European Convention on Human Rights Archives

August 25, 2017 No Comments Teach Dont Preach

New case shows that the Irish State directly imposes a Catholic ethos in ETB Schools

A recent case at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) vindicates the position of Atheist Ireland in relation to religion in the Education & Training Board (ETB) schools and colleges. We have consistently argued that ETB schools are run as religious schools, and that most of them have a Catholic or ...

August 23, 2017 1 Comment Teach Dont Preach

The right to opt out of religion classes is not enough to respect parents’ convictions

The right to Opt out of Religion in Irish Schools is not enough to ensure respect for the philosophical convictions of Atheist and Secular parents. In Ireland, Atheist and secular parents are second class citizens. Church and state are pursuing an aim of indoctrination, by not respecting and protecting the ...

July 5, 2017 No Comments admin

No such thing as a little bit of human rights – stop discriminating against 5 year old children

In Ireland many children leave their human rights at the school gate. The education system in Ireland does not guarantee and respect the rights of children and their parents. The human right to education is not difficult to understand. It is not rocket science. Atheist Ireland campaigns for an education ...

June 13, 2017 No Comments admin

Church and State; Undermining the human rights of parents and their children

There are basic human rights principles in relation to the teaching of religion in schools. The human rights Guiding Principle is that religion must be delivered in an objective, critical and pluralistic in order to ensure respect for parents’ religious or philosophical convictions. If the teaching of religion is not ...

June 5, 2017 1 Comment admin

The Irish Education System is unique in the control that the State gives to churches

The Irish Education system is unique in the control that the State gives to churches. Comparing State funding of faith schools in other countries with the Irish education system is misleading. This is because, in the countries that do fund faith schools, most children attend a parallel system of non-denominational ...

March 30, 2017 4 Comments admin

Another Catholic School forces Muslim students into Catholic Liturgies. So where did this policy come from?

Holy Child School, Killiney, forces Muslim students into Catholic Liturgies. This is a publicly funded Le Cheile second level school (A Catholic schools Trust). This is the second school we have found with this policy. Colaiste Bride in Clondalkin also forces Muslim students into Catholic Liturgies. Their policy is exactly ...

January 18, 2017 No Comments admin

How Minister Bruton’s new proposals would intensify breaches of absolute human rights

The Minister for Education Richard Bruton has outlined four options in relation to an Admissions School Policy. None of the Options that he outlined comply with Ireland’s Human Rights obligations, and Option 4 would undermine those rights further. Children have a human right to access to their local school without ...

January 16, 2017 No Comments admin

Education Minister’s plan to change Baptism rule, but strengthen school ethos, will strengthen religious discrimination

The Minister for Education has today announced deeply flawed proposals to amend the Baptism rule for access to State-funded schools, but without changing the law on school ethos. What seems to be the best of the four options in the plan, removing the baptism rule completely, is actually the worst, ...

November 29, 2016 No Comments admin

ERB and Ethics: do we now need to opt our children out of this new subject?

The introduction of a new course in Primary Schools about Religions, Beliefs and Ethics has the potential to undermine further the Constitutional and Human Rights of minorities. The legal framework is not in place that would ensure that the course is delivered in accordance with human rights so that the ...

October 17, 2016 1 Comment admin

Irish State must protect schoolchildren from sexual abuse and wider abuses of their rights

In an article in the Irish Times it is reported that the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission has sent a Submission to the Council of Europe asking that the Louise O’Keeffe case be reconsidered to see whether the state is interpreting it correctly. In the submission to the Council ...