Irish Human Rights Commission Archives

November 14, 2019 No Comments Teach Dont Preach

Atheist Ireland tells NCCA that Education Act must be amended for objective sex education

The NCCA is reviewing the state courses on relationship and sex education in schools. It has already issued a Draft Report. Unfortunately, this Draft Report does not follow through on its commitment to human rights standards in the delivery of RSE in Irish schools, and it does not recommend amending ...

October 7, 2019 No Comments Teach Dont Preach

Campaign to Separate Church and State v Minister for Education 1995

The Campaign to Separate Church and State case in 1995 is one of the main cases that dealt with religion in Irish schools. The case went to the High Court first and then went on to the Supreme Court. The judgements from the High Court and Supreme Courts are below ...

September 18, 2019 No Comments Teach Dont Preach

Catholic school backs homework pass for attending a religious event

A recent Article in the Irish Times “Catholic school backs homework pass for attending a religious event” highlights the discrimination that minorities face in the vast majority of schools in Ireland. Children that go to mass or choir practice outside school hours are given a reward for attending. The reward ...

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 ...

July 5, 2017 No Comments ADMlN

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 ...

December 29, 2016 3 Comments ADMlN

Proposed changes to religious education will not stop evangelisation in schools

It is reported in the Irish Times that the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) has made a recommendation to remove Religious Education as a core curriculum area in the Primary School Curriculum. This will not protect minorities from the evangelising mission of the Catholic Church in the education ...

November 18, 2016 1 Comment ADMlN

Government Schools Bill continues to ignore the rights of children

The Education (Admissions to Schools) Bill went through the second stage in the Dail yesterday. This Bill will not remove religious discrimination in our Education system. The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission and the Ombudsman for Children have both recommended that religious discrimination be removed from our education system ...

October 24, 2016 No Comments ADMlN

Schools Admission Bill will institutionalise religious discrimination

The proposed new Education (Admissions) to Schools Bill 2016 will not remove religious discrimination from our education system and protect human rights. Despite the requirement that the Admissions policies of schools will be obliged to include a statement that they shall not discriminate on religion, publicly funded National schools can ...

October 13, 2016 No Comments ADMlN

Irish children denied right to sexual and reproductive health education

In Ireland Children and Adolescents are denied their right to sexual and reproductive health education. You can do something about this by supporting the Recommendation of the Irish Human Rights & Equality Commission on the Education (Admissions) to Schools Bill. This Bill will be coming up in the Oireachtas again ...

September 9, 2016 No Comments ADMlN

Irish schools integrate religion into relationship and sexuality education

Irish schools integrate religion into Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) at both primary and second level, contrary to the UN Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. Atheist Ireland has made a Submission to the Irish Human Rights & Equality Commission in relation to this. The Action Plan introduced yesterday ...