Cathal BarryA new partnership between teacher training colleges and Dublin City University (DCU) has been described as a “ground-breaking” approach to religious education which will bring together Catholic trainee teachers with those from other Christian traditions.
The new Institute of Education will be created by the coming together of Dublin City University, St Patrick’s College Drumcondra, Mater Dei Institute of Education and Church of Ireland College of Education.
According to a statement, the institute will represent the largest critical mass of education expertise on the island of Ireland and for the first time in Ireland, it will create a space enabling different Christian traditions to teach and learn collaboratively side-by-side.
It will provide “a place of mutual respect” for the formation of teachers for denominational, non-denominational and multi-denominational schools, the statement said.
The institute plans to provide initial teacher education and continuous professional development for teachers and educators from early childhood through primary and secondary to third and fourth level.
However, according to Dr Ciarán Ó Coigligh of St Patrick’s College, Drumcondra, the core curriculum that will be taught at the new institute represents a “blatant contradiction of the essence of Christian education which requires that the denominational ethos permeates the whole teaching and learning experience”.
“It shows utter contempt for members of staff who have conscientiously upheld the Christian ethos,” he said.
In a letter to The Irish Catholic, Dr Ó Coigligh also noted employment prospects, in denominational schools, of graduates of “denominationally neutral education” will be “seriously diminished”.
“A real concern for diversity would see the maintenance of Christian colleges of education,” he said. Dr Ó Coigligh added that other “crucially important matters” relating to industrial relations, permanence of employment, career prospects, burden of work, redeployment, relocation, forced redundancy and forced retirement “have been ignored”.
He expressed his frustration that there has been “no consultation, no negotiation and no agreement with those most immediately concerned”.
DCU were unable to comment as The Irish Catholic went to print this week.