Who teaches our kids, again?

This is a post I've had in mind to write for a while, largely about the situation of how we run our schools. The latest round of what the Catholic Church get up to has rather thrown the issue into sharp relief; and yet, still, it's something that doesn't seem to be discussed.

So let's get this out of the way early; we live in a country where, at a conservative estimate, about 85% of our schools are run - to some extent - by an organisation that two reports have shown to be guilty of the systemic and consistent abuse of children.

Or, if that's not clear enough; 85% of our schools are run, to some extent, by an organisation that routinely protected paedophiles and child abusers. Yeah. That organisation teaches our kids.

Whenever the Ryan Report, or its new unholy cousin the Murphy Report is mentioned, someone seems to bring up the issue of compensation. Now, I can't imagine going through what those people who were buggered and raped as children by priests had been through; ergo, I don't know what my response would be. I just know that none of the victims who I've heard speak on the matter talk about compensation. They talk about justice.

Just to be clear about this: the church owns the vast bulk of our National Schools and Community Schools. It didn't build them; the Irish government, or British government before them, did that. It doesn't fund them; the Irish Government does that (the Church makes a nominal contribution of - supposedly - 5% or so, but in a number of cases that figure is zero). No, it just has a huge hand in determining what those schools can or cannot do, and is referred to as a "Patron" of these schools, without doing a great deal to justify the title.

National Schools, or Community Schools, are run by their Board of Management. This consists of the Principal, one other teacher, two parents, and two people nominated by the estimable Patron (the Patron, remember, being an organisation that harbours paedophiles). This bunch, between them, pick another two people. In general, the Board is chaired by the Parish Priest.

Now, even if you forget the issue of abuse, even if you accept the "bad apples" rationale that Church apologists are putting forward, this is fucking absurd. Only two of the eight people running a school need have any educational qualifications (or, indeed, any qualifications whatsoever), and none of them receive training in some of the skills required.

(Works to the building, for example, are decided and administered by the School Principal. A School Principal is trained to teach children and organise other teachers. They don't know anything about sustainability, or Building Regulations, or contract administration; bluntly, it isn't their job. And yet we seem constantly shocked at the fact that our school buildings are often close to being derelict, even though their upkeep is left in the hands of well-intentioned amateurs.)

So, the chairman the Board of Management? It's literally some guy. A guy who consults his invisible friend for advice.

That's merely stupid and counterproductive. But now factor in the organisation he represents, and the line hardens. It's intolerable; it's shameful; it can't continue. I'm sure there are plenty of capable, intelligent priests who are doing a good job of helping to run schools, but frankly, that no longer matters. Their organisation has forfeited its right to be involved in education.

There is something that could be done about this. The National Parents' Council is annoyingly vocal, and seems to spend most of their time warbling on the radio about the dangers of underage drinking. Well, finally they can do something constructive.

- They can encourage every parent to take their child out of any church-run school.
- They can ask that every teacher stop teaching those children who do attend.
- They can state that this situation will continue until the Church hands back the title deed of every state-funded school to the people, and all its representatives resign from all Boards of Management.

Anything less than that is an insult to the victims of the Catholic Church. What they've endured is beyond imagining. Let's at least begin to make amends going forward.