European Court of Human Rights Archives

February 18, 2019 No Comments Teach Dont Preach

New Junior Cycle Religious Education course still breaches constitutional and human rights

The new specification for the Junior Cycle Religious Education curriculum, due to be introduced in schools in September 2019, disrespects the rights of parents who seek secular education for their children based on human rights. The new course reflects the disrespect that the State has for non-religious parents and their children. ...

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 ...

June 5, 2017 1 Comment ADMlN

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 ...

January 18, 2017 No Comments ADMlN

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 ADMlN

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 1, 2016 No Comments ADMlN

Patronage system undermines the rights of parents and children

The Patronage system has reduced education to a competition for parental preference. It manufactures consent on the basis of a limited choice. Parents and their children are faced with a choice between a limited number of Patron bodies, and these Patron bodies have control over the application of their human ...

October 17, 2016 1 Comment ADMlN

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 ...

July 10, 2015 1 Comment Michael Nugent

Atheist Ireland asks Council of Europe to protect human rights in Irish schools with O’Keeffe ruling

Atheist Ireland has made a report to the Council of Europe about the Louise O'Keeffe judgment last year in the European Court of Human Rights, a ruling that has implications for all of the human rights that are breached by religiously-run national schools in Ireland. We are asking the Council ...

October 14, 2014 No Comments ADMlN

The Catholic Church: Undermining the right to school Freedom of Conscience

Catholic Church in Ireland campaign to maintain privileged position in schools The Catholic Church in Ireland campaign to maintain their privileged position by claiming that:- "To equate all religions is to empty them of any significance". How does treating equally all religions and philosophical convictions empty them of significance? The ...