Educate Together is the representative organisation of the Educate Together schools and associations throughout the Republic of Ireland. It owes its origins to the movement to establish new multi-denominational primary schools, which emerged in the late 1970s and early 1980s. By 1984, when Educate Together was established, there were three schools and the organisation acted as their co-ordinating body. Since then the movement has grown considerably.

Today there are 56 schools, 26 of which are in the greater Dublin area. The organisation became a company limited by guarantee in 1998 and has charitable status. It has a small national office which provides representative and support services to existing schools and Start Up groups. The Directors and members of the company work in a voluntary capacity.

Educate Together aims to meet a growing need in Irish society for schools that recognise the developing diversity of Irish life and the modern need for democratic management structures. In particular, Educate Together guarantees children and parents of all faiths and none equal respect in the operation and governing of education.

The schools operated by the member associations of Educate Together are fully recognised by the Irish Department of Education and Science and work under the same regulations and funding structures as other national schools. However, they have a distinct ethos or governing spirit. This has been defined in the following terms:

• Multi-denominational i.e. all children having equal rights of access to the school, and children of all social, cultural and religious backgrounds being equally respected
• Co-educational and committed to encouraging all children to explore their full range of abilities and opportunities.
• Child centred in their approach to education
• Democratically run with active participation by parents in the daily life of the school, whilst positively affirming the professional role of the teachers

  Source: Educate Together Charter

Publications available

The Educate Together Business Plan is aimed at strengthening Educate Together to meet the demand from parents all over Ireland for places in its schools. It charts a path for the organisation that will see it setting higher standards- in the delivery of its services to children, staff and parents in schools, in expanding the influence of its network in education and making significant strides in educational reform.

Click Here to download or order your copy.

If you would like a copy of of brochure 'What is an Educate Together School?' please contact the national office on 01 4292500 or Email info@educatetogether.ie

It is also available for download in Arabic, English, French, Polish, Spanish, Romanian, Russian in the Resources section of the Educate Together website.

If you would like a copy of 'Learn Together'- the ethical education curriculum for Educate Together schools, please contact the Educate Together national office on 01- 429 2500 or by emailing info@educatetogether.ie. The cost is €25.

The curriculum is currently not available as a download.

For more information on Educate Together please visit their website, www.educatetogether.ie.

Address: Educate Together, H8a Centrepoint, Oak Drive, Dublin 12, Ireland
Tel: +353 1 4292500; Fax: +353 1 4292502
Email: info@educatetogether.ie