The birth of the Educate Together movement is a story of a unique contribution made to Irish education on an entirely voluntary basis by parents, teachers and supporters. Whatever way you can help, you’ll become part of a community of people working together to support the delivery of innovative, equality-based schooling across Ireland.
You can support the work of Educate Together in making sure that no child is an outsider in Irish schools:
Why does Educate Together need to fundraise?
Despite what we hear reported sometimes, education in Ireland is not free. The State only part-funds education, and it’s up to school patrons like Educate Together to fill the gap. Since 1978, Educate Together has been transforming the Irish education system by offering a truly equality-based school model which is open to all families in Ireland. However, as a patron of schools all across Ireland, a major challenge is how we fund our work.
Educate Together fundraises to support its existing schools and to open new ones. Depending on its size, it costs anywhere from €60,000 to €100,000 to open a new school in Ireland. Educate Together also invests in the ongoing development of the ethos and new initiatives in teaching. But less than 20% of Educate Together’s operating costs are covered by a core grant from the Government and we must raise the balance through trading, service delivery and fundraising.
There is a huge and ever-growing demand for Educate Together’s unique equality-based schools. But the reality is that without adequate funding, we will not be able to meet this demand into the future. The biggest obstacle in reaching our fundraising goals is that members of the Irish public do not realise that Educate Together is in fact a charity. As a charity, Educate Together achieves a lot with what it has. Fundraising support is badly needed and greatly appreciated. If you have any questions, please get in touch with Educate Together: fundraising@educatetogether.ie