009. Should we scrap school uniforms?
I’m not sure when school uniforms became a thing in Irish primary schools but they’re certainly a thing now. There are very few schools (outside the Educate Together and CoI system) that don’t do uniforms but are they fit for purpose anymore? Parents tend to argue that they reduce bullying or they make everyone equal […]
130. All pupils should go to their nearest geographic school
Why don’t children always go to their nearest primary school? It seems like a fair question. The answer lies in the, at first, strange fixation that people believe they should have a choice in which primary school they can go to. However, it doesn’t take too long to understand why people want a choice because […]
002. Give equal funding to primary and second level
One might expect that funding for primary and secondary level would be the same in terms of capitation and ancillary grants, but it’s not the case. Primary schools receive €170 per pupil per annum. Secondary schools receive €296. There is no reason why second level schools should cost much more to run than primary schools. […]
001. Separate Church and State
Despite our country’s education system beginning with a non-denominational model, Ireland’s primary education system is almost completely controlled by church bodies, with 96% of schools having a religious body as their patronage. 90% of schools have the Catholic Church as their patron body. All of the rest but 3 have a Christian patron body. In […]