In the 1990s,bellwether socialist Sweden began to finance all independent schools in order to improve efficiency and choice and end the state system's monopoly on government funding. The only condition was that fees could not be charged. That Sweden could promote this model of independent schools is a strong endorsement. The UK Tories plan to introduce a similar system in the UK http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle6792727.ece

Given Ireland's sizeable multicultural youth population and the declining interest in religious education,the need to provide secular education choices is urgent. The government seems to be favouring the state owned VEC system for this purpose,instead of the popular, independent Educate Together schools which are being refused government support for their planned expansion into secondary schools.

The problem with VECs is that elected councillors with many distracting public policy issues on their plates have the ultimate authority over VEC schools,not the schools' managements and boards themselves,a system guaranteed to prevent true accountability.

Thanks, nice quote from the article,

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Most ' Independent' schools in the UK are already heavily subsidised.They make good profits but pay no tax,being registered as charities.Of course they will be happy with the Tory/Swedish model if it means they can qualify for even more grants and other sweeteners.But I can't see them rushing to sign up - they already have it good.

The private,fee paying "Public Schools" don't qualify for any government money and save the government money. Yet, in a gesture of phoney class war designed to please lefty Labour,their charitable status could be revoked by the government unless they comply with a government commission's subjective opinion of charitable activity.

If they lose charitable status,an interesting question is how would they be transformed into profitable enterprises? I suppose the trusts which own them are run by churches and the churches would sell them off. To maximise shareholder value,the playing fields of Eton could become property developments unless councils refused zoning as they routinely have done historically for soccer grounds. But would a Labour council do so?

As far I know it was a right wing government in Sweden that introduced this policy. This study from 2008 suggests that there are yet no significant educational advantages.
http://ftp.iza.org/dp3691.pdf
And this piece hints at different problems:
Education in Sweden - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Also - have you any real evidence that the VEC system has governance problems?

Even if there are "no significant educational advantages",that would be a strong case for keeping the diversity and freedom of the private system. As an English economist said,monopolies are always and everywhere an evil. They tend to make themselves as unaccountable as possible. State monopolies on education are no different.

As for VEC governance,if parents have to become involved in politics to change a council in order to change a VEC school's management,something most parents won't do,there will be governance problems. The danger is that VECs will acquire local and regional monopolies on secular secondary schools,depriving parents of choice such as Educate Together. That seems to be the present statist government strategy.