Can you help with recommending a school in Moate/Athlone area please?

iPink

Hi, I hope to be moving to Castledaly/Doon area this summer from Wexford.
My 9 year old daughter will be going into 4th class, I have no idea about schools in the area.
She currently goes to Wexford Educate Together NS and is very happy there, the class sizes are very small (8 in her class!) And it is non-denominational which is very important to me as we are a non Catholic (non Religious) family.
My daughter is also Dyslexic (diagnosed) and needs a certain amount of support with her learning, small class size is a certain advantage too.
Most of the schools I have looked at (websites) nearby seem to have a very strong Catholic ethos, I don't mind her going to a Catholic school if necessary but I hate the thought of indoctrination...
She isn't Christened, didn't make her Communion & won't be Confirming either obviously!
We have looked at schools in Ballinhown, Castledaly & Moate but would go as far as Athlone for the right school...(are there buses?) I know there is an Educate Together in tullamore but its a bit far to go unless there is a bus?
I have read that there should be one or two non religious schools in the Athlone area but can't seem to find any more information on them...
I would really appreciate any help!
Thank you :-)

galait

Most National Schools in Athlone Town comprise of Local's , Knacker's and non national's. We are lucky that we reside just outside the town on the Roscommon side where the school enforces strict criteria for entry , Hence we have no knackers or non nationals and everyone in the school makes communion and confirmation , Thank God

LostInLM

galait wrote: »

Most National Schools in Athlone Town comprise of Local's , Knacker's and non national's. We are lucky that we reside just outside the town on the Roscommon side where the school enforces strict criteria for entry , Hence we have no knackers or non nationals and everyone in the school makes communion and confirmation , Thank God

Are you suggesting that your kids school discriminates based on religion, race and membership of the travelling community! :-0

demanufactured

Athlone Mixed National school , If your not religious this is the place to send your kids.
Its just across the road from B& Q.

iPink

galait wrote: »

Most National Schools in Athlone Town comprise of Local's , Knacker's and non national's. We are lucky that we reside just outside the town on the Roscommon side where the school enforces strict criteria for entry , Hence we have no knackers or non nationals and everyone in the school makes communion and confirmation , Thank God

Moderators can you remove this please?

iPink

demanufactured wrote: »

Athlone Mixed National school , If your not religious this is the place to send your kids.
Its just across the road from B& Q.

This actually isn't a non-denominational school! It's a misconception based on it's name, i spoke to them yesterday, they actually are a Church of Ireland NS. Thanks for the reply though :-)

demanufactured

Ah I didn't know that..

Not sure where you can send them , most schools are run by the church , which I don't agree with I wouldn't send my kids to a school run by the church.

athlonelad

demanufactured wrote: »

Ah I didn't know that..

Not sure where you can send them , kmost schools are run by the church , which I don't agree with I wouldn't send my kids to a school run by the church.

Only for the catholic church we wouldn't have a lot of schools. I know the church is getting a lot of bad press in recent times but we cannot forget all the good they do too. I remember when I went to national school (small rural school with catholic connections) there were lots of non catholics and non religious families. Schools are more understanding nowadays of other peoples beliefs and actually children are taught in school about other religions as much as their own.

galait

demanufactured wrote: »

Ah I didn't know that..

Not sure where you can send them , most schools are run by the church , which I don't agree with I wouldn't send my kids to a school run by the church.

I did , I remember when it (Church of Ireland school) was located at the Crescent Roundabout , I went to the Infant St Mary's School across the Road , BTW This is where all the "Normal" children went , It was always suggested that the Children attending the school across the road had something wrong with them !

athlonelad

galait wrote: »

demanufactured wrote: »

Ah I didn't know that..

Not sure where you can send them , most schools are run by the church , which I don't agree with I wouldn't send my kids to a school run by the church.

I did , I remember when it (Church of Ireland school) was located at the Crescent Roundabout , I went to the Infant St Mary's School across the Road , BTW This is where all the "Normal" children went , It was always suggested that the Children attending the school across the road had something wrong with them !

I can't believe there isn't a non religious school in Athlone especially with the influx of people from other countries with completely different religions Hindu, Islam etc

Zubeneschamali

athlonelad wrote: »

I can't believe there isn't a non religious school in Athlone especially with the influx of people from other countries with completely different religions Hindu, Islam etc

They just go to the "catholic" schools and ignore all the god-talk, skip the communion prep etc.

Half the kids doing their Holy Communions have never seen the inside of a church before they start practicing.

iPink

I have nothing against the Catholic Church in general, except for obvious exceptions, I respect everyone's right to their own faith.
I don't think religion has a place in schools in this day & age & am very against indoctrination.
I am a Celtic Pagan, my daughter went to a Catholic school in junior infants, I was reassured that, as above, that it would be easy to skip the religion bits... Then my 4 year old daughter asked me around 3 months into her junior infants if I believed on God, I said no, she got extremely upset & told me that I would go to hell...
It took a long time for her to get over that, I started looking at alternatives shortly after that.
Educate Together schools do not teach or indoctrinate any one religion but rather teach children about ALL religions... They celebrate festivals and special days from different religions all through the year, it's really lovely.
My daughter is going into 4th class so well past the Communion stage.
There is no provision made for children of different religions in the schools I have been I'm contact with already which strikes me as very odd in this day & age...

the question of religion wasn't my only concern, as she was diagnosed dyslexic in her Senior Infants year

Crann na Beatha

This post has been deleted.

galait

Aquila wrote: »

Galait,No more comments like that,next one and its a ban.

Looks like you are a Non National , Have I touched a nerve ?;)

Crann na Beatha

This post has been deleted.