Vol.3 No. 12 - March 13, 2003

Limerick City Hosts the March Educate Together National Executive Meeting.
March 8th 2003, Jury’s Hotel, Limerick City

News from the National Office
Report from the Ethos Conference 2003
The National Office has been assessing the evaluation reports from the Ethos Conference 2003 and are pleased to inform that the overall comment was positive. Conference details will be available online and in hardcopy in the near future. The overwhelming response of the delegates was positive and we must thank Susan Kennedy Bergmann, Mary Kelleher and the presenters Frieda McGovern, Carmel Mulcahy, Mary Kelleher and Paddie Murphy for the exceptional work that they are putting in to the updating of the Ethical Education Core Curriculum for our schools.

PR/ Communications
Kate Morris, Foundation Development Officer, has been carefully developing our media profile, working with partners to win government and public support for fresh approaches to educational provision. Kate worked hard on the Press Conference, Ethos Conference and has developed extensive media contacts. This is beginning to reap rewards. We are now doing approximately four radio interviews per week and now are working to prioritise the impact. A lot of the media exposure is at local level, but we are working to extend this more into the national media.

Accommodation
The start of a major national campaign on the issue of school accommodation is now taking place. On Wednesday 12th February, Paul Rowe, (CEO, Educate Together) spoke with John Carr (INTO), Fionnuala Kilfeather (NPCP), Canon Swann (CoI) and Father Dan O’Connor (CPSMA) on a platform provided by TLC, which stands for Tuismitheoirí Teageascoirí le Chéile. Educate Together have joined this group campaigning for a €400m immediate injection in the capital building programme. This campaign is now extending nationally and last Saturday 8th March, Educate Together was represented by Ray Ryan on the TLC platform in Cork. Ray was quoted in the Irish Times and Florence Horsman-Hogan (TLC) informed the National Office that both Paul and Ray gave exceptionally informative speeches.

Upcoming TLC Rallies:
South County Dublin, Thursday, 20th March, St. Anne’s School, Shankill 7:30 pm
Wexford: Monday 24th March, Enniscorthy Riverside Hotel, 8pm
Galway: Saturday, 29th March, Sacre Coeur Hotel, 4-6 pm

General News
A successful and informative meeting took place with Jan O’Sullivan, spokesperson for the Labour party on Education, at Dáil Eireann, on the 6th March 2003.
A new accountant has been appointed on a part time basis for the National Office.
The deadline for proposals for the AGM is tomorrow ,Friday 14th March.

New Schools application for 2003
Educate Together has submitted five applications, and the Dublin 15 Educate Together Association have submitted two (both are for the Clonee /Ongar area, one English speaking and one Gaelscoil). The New Schools Advisory Committee has rejected the application for a Gaelscoil on a technicality. This is under appeal by the Dublin 15 Educate Together Association.

Rush/Lusk: Have 55 children on their pre-enrolment list. Lusk has been earmarked by Fingal County Council as an area of preferred development, however the committee is experiencing difficulty locating a premises in Lusk, so the school may start in Rush.

Wicklow Town: This is a huge catchment area including Arklow, Greystones, Gorey and Bray. The group is presently in discussion with local developer and there is the long term possibility of a shared campus.

Ballina: This will be the be first Educate Together school in Mayo. A small group is working hard at raising awareness of Educate Together in the local area.

Newbridge: This group has received huge local support and are working hard at obtaining an excellent location. The owners of this are interested in the work of Educate Together and would like to keep the site in educational use.

Limerick: Has secured a city centre premises. Good pre-enrolment list, supported by experienced Limerick School Project people.

Financial Report
Membership fees are now due (since January), and invoices have been sent to all schools. Schools are reminded that only those members who have paid the membership fee will be entitled to vote at the AGM on the 17th May 2003, in Galway.

Dates for your diary:
AGM: Saturday, 17th May 2003, Galway Educate Together National School, Galway

National Executive Meetings: Saturday, 12th April, Dublin