Parents given choice over how schools are run

on 22/10/2012 08:04:23

Parents are being given the chance to choose how their local school is run.

In a new step for the Department of Education, five parts of the country - Arklow, Castlebar, Tramore, Trim and Whitehall - are beginning a survey which will cover the type of patron the school should have, whether it should be single sex or co-ed, and whether it should be run through English or Irish.

Thirty-nine other areas where a potential demand for greater educational diversity has been highlighted will also get the chance to vote in the future.

At the moment, the Catholic Church controls 92% of the country's schools.