Protestant churches voice concern on future of school governance
The Transferor Representatives' Council (TRC), which represents the main Protestant churches in matters of educational policy in Northern Ireland, is voicing concern that its right to be represented on School Boards of Governors may be removed. It is feared that this could happen under the current Review of Public Administration.
The Revd Ian Ellis, a member of the Transferor Representatives Council, which speaks for the main Protestant churches, said he believed that the majority of parents in Northern Ireland wanted their children to attend schools with a Christian ethos.
When churches transferred their schools, pupils and staff into state control in the 1930s, 40s and 50s, it was on the understanding that the Christian ethos of these schools was maintained and the principle was enshrined in an Act of Parliament. This resulted in Transferors being given right of representation on School Management Committees and Education Authorities (known today as Boards of Governors and Education and Library Boards). These Transferors currently have rights of representation on Boards of Governors of all Primary and Secondary schools.
Yesterday, Thursday 13 December 2007, the Church of Ireland issued the following statement:
‘TRANSFEROR REPRESENTATIVES' COUNCIL
Protestant Churches petition Assembly Education Committee on the future of school governance
Representatives of the Transferor Representatives' Council are appealing to the NI Assembly Education Committee, to express concern regarding proposals for governance of controlled schools contained in the Review of Public Administration (RPA) which would remove their rights to representation on management boards.
Currently, transferor governors (from the Church of Ireland, Presbyterian and Methodist churches), comprise 4 out of 9 members on a controlled primary school. The RPA has proposed the removal of this statutory role of transferors on the ground that it purportedly contravenes equality requirements of the Northern Ireland Acts.
In future, it is proposed that transferors will only have rights of representation on schools they formerly owned or which were superseded. The TRC believes that this will lead to a huge loss of rights for transferors and that the proposal will, at a stroke, remove the Christian ethos as of right from the controlled sector of education.
The TRC seeks parity of protection for the Christian ethos in schools attended generally by Protestant children, currently enjoyed in the Catholic maintained sector of education. The TRC is entirely supportive of the right of Catholic schools to safeguard and maintain their Christian ethos in the context of identical funding.
The TRC seeks comparative arrangements to make reasonable and equitable alternative provision for the Protestant churches to continue to carry out the role they have always played in education.
To this end, the TRC firstly urges the Education Committee to obtain from the Department written and urgent clarification of specifically how it will protect the Christian ethos in the controlled sector.
Secondly, in the event that the Committee is not satisfied with reassurances given, the TRC seeks support from MLAs to block any legislation, which does not protect the Christian ethos of both Protestant and Catholic traditions.'
The contacts for the main Protestant churches are:
Revd I Ellis (Secretary to TRC and the Board of Education Church of Ireland)
Tel: 028 90231202
Revd Dr L Glenny (Secretary of the Board of Education Methodist Church)
Tel: 028 91460098
Revd R Herron (Secretary of the Board of Education Presbyterian Church)
Tel: 028 82243776