Uncategorized Archives | Teach Dont Preach

August 19, 2018 No Comments Teach Dont Preach

Catholic Bishops have veto in rigged divestment process for schools

Atheist Ireland has obtained, under the Freedom of Information Act, a letter that the Catholic Bishops sent to Education and Training Boards Ireland (ETBI), regarding religion in Community National Schools. The letter is dated 15th February 2017. We have published it below. We have previously written about the conflict of ...

August 6, 2018 No Comments Teach Dont Preach

If religion should not determine health and social policy, it should not determine education policy either

In a recent tweet the Minister for Health, Simon Harris has said that “Religion plays an important role for many on an individual basis - but it will not determine health and social policy in our country any more. Please get that.” Please just make it stop! Increasing access to ...

July 19, 2018 No Comments Teach Dont Preach

The three types of religious education in Irish schools

There is a lot of confusion among parents and students in relation to the different types of religious education and religious instruction classes in Irish school at primary and second level. Here is a quick guide which we hope will give a better understanding of the basic principles in relation ...

February 23, 2018 No Comments Teach Dont Preach

How the State Religious Education Course breaches Human and Constitutional Rights

This week the Minister for Education, Richard Bruton issued a new Directive to ETB schools and colleges on religion. This new Directive has been a long time coming. Atheist Ireland has been working on this for years as the majority of the complaints we get are from parents and students about ...

February 14, 2018 No Comments Teach Dont Preach

Atheist Ireland, Evangelical Alliance, Ahmadi Muslims welcome opt-out from religion in ETB schools

Atheist Ireland, the Evangelical Alliance of Ireland, and the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Ireland, welcome the report of a proper opt-out from religious instruction in State-run ETB schools, with alternative subjects being offered at the start of the year instead of students being forced to sit at the back of ...

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 ADMlN

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 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 ...

June 13, 2017 No Comments ADMlN

Church and State; Undermining the human rights of parents and their children

There are basic human rights principles in relation to the teaching of religion in schools. The human rights Guiding Principle is that religion must be delivered in an objective, critical and pluralistic in order to ensure respect for parents’ religious or philosophical convictions. If the teaching of religion is not ...