Human Rights Standards Archives

January 3, 2019 1 Comment Teach Dont Preach

Community National Schools learning outcomes were changed from understanding religion to respecting it

The Catholic Bishops wrote to Education and Training Boards Ireland (ETBI) in February 2017 stating that the Goodness Me Goodness You course (GMGY) in Community National Schools did not constitute a viable programme for faith nurturing and sacramental education. This was after the Senior part of the GMGY course was ...

December 11, 2018 No Comments Teach Dont Preach

The web of Catholic codes of conduct in the National Maternity Hospital and Community National Schools

While protesters were on the streets last Saturday, campaigning against Catholic healthcare codes of conduct in our new National Maternity Hospital, the State is requiring children to respect those Catholic codes of conduct in our Community National Schools. Catholic Codes of Conduct in the National Maternity Hospital The campaign against ...

December 3, 2018 No Comments Teach Dont Preach

Irish schools require children to respect Vatican codes of conduct that discriminate against gay people

The Irish Times reports that Pope Francis is concerned about what he describes as the “serious issue” of homosexuality and that being gay is a “fashion” to which the clergy is susceptible. He has said that “gay people should not be accepted into ministry”. It is nothing new that the Catholic ...

October 7, 2018 No Comments Teach Dont Preach

How the State allows the Catholic Church to use the NCCA Religious Education course as a vehicle to evangelise

The Minister for Education has reversed a Circular Letter issued last February that permitted students to opt out of religion in ETB (State) schools and choose another subject. The reversal was due to the lobbying of the Catholic Church, Religion Teachers, The Association of Trustees of Catholic schools, The ETBI ...

September 16, 2018 No Comments Teach Dont Preach

How ETBs are using word play to deny students an alternative to religion

ETB Schools and teachers that refuse to implement the directive on religion issued by the Department of Education last February are telling parents that they can’t opt their child out of Religious Education and choose another subject. Their main excuses are to claim that the directive refers only to Religious ...

August 26, 2018 No Comments Teach Dont Preach

As Pope Francis visits Dublin, Jane Donnelly calls for secular schools at People Before Profit public meeting

While Pope Francis was speaking in Croke Park in Dublin, Jane Donnelly of Atheist Ireland was making the case for a secular education system free from Catholic Church influence. Jane was speaking at a public meeting convened by People Before Profit, about Separation of Church and State. Here is the ...

August 2, 2018 No Comments Teach Dont Preach

What should a Citizens’ Assembly on Religion in Irish schools focus on?

The Labour Party has recently proposed that we should have a new Citizens' Assembly to tackle the Constitutional issues surrounding our education system. They have not identified the particular Articles in the Constitution that we would need to look at. Atheist Ireland has consistently argued that the Constitution has failed to protect ...

July 11, 2018 No Comments Teach Dont Preach

Atheist Ireland welcomes part of Schools Admissions Bill and continues our work for secular schools

The Education (Admissions to Schools) Bill has now passed in the Dail. From September the vast majority of schools will no longer be able to discriminate in entry on the grounds of religion. However, minority religious schools can still continue to discriminate as they still have exemptions from equality laws. ...

July 10, 2018 No Comments Teach Dont Preach

Objective Sex Education is being blocked by an ideology that “School is the new Church”

In this Republic successive governments have put the rights of religious bodies over the rights of children and their parents. It seems at this stage that nothing is going to change, as this government will not give support to Solidarity’s Objective Sex Education Bill. This is not just about the ...

May 31, 2018 No Comments Teach Dont Preach

Atheist Ireland, Evangelical Alliance, and Ahmadi Muslims welcome part and reject part of Schools Admissions Bill

Atheist Ireland, the Evangelical Alliance of Ireland, and the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Ireland, welcome part and reject part of the Schools Admissions Bill passed by the Dail yesterday. Despite our different world views, we campaign together for a State-funded secular education system that respects equally everybody’s constitutional and human ...