of, ‘well, why wouldn’t you take girls?’ And we didn’t have an answer. “There wasn’t a need for a social change, but it was to do with keeping the families together. Some of the boys from the primary “started going to other schools in secondary to be with their siblings” too, he says. ![]() They were coming in on open days and the families wanted them to go to the same place,” says principal Séan Stack. “The siblings of the boys at our school were interested. Principal Sean Stack and first year sudents Carly Nolan and Jack D'Arcy at St Joseph’s Secondary School, Fairview, Dublin. ![]() ![]() Then it became part of the PTech programme, an industry-led initiative that allows students to integrate elements of degree-level learning and paid work experience in their post-primary education, which is when it became clear that girls were interested in attending. Originally a Christian Brothers school when it opened in 1888, St Joseph’s in Fairview was handed over to Edmund Rice in recent years. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |