It’s a promising sign when extra chairs have to be brought in to accommodate the interested parties at any meeting and that was certainly true of a gathering of educationalists in Letterkenny’s Mount Errigal Hotel on Wednesday 27th May 2025 which celebrated the achievements of schools in Donegal run under Church of Ireland and Presbyterian Church patronage.
The evening was hosted by Bishop Andrew Forster and addressed by two distinguished speakers, the secretary of the General Synod Board of Education, Dr Ken Fennelly, and Mrs Susan Ellis, Education and Governance Advisor.
Appropriately, given its purpose, the meeting began with prayers led by the Moderator of the Derry and Donegal Presbytery, Rev Susan Moore. Principals, teachers and members of boards of management from throughout the Diocese of Raphoe were in attendance.
Dr Fennelly looked at the many challenges facing schools, classrooms and boards in the future including the “ICT revolution”, the growth of AI (artificial intelligence), the role of teachers as educators, the developing role of boards of management, and the possible need for a new curriculum.
Mrs Ellis talked about the importance of school ethos in “shaping how we teach, govern and care in our schools” and of the need for good communication in tackling issues such as bullying and harassment.
Before closing the evening with prayers, Bishop Andrew thanked the principals, teachers and managers in the audience for the work they’d been doing to nurture and instruct their pupils in the many schools represented at the meeting.
