Search result for: 2023

Search result for :2023

10 March 2023

New primary school curriculum framework could mean more religion teaching, not less

Yesterday the Minister for Education, Norma Foley, introduced the New Primary School curriculum framework. You can find the framework here and frequently asked questions here. This new Framework could mean more time spent on religion in primary schools, not less. Officially, the new curriculum reduces...

8 March 2023

The right to not attend religious instruction and sex education on the basis of conscience

Atheist Ireland has written the following letter to the Minister for Education, Norma Foley TD. Dear Minister, You have recently stressed that parents have a right to ensure that their children can withdraw from the updated sex education course on the basis of conscience. But...

7 March 2023

Atheist Ireland writes to Attorney General about right to not attend religious instruction

Atheist Ireland has written the following letter to the Attorney General about the constitutional right to not attend religious instruction in irish schools. Dear Mr Fanning, We are writing to you in your Constitutional capacity as the adviser of the Government in matters of law...

5 March 2023

Secular Sunday #584 – Defence forces unlawfully appoint chaplains

This week’s Secular Sunday can be found here. To avoid missing out, sign up here to receive Secular Sunday by email.

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3 March 2023

Atheist Ireland welcomes WRC ruling on religious discrimination in employing military chaplains

The Workplace Relations Commission has ruled that the Irish Defence Forces discriminated on the ground of religion against former Atheist Ireland officer John Hamill by not giving him an equal opportunity to apply for the position of military chaplain. The Irish Times reported on this...

2 March 2023

Irish Council of State: Atheists need not apply

Many people are aware that the Irish Constitution requires the President and judges to swear a religious oath. Many people are unaware that this also applies to the Council of State, which includes the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste, the Chief Justice, the President of Court of...

26 February 2023

Secular Sunday #583 – More religious privilege in Irish schools

This week’s Secular Sunday can be found here. To avoid missing out, sign up here to receive Secular Sunday by email.

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25 February 2023

Minister respects the rights of religious parents while undermining the rights of nonreligious parents

The Minister for Education, Norma Foley, has just given a telling example of how the Department of Education gives privilege to religious parents over nonreligious parents in Irish schools. As Carl O’Brien reports in the Irish Times, the Minister has stressed that parents have a...

23 February 2023

How an ETB school admission policy makes up a definition of religious instruction with no legal basis

This is from the Admission policy of Larkin Community College, a second level ETB school. There is no legal basis for the supposed distinction it makes between religious instruction and religious education. It is important to understand that our school does not provide ‘religious instruction’...

20 February 2023

UN calls for evidence-based sex education in Ireland. This requires amending the Education Act on ethos.

Atheist Ireland has for years been raising the issue of objective sex education with the United Nations. The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child included the following in its recent concluding observations about Ireland: Adolescent health (b) Integrate comprehensive, age-appropriate and evidence-based education...

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