Paul KeenanA group working for school choice in Ireland has welcomed British Prime Minister Theresa May’s move to boost Catholic schools in Britain by eliminating the religion-based admissions cap and permitting the building of more Catholic schools.
Barrister Patrick Treacy of Faith in Our Schools said Mrs May’s identifying of Catholic schools as a key part in her vision for British education is a “serious affirmation” of such schools.
“We need to rediscover the truth and beauty of Catholic schools,” Mr Treacy stressed.
Mrs May’s support for Catholic schools in Britain comes at a time when there is ongoing pressure on Catholic schools in Ireland both to divest and change their admissions policy, the latter issue sparked by pupil oversubscription in a number of schools.
Faith in Our Schools has previously suggested reserving of 10% of places for non-Catholics at oversubscribed schools.
“Somewhere between Britain’s model and what we have is possibly the solution to all,” Mr Treacy posited.
In a major policy speech last week, Prime Minister May said that Britain “has a long history of faith schools delivering outstanding education” but that the existing cap on them, whereby an oversubscribed faith school – not least Catholic – must reserve 50% of places for non-Catholics was counterproductive.
Demand
She added also that the cap served to prevent new Catholic schools from opening despite the fact that Catholic schools are in big demand.
“This is especially frustrating because existing Catholic schools are more ethnically diverse than other faith schools, more likely to be located in deprived communities, more likely to be rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted, and there is growing demand for them,” she said.
Acknowledging the need to ensure that plurality in education is maintained, Mrs May nevertheless went on to stress that, “Fundamentally I believe it is wrong to deny families the opportunity to send their children to a school that reflects their religious values if that’s what they choose.
“And it’s right to encourage faith communities – especially those with a proven record of success, like the Catholics – to play their full part in building the capacity of our schools.”