ETB schools pay €9.8 million to chaplains, but deny doing religious instruction
December 15, 2019 No Comments

ETB schools pay €9.8 million to chaplains, but deny doing religious instruction

The Department of Education spends €9.8 million per year on 156 Chaplains in ETB schools, which are supposed to be the State-run alternative to denominational schools, even though the ETBs claim that there is no religious instruction in the schools. The €9.8 million is paid to help Catholic and Church of ...

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NCCA report avoids the question of how to deliver objective sex education
December 11, 2019 No Comments

NCCA report avoids the question of how to deliver objective sex education

The NCCA has failed to recommend that the Education Act be amended to ensure that students get objective sex education that is not influenced by a religious school ethos. Its new report has simply described the problem of ethos, instead of addressing how to resolve it. And the Minister for ...

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Catholic school guidelines on inclusion deny the rights of secularists
December 11, 2019 No Comments

Catholic school guidelines on inclusion deny the rights of secularists

The Joint Managerial Body (JMB) for second level Religious schools has issued revised Guidelines for the ‘Inclusion of Other Beliefs in Catholic Secondary Schools’. These revised Guidelines undermine the rights of minorities. They are based on fear and control dressed up in the language of inclusion. The Catholic Church is ...

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Time to rebalance Constitutional rights to protect religious minorities in Irish schools
December 2, 2019 No Comments

Time to rebalance Constitutional rights to protect religious minorities in Irish schools

In Ireland children have a Constitutional Right to not attend any religious teaching or activities. The Constitution obliges the State to respect the inalienable right of parents to ensure that the teaching of their children is in conformity with their convictions. The Constitution also guarantees that all citizens are equal ...

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Atheist Ireland tells NCCA that Education Act must be amended for objective sex education
November 14, 2019 No Comments

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 ...

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The right of the child to freedom of conscience, religion and belief
November 7, 2019 No Comments

The right of the child to freedom of conscience, religion and belief

In a speech called “The future of Ireland Human rights and children’s rights”, the former President Mary McAleese said that she wanted to come to the debate over education in a different way from the usual arguments about integrated education, reduction of Catholic school patronage, or how to provide opt-outs ...

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European Court says opting out of religion class must not place an undue burden on parents
November 5, 2019 No Comments

European Court says opting out of religion class must not place an undue burden on parents

Last week the European Court found that the exemption procedure from a Religion class in Greek schools placed an undue burden on parents with a risk of exposure of sensitive aspects of their private life. The Court went on to say that the potential for conflict was likely to deter ...

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Internal ETBI report vindicates Atheist Ireland claims about religion in State schools
October 7, 2019 No Comments

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 ...

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Catholic school backs homework pass for attending a religious event
September 18, 2019 No Comments

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 ...

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NCCA Religion Course was always optional
August 5, 2019 No Comments

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 ...

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