Human Rights Standards Archives

October 28, 2017 1 Comment Teach Dont Preach

Archbishop confirms that state-funded Irish schools are vital centres for Catholic evangelisation

In a speech last week to a conference on Catholic education, Archbishop Eamon Martin said that Catholic schools remain 'vital centres for evangelisation and catechesis'. Atheist Ireland has for years been pointing out this damning fact: that our publicly funded school system is part of the evangelising mission of the ...

October 23, 2017 1 Comment Teach Dont Preach

Education Minister responds to Atheist Ireland FOI documents; promises new guidelines on opting out of religion

Atheist Ireland has written to the Minister for Education seeking an input into the new guidelines that he has committed to issuing for children opting out of religion classes in State-run ETB schools. The Minister was responding to questions by RTE's Emma O'Kelly about documents that Atheist Ireland obtained under ...

October 13, 2017 No Comments Teach Dont Preach

NCCA relegates to a footnote “faith formation alongside teaching the State syllabus”

In a Background Paper and Brief for the Review of Junior Cycle Religious Education, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment has relegated one of the main human rights issues with regard to the State Religious Education course to a footnote on page 9 of a 47-page document. In that ...

September 21, 2017 No Comments Teach Dont Preach

Irish schools breach parents’ human right to keep their religious or nonreligious convictions private

Michael Moriarty, General Secretary of Education and Training Boards Ireland (ETBI), has said that Irish schools are bound by decades-old rules around the teaching of religion that no longer reflect the reality of a rapidly-changing society. But one of the most fundamental breaches of human rights in our schools is ...

September 9, 2017 No Comments Teach Dont Preach

New Report: Tipperary ETB/CTI is Failing in its Duty to Promote and Respect Human Rights

Atheist Ireland has prepared this comprehensive report on how Tipperary Education and Training Board (ETB), through its Central Technical Institute (CTI) in Clonmel, is failing in its statutory obligation to promote and protect the rights of minorities in their schools, based on the details of a recent case at the ...

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 14, 2017 No Comments admin

Extra support is needed for Educate Together second level schools

The Minister of State for Training and Skills, John Halligan, has responded to the Dail questions on School Transport submitted by Deputy Ruth Coppinger. He has reiterated the incredible claim that the terms of the School Transport Scheme are applied equitably on a national basis. It is difficult to understand how ...

July 11, 2017 No Comments Teach Dont Preach

Richard Bruton supports the pre-evangelisation of minorities

In response to a recent Dail question from Ruth Coppinger on opting out of religion in schools the Minister for Education and Skills, Richard Bruton referred her to the Catholic Guidelines on the Inclusion of students of other faiths in Catholic schools which he said: gives suggestions on developing policies ...

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 ...