Campaign underway to secure Navan multi-denominational secondary school

As pupils at the Navan Educate Together school reach secondary school-going age, a local committee is staging an active campaign to obtain a second-level school for them. Ireland, so far, has 12 Educate Together primary schools, but no secondary school. A national feasibility study conducted by an expert group concluded that the 'Educate Together ethos and approach should be available at second-level, giving children the opportunity to further develop themselves not only academically but socially'. Chaired by Lisa Williamson, the local committee is asking why should the type of education children are getting at primary level from Educate Together stop when they get to sixth class. Ms Williamson is also concerned about reports that Navan would have 200 pupils without second-level places in 2009/2010. As it is, children from Educate Together have greater difficulty in getting places in mainstream secondary schools, which have criteria for prospective pupils. Ms Williamson, who lives at Canterbrook, Navan, has two children at the local Educate Together school, and wonders where will the secondary school places be for them. A couple of pupils have stayed on in sixth class at Educate Together this year to see whether other options will become available to them next year. Ms Williamson is a Catholic but wanted her children to attend a multi-denominational school. While schools such as Beaufort College at Trim Road, Navan, are multi-denominational, like all schools within the VEC, a deed of trust states that each child should have two hours of religious education per week. Children can get exclusion from this but she argues that two hours weekly over time totals significant time out of the educational term for those parents who do not want their child to have religious tuition. She is leaving the decision about religion to her children but adds that her middle son attends Mass every Sunday. 'There is no opposition to religion, I"m against imposing it on people,' she added. Most of those on the Navan Educate Together board belong to some denomination. At Educate Together, children take part in the Learn Together programme. They study the seven main religions in the world and explore the differences between them all. Ethical and environmental issues are examined, rather than dogma, she says. 'It"s not instruction; it"s about facts, values and being a better person,' said Ms Williamson. People with children at the Navan facility are enthusiastic about the type of education provided there. Her son, Andrew, she added, is more confident as a result of attending school there. Everyone gets involved, parents play a central role and decision-making is not just for the teachers. It"s not a case of parents 'just dropping their children at the school gate', she added. As Meath"s only multi-denominational primary school, the Educate Together facility, now located in the Dan Shaw Centre, Carriage Road, Navan, has pupils not alone from the town but from Kells, Trim, Athboy, Castletown, Windtown and Johnstown. The Meath Multi-Denominational Secondary School Committee, the name given to the group working to obtain the facility in Navan, has met Transport Minister and Meath West TD Noel Dempsey to put forward its proposal. Ms Williamson said he was 'supportive', suggesting they should meet Meath VEC to discuss a possible partnership. They hope to set up this meeting in the coming months.