Minister<\/a> calls for places for unbaptised pupils\u201d, Front Page, December 28th).<\/p>\nn<\/p>\n
While Labour\u2019s proposals have not been set out in detail at this stage, it would appear, from the Minister\u2019s comments, that they will involve some form of quota system whereby a certain percentage of school places would be set aside for children who are not of the same religious denomination of each school.<\/p>\n
n<\/p>\n
The parents who we represent do not want their children to be accommodated, tolerated or labelled in this manner. Our parents want the State to honour its obligations to their children and ensure they are granted full and equal access to the State-funded national school system, obligations which are placed on the State by the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights and our own Constitution.<\/p>\n
n<\/p>\n
In addition, no details have been provided as to how Labour intends to address the issue of exposing children to religious indoctrination against their parents\u2019 wishes during the entire school day. Again a clear breach of human rights.<\/p>\n
n<\/p>\n
The Minister\u2019s earlier announcement of her intention to remove rule 68 of the national school rules, which currently requires that religious instruction is the most important part of the school day, is largely symbolic in nature. The removal of rule 68 will not lead to the removal of the integrated curriculum that ensures religious instruction permeates the entire school day.<\/p>\n
n<\/p>\n
In fact, the Minister has stated that denominational schools will continue to be entitled to hold faith-formation classes during the school day.<\/p>\n
n<\/p>\n
Many of our parents, whose children have been offered places in denominational schools, speak of the bittersweet feeling which accompanies such an offer. They consider themselves \u201clucky\u201d to have been able to secure a place without having to compromise their own beliefs. However, they are fully aware of the challenges that lie ahead of them as their children will feel ostracised during large parts of the school day and they will hear their teacher, a person of great influence, express views and beliefs which will often be in direct contradiction to their own.<\/p>\n
n<\/p>\n
Education Equality is disappointed to see that Ms O\u2019Sullivan is quoted as saying: \u201cI\u2019m not saying denominational schools shouldn\u2019t have their own religious faith taught during school time . . . They are entitled to do that\u201d. It is true that the Constitution protects the rights of religious<\/em> institutions to uphold their ethos. National schools are educational<\/em> establishments. There is no constitutional or human right of religious schools to have the State fund religious education, during school time, which conflicts with some children\u2019s beliefs.<\/p>\nn<\/p>\n
There is, however, a constitutional and basic human right to freedom of religion. Teaching faith formation in one religion\u2019s beliefs in the only school system that we have, in a way that imposes it on children of other religions and none, violates that right. In order to protect religious freedom, denominational schools do not need to be removed, but the way they operate does need to change.<\/p>\n
n<\/p>\n
Education Equality is proposing that faith-formation classes be held at the end of the school day, outside of normal school hours. This would ensure that no child\u2019s human rights are violated, while also allowing those parents who wish to do so to opt their children in to faith formation.<\/p>\n
n<\/p>\n
We believe this is a pragmatic solution to the issue and will ensure the human rights of all children are fully respected.<\/p>\n
n<\/p>\n
Education Equality will continue its campaign for its twin goals of equal access and equal respect for all children in our education system, regardless of religion. We hope that all political parties will support these goals and we can take another step in cherishing all the children of the nation equally. \u2013 Yours, etc,<\/p>\n
n<\/p>\n
APRIL DUFF,<\/p>\n
n<\/p>\n
Chairwoman,<\/p>\n
n<\/p>\n
Education Equality<\/p>\n
n<\/p>\n
Dublin 8.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Letter to Editor in The Irish Times, 31 December 2015 from April Duff of Education Equality. n This statement is important because it sets out to deal with the two abnegations of human rights taking place in our National Schools under Roman Catholic patronage. n (1) religion tests in the form of baptismal certificates being […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cscs.ie\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cscs.ie\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cscs.ie\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cscs.ie\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cscs.ie\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=59"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.cscs.ie\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cscs.ie\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=59"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cscs.ie\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=59"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cscs.ie\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=59"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}