Educate Together - Facts, Figures and History

Educate Together started as an organisation in 1984, when the first three schools decided to set up a co-ordinating committee that would disseminate information among the existing schools and assist in the growth and development of new schools. The three schools were located in Dalkey, Bray and Glasnevin, all in the greater Dublin area.

At the time almost all national schools in the country were under denominational patronage. School sites were provided by the patron, i.e. the diocese. Lay chairpersons of Boards of Management were rare. Parental involvement in running national schools was minimal.

In the ensuing years, Educate Together opened schools in Sligo, Cork and Kilkenny (1987), Limerick (1989), Kilbarrack, Ranelagh and Crumlin (1990), Cork - a Gaelscoil - (1993), Galway, Celbridge and Inchicore (1994), Monkstown and Lucan (1997), Ennis (1998), Castleknock (1999), Phibsborough (2000), Swords and Drogheda (2001), Waterford, Navan, Tralee, Donabate, Glasnevin, Griffeen Valley and Ardee (2002). There are currently over 4,000 pupils enrolled and 200 teachers and staff employed in the Educate Together sector.

Educate Together started as co-ordinating organisation in which decisions were arrived at by consensus. During the 1980s it adopted a constitution with majority voting. It represented the sector on national educational bodies and by 1990 had become the recognised voice of multi-denominational education in Ireland. The Educate Together Charter was formally adopted in 1990.
In 1994, Educate Together received limited private funding to rent, equip and staff an office for a three year period. The office opened in January 1995, with one part-time co-ordinator. In 1998, Educate Together became a company limited by guarantee. In the year 2000 Educate Together was granted permanent core funding of £27,500 (€34,530) per annum by the Department of Education and Science. This year, 2002, the organisation has received core funding of €39,000 from the state. All other national expenditure has been supported by private donations. These have enabled the organisation to embark on a significant development programme that has seen the national office develop from a purely part-time to a full-time professional operation with Chief Executive, National Co-ordinator, Development Officer, Foundation Development Officer (Fundraising and Communications) and secretarial support. The organisation currently has head offices in Centrepoint Business Park, Dublin 12.

© Educate Together, 2002

Educate Together Chronology

Dalkey School Project National School 1978
Bray School Project National School 1981
North Dublin National School Project 1984
Cork School Project 1987
Sligo School Project 1987
Kilkenny School Project 1987
Limerick School Project 1989
North Bay Educate Together National School (formerly North Bay National School Project) 1990
Ranelagh MultiDenominational School 1990
Rathfarnam Educate Together School (formerly South City School Project) 1990
Gaelscoil an Ghoirt Álainn 1993
Galway School Project 1994
North Kildare Educate Together School (formerly North Kildare Naional School Project) 1994
Griffith Barracks National School (formerly Crumlin Multi-denominational School) 1994
Monkstown Educate Together School 1997
Lucan Educate Together National School 1997
Ennis Educate Together National School 1998
Castleknock Educate Together National School 1999
Dublin 7 Educate Together National School 2000
Le Chéile Educate Together National School 2001
Swords Educate Together National School 2001
Waterford Educate Together National School 2002
Navan Educate Together National School 2002
Tralee Educate Together National School 2002
Donabate Educate Together National School 2002
Dublin North Central Educate Together National School 2002
Griffeen Valley Educate Together National School 2002
Ardee Educate Together National School 2002

Note: Over 211 accumulated years' experience of running democratically organised primary schools.