educate togather scholls vs national school

simply simple

what would be a better option? I found a thread maybe 3 years old on it, it is old and dont have the answers I am trying to find.
We have the option of educate togather school for my girl but will have to travel through motorway and will be 20 mins drive to it and another one is very near. are educate schools better than national schools? in what way?
It doesnt promote any particular religion, good teacher pupil relationship, but finally kids have to go to national secondary schools so would that be a problem then? anything else on the debate?

Boombastic

simply simple wrote: »

what would be a better option? I found a thread maybe 3 years old on it, it is old and dont have the answers I am trying to find.
We have the option of educate togather school for my girl but will have to travel through motorway and will be 20 mins drive to it and another one is very near. are educate schools better than national schools? in what way?
It doesnt promote any particular religion, good teacher pupil relationship, but finally kids have to go to national secondary schools so would that be a problem then? anything else on the debate?

Educate together is setting up secondary schools, so by the time they get to that stage they may have that option.

January

Moved from Parenting to Primary & Pre School

simply simple

can anyone pm me their good or bad reviews about E.T. schools in swords and belmayne, and larkhill holy child national school, it would be very helpful

simply simple

January wrote: »

Moved from Parenting to Primary & Pre School

I was thinking parents who have any experience would answer my question in more appropriate manner and the chances are more parent would view the topic here rather than in primary and preschool thread.

littleredspot

Have any of the schools open days where you can go and meet the teachers and see the facilities?
We visited a few and were quite put off by some of the staff we met.
You can also find some information in the department of education reports. http://www.schooldays.ie/articles/school-inspection-reports (Although it's best to read a few to get used to the language)

simply simple

littleredspot wrote: »

Have any of the schools open days where you can go and meet the teachers and see the facilities?
We visited a few and were quite put off by some of the staff we met.
You can also find some information in the department of education reports. http://www.schooldays.ie/articles/school-inspection-reports (Although it's best to read a few to get used to the language)

She will be going next year, went with a friend to holy child national school, seemed good enough, you can never judge from just one visit i guess.
There are no reports for the schools I am enquiring about in the link you have mentioned. You said you were put off by a few of them, what made you feel so? were these the schools I am enquiring abt?

huskerdu

simply simple wrote: »

what would be a better option? I found a thread maybe 3 years old on it, it is old and dont have the answers I am trying to find.
We have the option of educate togather school for my girl but will have to travel through motorway and will be 20 mins drive to it and another one is very near. are educate schools better than national schools? in what way?
It doesnt promote any particular religion, good teacher pupil relationship, but finally kids have to go to national secondary schools so would that be a problem then? anything else on the debate?

I dont think you can make a sweeping generalisation about ET together schools vs schools run under the ethos of a Church, other than the obvious difference that the ET school does not do religious instruction.

If you dont have a strong preference on the religious ethos of the school, you need to compare the actual schools in your locality. There are good schools of all types and sizes, its impossible to make a generalisation.

The syllabus covered in ET schools in identical to all other national schools, apart from religion, so there will be no issue with transferring to a secondary school.

byhookorbycrook

Excellent post, took the words from my mouth. No one type of school is better than an other, you need to make an appointment to see the principals and get a feel for the schools in questions. Many schools will be oversubscribed, so you need to check the enrolment policy in case you need to get her name on the pre enrolment list.

simply simple

have got her name on really on all of them. but my query is what are the pros and cons of each ET and national schools, and why did a parent choose one over the other?

Bananatop

I think many people believe ET schools are more inclusive than national schools. That's not necessarily the case. If you go into any national school, you will find children from all types of backgrounds and religions. I had two children in my class last year that didn't officially take part in religion lessons, they were allowed to do something else instead and it was no problem for anyone (children, parents, school). The only difference being that those children would have heard religious songs/stories/said prayers in the morning, before lunch etc. In that case (if you are strictly against the Catholic or Protestant ethos), then a traditional national school would not be for you. If you are quite happy for your child to hear religious songs/stories and prayers from one religion but not be involved in the lesson, then a national school would be just as suitable as an ET school

simply simple

I see, so mostly the issue with major of them is religion. Any religion what so ever is not a problem for us, would leave to my daughters choice when she grow up. most national schools in my area are only girls and only boys while ET schools have co ed system. Later on in higher secondary and colleges they are going to study together and work together anyways. Thats the difference for us between national school and ET school. dont know if it affects differently in anyways, if any of you might have considered this b4 choosing a school?

gabsdot40

My kids go to an ET school and we're very happy with it. We're not Catholic so we like the multidenominational aspect. ET was definitely our first choice of type of school because of this.
It's a big school with 600+ pupils which we also like.
There is no uniform and the teachers go by their first names. These are 2 big differences between ET schools and other types of schools.
However there are good and better ET schools as well as good and better Catholic / Cof I schools.
My advice would be to visit all the schools, talk to the principal and other parents and make your decision then.

Moonbeam

Every school has to be judged on its own merit whether it is a montessori/national/school project/Educate together or a Gaelscoil, some schools will have bad principals some will have amazing ones and that is what makes the difference.

Tipsygypsy

Hi OP,
There is no broad 'better option', the different styles of school will suit different people. My kids go to an Educate Together, I don't consider it 'better' or 'worse' than any other schools.The schools ethos does, however, suit our family better for a number of reasons, I'll outline below (this is just my take on why I send my kids there)

Parental involvement is both welcome and encouraged, the school is very open to parents coming in the help out with things (as long as its scheduled obviously) and in fact, we have a week called activity week that is entirely filled with family coming in to do activities with the classes, its a lovely community building week. And there is always a very welcoming feeling.
I really feel that the kids are put first in the school they go to, and treated with utmost respect, I like that they call their teachers by their actual name rather than sir/miss/teacher. I like that they have no school uniform, I think its good for kids to express themselves and experiment with who they are.
I like that they are taught ethics without religion having to come into it, and I like that when they do learn about religion they learn about every religion and that everything is taught with 'some people believe', so they understand that we all have our own beliefs and that those beliefs can be very different from each-other but that doesn't make anyone any less equal.
I love that we have an international community, that they are learning about other nationality's and cultures, while still learning all about our own.

Our school is about a 25 minute drive away, and we are not on a bus route, so I spend just under 2 hours every day bringing them there and back, and it isn't cheap and it limits my time that I can be earning. And now and again I think I must be mad to go so far. But I look at the school, and I see how much they (even how much I) have learnt form their time there and I know its been worth it.
My husband would respond with the same positive attitude but for different reasons, the kids are doing very well academically, the school has had a whole school evaluation recently and had a really wonderful result. They are very conscientious of familys having tight budgets and make a great effort to ask for too much more.

*you can go on the the Dept of Ed's website and look up the Whole School Evaluation for most school to see how they do - worth having a look at.

So those are my thoughts on it. I'm sure lots of schools have similar merits, and I'm not having a go at other schools at all, but when I did go to visit schools when our eldest was starting out, there was only when that felt like the right fit for us, even if I do live in my car to get them there.

byhookorbycrook

Tipsygypsy wrote: »

)

Parental involvement is both welcome and encouraged,

I like that they call their teachers by their actual name rather than sir/miss/teacher.

I like that they have no school uniform, I think its good for kids to express themselves and experiment with who they are.

I love that we have an international community, that they are learning about other nationality's and cultures, while still learning all about our own.

To be fair ,none of the above are the sole preserve of ET schools.