This article is from page 21 of the 2008-04-22 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 21 JPG
MOST OF the teachers in the exist- ing Steiner schools in Ennistymon and Tuamgraney do not have the re- quired qualifications and would not be eligible to seek employment in the new schools that have will State rec- ognition.
That was the admission made by the patron body, Lifeways Ireland Ltd of Mol an Oige Steiner School and Raheen Wood Steiner school at
a meeting with the Department of Education officials last June.
According to records released through the Freedom of Information Act, the department secured guaran- tees that the proposed schools would commence the teaching of formal reading in senior infants and that Lifeways Ireland accepted the need for the use of standardised assess- ment in the primary schools.
A department memo last January recommended that recognition be
refused for the schools as they didn’t provide a “sufficiently clear commit- ment to provide Primary Curriculum 1999 to pupils”.
It was only after an oral hearing in March of last year that the schools won over the New Schools Advisory Committee (NSAC).
However, records show that in February, the NSAC requested the department to withdraw the offer of an oral hearing due to the Clare VEC being ruled out as a patron body.
It was urged to complete the delib- erative process by the department and arising from the oral hearing, the NSAC reported they were satis- fied the schools were committed to delivering the curriculum required of national schools”.
The inspectorate responded that there wasn’t any “pedagogical rea- sons to reject the recommendations of the NSAC”.
The department granted one year’s recognition with permanent recog-
nition contingent on the outcomes of comprehensive inspection of the schools.
“The provisional recognition status of each school will be reviewed be- fore August 3, 2009 and the minister may extend the period of provisional recognition or withdraw recognition entirely or grant permanent recogni- tion to either or both schools.”
A separate department memo noted that the process yielded little by way of public response.