Uncategorized Archives | Teach Dont Preach

October 7, 2019 No Comments Teach Dont Preach

Internal ETBI report vindicates Atheist Ireland claims about religion in State schools

Today the Irish Times published details of an internal ETBI report that vindicates what Atheist Ireland has been saying for years about the teaching of religion in Education and Training Board schools. ETBs are supposed to be the State-run alternative to denominational schools, but unfortunately many of them are run ...

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 ...

August 5, 2019 No Comments Teach Dont Preach

NCCA Religion Course was always optional

The NCCA Religious Education Course was optional when it was first introduced in 2000. The roll out of the course took 3 years. At the time, no Schools, Teachers, the TUI, Patron Bodies or the Catholic Bishops complained about needing extra resources for a new course that was introduced into ...

August 1, 2019 No Comments Teach Dont Preach

A Secular State Protects A Pluralist Society – Part 4 of 5 – Education

In July 2019 Atheist Ireland took part in a meeting of the Dialogue Process between the Government, Churches, and Non-Confessional Organisations in Ireland. This page is part 4 of Atheist Ireland's policy document submitted to the Irish Government as part of this process. You can read the other sections of this ...

June 18, 2019 No Comments Teach Dont Preach

Irish schools breach GDPR rules regarding religious and nonreligious beliefs

Irish schools are breaching their obligations under GDPR and human rights law, in relation to the right of parents and students to not attend religious teaching and worship while not disclosing sensitive information. Atheist Ireland has written to the Data Protection Commissioner, the Department of Education, and the ETBI about ...

April 16, 2019 1 Comment Teach Dont Preach

National Schools show children cartoon images of young boys being tortured on crosses

At Easter in our publicly funded National Schools, young children are shown images of a bearded man and two young boys being tortured on crosses This can obviously be very disturbing for small children, but it is part of the Catholic indoctrination process for children. For many parents, trying to ...

March 29, 2019 No Comments Teach Dont Preach

NCCA Religious Education course; Opting out is a Constitutional Right

If you are a non religious parent you have a Constitutional Right to opt your child out of the NCCA Religious Education course in second level schools. If any teacher forces your child into the NCCA Religious Education course complain about their behaviour to the Teaching Council. Don't let schools ...

March 18, 2019 No Comments Teach Dont Preach

The State now plans to fund teachers to design and conduct Catholic faith-based retreats

The Minister for Education, Joe McHugh has decided to fund the training of teachers to design and conduct Catholic faith–based retreats and other faith-based programmes for adolescents. The courses are due to start this year. The Minister won’t oblige schools to provide another subject for students who opt out of ...

February 18, 2019 No Comments Teach Dont Preach

New Junior Cycle Religious Education course still breaches constitutional and human rights

The new specification for the Junior Cycle Religious Education curriculum, due to be introduced in schools in September 2019, disrespects the rights of parents who seek secular education for their children based on human rights. The new course reflects the disrespect that the State has for non-religious parents and their children. ...

January 29, 2019 No Comments Teach Dont Preach

Atheist Ireland welcomes Education Committee report supporting objective sex education

Atheist Ireland welcomes the Oireachtas Education Committee report on Objective Sex Education. The report has recommended, as Atheist Ireland asked it to do, that the law must be changed to remove the role of ethos as a barrier to the objective and factual delivery of sex education curriculums. It has ...