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educational model, and in 1971 the school had been selected to pilot a new curriculum developed by the
Department of Education. The school soon became overcrowded, and when Murray moved to another parish in 1970, the new school managers were not in favour of so many non-protestants using Church of Ireland resources. They insisted that the admissions policy be reviewed, and at the same time local conservative Catholics opposed children being educated at a non-sectarian ethos school. The Minister for Education,
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education in the face of the educational and church authorities challenging
Armstrong's "learn together" ethos. The parent-teacher association passed a vote of no confidence in the school manager at the 1974 AGM, and requested he resign. When he refused, the school became the centre of a national discussion on multi-denominational education in Ireland. Armstrong took a leave of absence in 1974 when there was no consensus on the school's new policies. She travelled to
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Armstrong was a firm believer that parents should be treated as partners within the school, and encouraged their active participation in teaching. She and her supporters fought attempts to reverse her innovations for 3 years, culminating in a group of parents fighting for multi-denominational
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parish. Through
Armstrong's efforts, the student numbers grew to 69 by 1965 taught by 3 teachers, growing to 200 students in 1971. Supported by the local rector, and school manager, Desmond Murray, the school welcomed children from all denominations. Armstrong introduced a novel child-centred
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In her absence, some of the parents in Dalkey refused to abandon her plans for a multi or non-denominational school, forming an association to investigate the possibility of founding a school outside the dominant, religious denominational schooling system. This led to the founding of the
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in
September 1978, the new school was staffed by Armstrong and 2 teachers with 92 students. She oversaw the expansion of the school, which saw several moves to larger premises. She retired in 1990 from a purpose-built school with over 300 students and 10 teachers in
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in northern Zambia which developed a programme to train teachers and focused on educating girls. She was the first recipient of the
Educate Together Seed Award in 2006, and in 2008 was the guest of honour at a ceremony in
124:, and Armstrong aimed to change how teachers were trained, and to implement an integrated primary educational programme with a new curriculum. She remained there to take a post as principal of a large girls' school in
87:, graduating with a BA in languages in 1951. After she graduated, she returned to Cavan to take up the position of principal at the one-teacher national school at Bocade Glebe,
112:, a conservative Catholic, refused to sanction further expansion of St Patrick's. In 1974, the school announced it would not be taking any junior infant students that year.
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She returned to work as an educational consultant with the Agency for
Personal Service Overseas and for Irish Aid in Africa. She was part of the educational project in
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St
Patrick's was in a poor state, and at the time Armstrong arrived in 1954 it was housed in a church hall, with 16 students. It was under the patronage of the local
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on 26 November 1928. Her parents were Thomas and
Elizabeth Armstrong (née Dunne). She had three brothers. The family lived in
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marking the 30th anniversary of the opening of the first
Educate Together school. Armstrong died in
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movement. After the 1977 election, the school received support from the new minister for education,
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Lunney, Linde (2017). "Armstrong, Florence". In McGuire, James; Quinn, James (eds.).
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on secondment as a curriculum advisor. Nigeria was emerging from
278:"How Dalkey Finally Got Its MultiDenominational School | Magill"
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251:"Pioneer of Irish multi-denominational education"
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226:"Cavan visionary remembered"
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