National School Rules Archives

December 26, 2015 No Comments admin

Constitutional Review Group concluded separate secular and religious instruction is not unreasonable or unfair

Atheist Ireland has consistently argued in our lobbying for secular education that religion should not be integrated throughout the primary school curriculum. The Government claims that it is constitutionally obliged to buttress discrimination arising from the tenets of specific religions. But as long as twenty years ago, the Constitution Review ...

March 14, 2015 No Comments admin

Atheist Ireland meets NCCA about exemption from ERB and Ethics course for Primary Schools

This week Jane Donnelly and Michael Nugent met with the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) to discuss our concerns about the proposed Education about Religions and Beliefs (ERB) and Ethics course for Primary Schools in Ireland. The Forum on Patronage and Pluralism recommended that this new course be ...

September 23, 2014 No Comments admin

Ireland has no non-denominational schools. Even the nine schools directly run by the state are religious

No non-denominational schools in Irish education system The Minister for Education and Skills Jan O’Sullivan is the patron of nine state run religious schools. These nine schools are the old Model schools and they are not non-denominational despite being under the patronage of the Minister. The Report from the Forum ...

September 18, 2014 2 Comments admin

Publicly funded Irish National schools integrate “The Saviour” into spelling lessons for ten year olds – Rule 68

Irish public funded National schools, religion is integrated into the state curriculum In Irish publicly funded National schools, religion is integrated into the state curriculum. Rule 68 of the Rules for National Schools reads:- “Of all parts of a school curriculum, Religious Instruction is by far the most important, as ...

August 9, 2014 No Comments admin

How Irish law effectively prohibits non-denominational secular schools based on human rights

Irish law bans non-denominational schools - state forces education "religious ethos" control Irish law effectively prohibits non-denominational secular schools based on human rights, despite the Irish Government telling the UN Human Rights Committee last month that there are no obstacles to establishing such schools in Ireland. The Government did outline ...

August 3, 2014 1 Comment admin

Children have a human right to a neutral studying environment, even in denominational schools

Children have right to non-religious schooling - UN Human Rights Committee Last month Ireland appeared before the UN Human Rights Committee in Geneva under the International Covenant on Civil & Political Rights (ICCPR). Every five years the UN questions Ireland in relation to their human rights obligations under the Covenant. ...

August 1, 2014 No Comments Jane Donnelly

UN asks Ireland about discrimination against atheist teachers – video and transcript

Ireland - Teacher religious school discrimination must stop - UN Human Rights Committee The UN Human Rights Committee has told Ireland to stop breaching the human rights of atheists and minority faith teachers and health workers, reflecting concerns raised by Atheist Ireland at the questioning session in Geneva. The Committee ...

July 24, 2014 1 Comment Michael Nugent

UN Human Rights Committee tells Ireland to stop breaching the human rights of atheists and minority faiths

Ireland breaches human rights in education, employment, religious oaths and blasphemy law - UN HCR The UN Human Rights Committee today told Ireland to stop breaching the human rights of atheists and minority faiths in the education system, employment, religious oaths and blasphemy law. The UN report published today vindicates ...

July 20, 2014 No Comments admin

Irish government again defers to the “institutionalised belief system” that pervades Irish schools.

"Is Irish State required to provide neutral teaching environment outside religion classes" - asks UN Human Rights Committee Last Monday the UN Human Rights Committee asked Ireland, "with regard to denominational schools, does the State believe it is required to ensure a neutral teaching environment outside of the religious instruction ...

March 23, 2014 1 Comment Jane Donnelly

Why religious education must be neutral and objective, and how the Irish State is ignoring our human rights

Schools & Religious Education must be neutral - UN Human Rights Committee to question Ireland Ireland is due to appear before the UN Human Rights Committee in July this year. The UN have asked Ireland to explain what it is doing to protect minorities in Irish schools and how many ...