Religious Ethos Education

Posted on October 22, 2009. Filed under: Education, Irish Politics | Tags: Educate Together, Education, Religion |

Just saw an article in the Irish Times today where the Church of Ireland United United Diocsesan Synod of Dublin and Glendalough welcomed the support from the Catholic Archbishop of Dublin’s for maintaining funding and services to the Protestant faith schools. If you remember cuts were made last year to various allowances and payments to schools.

I’m not going to get into row about these cuts in this article. What I want to talk about is the very fact that we have religious based education. I’m a Republican. I believe in a secular Republic where the State is completely responsible for Education matters. I do not believe that denominational religious education should be taught in any State School. There should be no Catholic, Protestant or otherwise State schools in receipt of Department of Education funding.

Of course, I accept that children should be taught about the various faiths in Ireland and in the wider world and that diversity is a good thing. They should not be taught one denomination or another. If parents want their children educated in a particular religious ethos, so be it. Let them go to Sunday school. Let the churches teach religion. Schools are there to educate our children to be valuable members of Society.

While this may cause issues in the short term due to ownership issues of schools, it is the best way forward. It is better for children and perhaps better for religion over all.