Religious Education Archives | Teach Dont Preach

April 5, 2018 No Comments Teach Dont Preach

Atheist Ireland asks TUI to withdraw threat to undermine the rights of parents and children

In an article in the Irish Independent it is stated that teachers are threatening to pull the plug on a new Directive from the Department of Education, which permits students to opt out of religion and pick another subject. It is very disappointing to see the TUI willing to undermine ...

March 14, 2018 No Comments Teach Dont Preach

Atheist Ireland response to Mater Dei/DCU appeal to talk about Religious Education

In an article in the Irish Times on the 11th March Dr. Sandra Cullen, Director of the Mater Dei's Irish Centre for Religious Education at DCU’s Institute of Education, suggests that “It’s time to talk about Religious Education.” Atheist Ireland has written to the Mater Dei/DCU seeking a meeting to ...

November 21, 2017 No Comments Michael Nugent

Submission to NCCA consultation on Junior Cycle Religious Education

This is a joint submission made to the NCCA consultation process on Junior Cycle Religious Education from: Michael Nugent and Jane Donnelly, Atheist Ireland Imam Ibrahim Noonan, Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Ireland Pastor Nick Park, Executive Director, Evangelical Alliance of Ireland The three groups are pictured above with Nils Muižnieks, ...

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 6, 2017 2 Comments Teach Dont Preach

Freedom of Information Documents show State ETB schools have a specifically Catholic ethos

The Minister for Education and ETB Ireland are both presenting ETB schools as the State-run multi-denominational alternative for parents who do not want a Catholic education for their children. They are promoting ETB schools ahead of Educate Together schools. But Atheist Ireland has obtained documents under the Freedom of Information ...

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 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 ...

June 5, 2017 1 Comment admin

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 ...

June 3, 2017 No Comments admin

Church and State: Evangelising minorities in Irish schools

We live in a Country where the desire of some people for a religious education for their children takes precedence over the right of other parents not to have their children evangelised into religion while accessing education. Non-religious families are discriminated against on religious grounds, and when most of these ...