Choosing a school

Whispered · 26-09-2015 01:58PM #1

Hi. My boy is not yet a year but I've been advised to enroll him in a school sooner rather than later. Is that necessary?

Our nearest school is a catholic one and our boy is not baptised, we don't have any want for a religious education. Would it be a mistake to enroll him but have him sit out of religion?

Our other option would be to enroll him in a non denominational school, we have two, 15mins drive away. I prefer the idea of being able to walk to school.

Other than location and religious studies, I do not know what to look for when choosing a school so any tips on how you'd go about choosing one, out of a possible 3, would be great.

byhookorbycrook · 26-09-2015 03:10PM

There are no non-denom primary schools in Ireland. I presume you mean multi-d such as certain Gaelscoils or ET schools. Do you want single sex/ co-ed? Have you researched schools in your area? Most Catholic schools have children of all faiths and none .

Whispered · 26-09-2015 05:13PM

Catholic within 30 min walk or five min drive. Two et within 15 mins drive and a Steiner within 20 min drive. Steiner is fee paying as far as I know but if there is a huge difference in quality of the schools we would see if it's something we can stretch to. But I'm not sure what to look for. How best to decide taking everything into account.

Also wondering if I'm way too early in looking.

Moonbeam · 26-09-2015 06:52PM

There are only 2 Steiner schools in the country and from what i hear the waiting list is very long.
I love the idea of them though.
We put down my eldest names girl in school at 14 months and we were 13 months too late:(

Our decision was an easy one as a Gaelscoil was our 1st choice and we bought our house a 7 minute walk from it on purpose as we intended to go there,she didn't get a place so I spent the year driving 15km there and another 15 back twice a day with a small baby and a bump.
For me walking to school was a must when we made our decision.
I would not send any of my kids to a catholic single sex primary school so they were ruled out immediately.
I would rather a multi denominational school as imo religion has no place in schools but at that stage we were way to late for our local Educate Together.
We looked at the local Montessori primary school but it was too expensive to send all 4 there and it still was not a gaelscoil.

RentDayBlues · 26-09-2015 06:57PM

We have their names down for all primary and secondary schools in the area, if you're in Dublin or a large city/town it's a must, you'll be shocked at the waiting lists.

Most will put you on a list and advise you to apply formally probably about a year before they are due to start.

If you want ET or non catholic then sooner rather than later is best practice.

We don't have a local school as such, but will be taken into the school in the next parish, it's not my first choice!

And if money was no option I would pick the private non Catholic school!

Whispered · 26-09-2015 07:11PM

Moonbeam, what did you like about the Steiner?

In catholic schools, is a large part of their time spent on religion?

pooch90 · 26-09-2015 08:50PM

30 minutes per day is what is recommended. Honestly, I just about do 20 minutes, if I have time.

uck51js9zml2yt · 26-09-2015 09:12PM

I've my son in an RC school and we're not Catholic.
It's not an issue for the school. We decided to keep him in RE at junior infants as opposed to taking him out which makes him very different from his classmates.
the other alternative was to let him do something else in the class. He'd be in the room anyway hearing whats going on so taking part makes no difference.
We will be monitoring what he's learning so that we can correct it as necessary.

katydid · 26-09-2015 09:20PM

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

? Have you researched schools in your area? Most Catholic schools have children of all faiths and none .

Who are excluded from certain parts of the school day. School should not be about exclusion.

katydid · 26-09-2015 09:23PM

pooch90 wrote: »

30 minutes per day is what is recommended. Honestly, I just about do 20 minutes, if I have time.

Twenty minutes is twenty minutes too much. You're doing the job of the local clergy, and collaborating in excluding children. I know you have no choice, but it's a lousy way to earn a living.

byhookorbycrook · 26-09-2015 09:25PM

katydid wrote: »

Who are excluded from certain parts of the school day. School should not be about exclusion.

Excluded from religion if that's what parents want.
I'm not a fan of Steiner, the
anthroposophy thing is kind of creepy.
http://www.quackometer.net/blog/2012/07/the-insidious-pervasiveness-of-the-cult-of-rudolf-steiner.html

The_Valeyard · 26-09-2015 09:29PM

katydid wrote: »

Twenty minutes is twenty minutes too much. You're doing the job of the local clergy, and collaborating in excluding children. I know you have no choice, but it's a lousy way to earn a living.

Ffs.

Help the OP with the Q, not launch into your own personal bias.

OP, if possible gaeilscoil are pretty good. Ask your neighbours, word of mouth is usually pretty reliable for which school. Main concern would be class sizes.

Whispered · 26-09-2015 09:33PM

Katydid i do have issues with religion in schools so I totally get where you're coming from, but that's not what I intended this thread to be about.

I'm also weighing up whether the fact the rc school is local while the et isn't should be an important factor. And even how to choose between two et schools if we decide to not enroll him in the rc.

Tartanska (sorry if I misspelled I'm in mobile so can't see your name), have you thought how you will handle communion?

Thanks for the Steiner link. I've heard rumblings before about it. Will read up more.

uck51js9zml2yt · 26-09-2015 09:34PM

katydid wrote: »

Twenty minutes is twenty minutes too much. You're doing the job of the local clergy, and collaborating in excluding children. I know you have no choice, but it's a lousy way to earn a living.

Exclusion is one of several options.

uck51js9zml2yt · 26-09-2015 09:46PM

Whispered wrote: »

Katydid i do have issues with religion in schools so I totally get where you're coming from, but that's not what I intended this thread to be about.
I'm also weighing up whether the fact the rc school is local while the et isn't should be an important factor. And even how to choose between two et schools if we decide to not enroll him in the rc.

Tartanska (sorry if I misspelled I'm in mobile so can't see your name), have you thought how you will handle communion?

Thanks for the Steiner link. I've heard rumblings before about it. Will read up more.

A big factor for us was that the school is local. For us its less than 5 minutes. This means most of his class are local as well which will give him friends in the area.
Educate together would have exposed him to all religions, most of which we disagree with and we felt that was a worse option.

Communion is 3-4 years away for us and our plan at that stage is to exclude him as he will be older and understand more.
In talking to the principal, there are 10% non Catholics in the school and they are very open to their needs.
I'll be getting a look at the book next week and we can at least correct anything he will be thought contrary to our religious belief but at that level everything is basic.

As for enrolling in multiple schools. Do. It will at least give you a choice when the time comes and some may well refuse you when the time comes.

katydid · 26-09-2015 09:50PM

Mod snip.

katydid · 26-09-2015 09:52PM

still offtopic.

Whispered · 26-09-2015 09:52PM

See my thinking on et is that it teaches religion from a cultural rather than a "factual" perspective. Which I wouldn't have an issue with at all. But I could be wrong!

I love the idea of being able to walk him to school and home again to talk about his day on the stroll. As well as the benefits you mention. Very torn. I might enroll in multiples as you suggest.

katydid · 26-09-2015 09:54PM

Katydid, please take your agenda elsewhere.

uck51js9zml2yt · 26-09-2015 09:59PM

Whispered wrote: »

See my thinking on et is that it teaches religion from a cultural rather than a "factual" perspective. Which I wouldn't have an issue with at all. But I could be wrong!

I love the idea of being able to walk him to school and home again to talk about his day on the stroll. As well as the benefits you mention. Very torn. I might enroll in multiples as you suggest.

The ultimate responsibility for what our kids learn rests with us as parents. If we work with them outside of class on these issues we can help them understand from. Our viewpoint.
If your not involved in any local parent/ toddler groups you should.my wife found them an invaluable source of information. As I got to know so e of the familiies invo!ved in parentlink as well it helped in our decision making.

Your local parish hall probably has one and cuidiu have local parent link groups.

Whispered · 26-09-2015 09:59PM

katydid wrote: »

Nope. It indoctrinates the child in Roman Catholic teaching. It teaches RC doctrine as fact, teaches the child RC prayers, and prepares them, in school time, for RC sacraments.

If you don't wish this, your child has to be excluded from certain parts of the school day - exclusion is not a good thing to be starting a child's life with, in any understanding of child development or education.

I was speaking about et schools in the post you quoted. I am well aware of how rc schools work. That is not the info I came here looking for.

Insect Overlord · 26-09-2015 10:02PM

katydid wrote: »

You said they teach religion from a cultural rather than a factual perspective in RC schools. This is not true. I have outlined in detail what they do.

I've told you how it is. If you prefer not to know, fine. I was trying to help.

Read their posts again...

Whispered · 26-09-2015 10:03PM

Cairo Scarce Retiree wrote: »

The ultimate responsibility for what our kids learn rests with us as parents. If we work with them outside of class on these issues we can help them understand from. Our viewpoint.
If your not involved in any local parent/ toddler groups you should.my wife found them an invaluable source of information. As I got to know so e of the familiies invo!ved in parentlink as well it helped in our decision making.

Your local parish hall probably has one and cuidiu have local parent link groups.

Yes good idea. We do know local parents. Some of whom are sorry their child isn't in the et. But nothing to do with religion, rather the rest of the school ethos such as uniform wearing etc.

Tbh the et seems a better fit. But the drive is putting me off. Not out of laziness (30 min walk remember

) but more the fact he would be educated outside of his home town community. This may not be a big deal though?!

Whispered · 26-09-2015 10:05PM

katydid wrote: »

You didn't make that clear.

Read the post. Or the bit you quoted. It is clear. "..... Of et schools...."

Katy. I didn't need to clarify. It was clear in the post you quoted. You just didn't read it properly in your haste to continue to push you point.

Please allow this thread to remain on topic.

uck51js9zml2yt · 26-09-2015 10:08PM

Whispered wrote: »

Yes good idea. We do know local parents. Some of whom are sorry their child isn't in the et. But nothing to do with religion, rather the rest of the school ethos such as uniform wearing etc.

Tbh the et seems a better fit. But the drive is putting me off. Not out of laziness (30 min walk remember ) but more the fact he would be educated outside of his home town community. This may not be a big deal though?!

We purposely didn't choose ET due to their ethos of all religions being equal. We can handle catholicism and deal with it as necessary.
You'll be csurprised how important being local is when his friends have birthdays etc

you also need to consider if he is ever sick and you need to pick him up.

But definitely,enrolled him in as many as you can to give you options.

Whispered · 26-09-2015 10:09PM

That's good to know. It doesn't necessarily mean he will feel different from his neighbours then by going to a school out of the town. Thanks.

katydid · 26-09-2015 10:11PM

MOD SNIP

chillin117 · 26-09-2015 10:12PM

Excluding a child is really not fair on the child. You cant really pick the handiest school but ''Cherrypick'' what you do and do not want. If it's a RC school you enrol in, you know there is some Religious education beforehand so why enrol the child there ? I like your school but not your rules. Just my 2c worth.

Whispered · 26-09-2015 10:12PM

Cairo Scarce Retiree wrote: »

We purposely didn't choose ET due to their ethos of all religions being equal. We can handle catholicism and deal with it as necessary.
You'll be csurprised how important being local is when his friends have birthdays etc you also need to consider if he is ever sick and you need to pick him up.

But definitely,enrolled him in as many as you can to give you options.

Haha all religions are equal in my eyes, in that none of them have a place in education (to put it politely). But you make a good point. One I hadn't considered. Thank you.

katydid · 26-09-2015 10:13PM

mod snip

Whispered · 26-09-2015 10:14PM

chillin117 wrote: »

Excluding a child is really not fair on the child. You cant really pick the handiest school but ''Cherrypick'' what you do and do not want. If it's a RC school you enrol in, you know there is some Religious education beforehand so why enrol the child there ? I like your school but not your rules. Just my 2c worth.

Yes this is on my mind. Fact is though to attend a different school my son would have to travel. I'll have to get a car. It will take him out of his local area. So that is why I'd consider it. Lack of choice really.

Sorry. Moving away from the religious aspect, what other things should be taken into consideration. Two et schools, equal distance away. How do you choose? At any stage do parents visit the school before enrolling?

Choosing a school

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