Dominic
Hannigan TD Kells Clinic: I have a clinic in the Headfort Arms Hotel on the 3rd Friday of the month from 2.30pm till 4pm. Please call my office for an appointment. Telephone: 01 835 3871 E-mail: dominic.hannigan@oir.ie Web: www.dominichannigan.com
CLLR. EOIN HOLMES 087 224 2765
CLLR. TOMMY GRIMES 087 9806688
CLLR. NIAMH MCGOWAN 086 2244666
CLLR. BRIAN COLLINS 087 6829205
LABOUR DRIVING EDUCATION REFORM PRIMARY SCHOOL PATRONAGE SURVEY IN YOUR AREA Dominic Hannigan TD has welcomed the move by the government to roll out the patronage on primary schools survey in 38 new areas across the country including Kells, Co. Meath. Parents of all children aged 0 -12 years in Kells are being asked what patrons they would like to see operating their local primary schools.
HOW TO TAKE PART IN THIS SURVEY: The survey can be accessed on line via education.ie and parents or guardians of primary school going children and 0 - 5 year olds in Kells are being urged to fill it in. They will need to have their PPS number in order to complete the survey; however, these details are only being used for verification purposes. Leaflets will be distributed locally to inform people of this survey, and a free helpline (1800 303621) is also on hand to help anyone with difficulties completing the survey.
WHAT IS THE AIM OF THIS SURVEY? The aim of the survey is to establish the level of demand from parents of school patronage in Kells. At present, some 96% of primary schools are under church patronage, with more than 90% or approximately 3,000 schools under the remit of the Catholic Church. This survey initiative follows on from the recommendations of the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary sector. If parents indicate they would like a wider choice of patron, then the Department of Education will ask existing patrons to come up with a plan to transfer some schools to other patron bodies. “This is an historic opportunity for parents to have a real say in the type of school they wish to send their children to, be it denominational, multidenominational, all-Irish or other,” said Dominic Hannigan. “Taking just a couple of minutes to complete, a parent or guardian has the opportunity to make a profound difference to our educational landscape. I urge all parents and guardians to engage with this process and complete the survey.” Parents and guardians of all 0 to 12 year olds in Kells have from now until the 8th of February to complete the survey at www.education.ie.
0612