The number of nuns teaching in Irish primary schools has more than halved in the past decade, figures released at the weekend show.
There are now 445 nuns teaching in primary schools compared to more than 1,000 at the start of the 1990s. Also notable is the shortage of younger nuns entering teaching, with fewer than 10 teaching sisters now under 40 years of age. In contrast, of the 445 total, about 270 are between 60 and 65 and almost 20 over 65.
The figures were released at the annual conference of the Association of Primary Teaching Sisters (APTS) in Croke Park on Saturday.
The Minister for Education, Dr Woods, told the conference the falling numbers meant the role of the religious was becoming more "managerial".
He praised the nuns, saying "teaching sisters have made a major contribution in time, commitment and expertise to the development of primary education and to many other areas of educational provision".
Despite the fall in numbers, the figures from the APTS show 133 of the 445 teaching sisters are principals and 17 deputy principals, although these figures are also down on previous years. Dr Woods said: "The role of the religious now has become more managerial, with a particular focus within their communities on the objectives and responsibilities of trusteeship."
Sister Mary Collins, president of the APTS, told the meeting many teaching sisters now worked with pupils with special needs. She said these nuns faced many "frustrations", including:
Getting psychological assessments for children.
Getting official ratification of the assessments.
Recruiting and appointing resource teachers.
She said special needs pupils "pass this way but once" and must be given "every opportunity". She hoped Dr Woods would deliver on his proposals for an improved psychological service for them.
She said the main dilemma for boards of management and principals was the shortage of teachers. "We are all very aware of the fact that teacher demand far exceeds teacher supply. Hopefully, the increased intake of undergraduates together with the continuance of the postgraduate courses, the recognition of EU and other trained teachers, will help alleviate the crisis in the coming years," she said.
She said the Ireland of today was fast becoming "a mosaic of many cultures and of different religions". "Integrating these cultures into our way of life is a duty incumbent on all and requires an adequate response, appropriate education provision and mutual respect from pupils, teachers, parents, Department of Education and management.
"By reaching out to others, we build bridges rather than ghettos, create new possibilities and opportunities and lay foundations for a different society."