Next Tuesday, 16 December, is the closing date for parents to respond to the Department of Education’s misleading survey on the future of primary schools. If you are thinking about responding, please be aware of the following facts.
- The survey misleadingly implies that you are being given an option to choose non-religious schools, when in reality you are not.
- It also harmfully implies that your child’s human right to an objective, critical, and pluralistic education is subject to surveys of your family’s neighbours.
It is obvious that denominational schools do not respect or protect the right to freedom of religion or belief of families outside the ethos of the school. What might not be so obvious is that multi-denominational schools do not respect or protect these rights either.
What appears to be a choice is limited to two options that disrespect your rights and those of your children. And they will then portray the outcome of this misleading survey as if this is what parents want to happen.
There is no option for non-religious schools
The key question in the survey is this:
“Would you prefer your primary school to operate under a denominational (religious) patron or to operate under a multi-denominational (non-religious) patron?”
This is misleading because it implies that multi-denominational is the same as non-religious, and that parents are being given the option of preferring a non-religious school.
However, The relevant issue is not the religious makeup of the patron body. It is whether the school has a religious ethos, and multi-denominational schools are by definition religious. Atheism, humanism, and secularism are not denominations.
The Forum on Patronage and Pluralism said that there were no non-denominational schools in Ireland with a secular ethos.
The UN has explicitly called on Ireland to open non-denominational schools, and not merely multi-denominational ones.
Programme for Government implies such an option
The Programme for Government includes a commitment to seek “to increase choice for parents by ensuring that families can access both multi/non-denominational and faith-based education”.
But the use of the term “multi/non-denominational” is misleading, because the government has no plans for families to be able to access non-denominational schools.
Department Reconfiguration document implies such an option
The Department of Education has published a document titled ‘Information for Parents on Schools Reconfiguration for Diversity’. This states:
“The aim of the schools reconfiguration process is to help schools to transfer patronage, if school communities want this, and to increase the number of multi-denominational primary schools in Ireland.”
Note that this refers only to multi-denominational schools, and not to non-denominational schools. But the document, like the primary school survey, misleadingly implies that multi-denominational schools are not religious, by saying:
“A multi-denominational school is a school under a non-religious patron, where children learn about all faiths and belief systems through a multi-denominational programme. Examples include Community National Schools in the ETB sector, Educate Together schools and An Foras Pátrúnachta schools).”
In practice, schools classified in Ireland as multi-denominational can have a Catholic chaplain, have religious worship, and celebrate religious festivals. They also have religion and ethics courses that they, not the parents, deem to be suitable for all children.
At second level ETB Community Schools are classed as multi-denominational. The Supreme Court held that they were denominational. They have a Catholic Chaplain paid for by the state whose purpose is to assist Catholic parents with the religious formation of their children (Campaign case 1998).
The Forum of Patronage and Pluralism and the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission have called for the terms denominational, interdenominational, multi-denominational and non-denominational to be legally defined. They were ignored, these terms can mean anything and they do.
Teaching of Religion and Beliefs in Community National Schools
Community National Schools are the closest we have to state-run schools. They say children can learn about atheism, secularism, and humanism equally alongside major world religions. This is done, but it is not done equally.
The ETBI ‘Beliefs, Religions and GMGY Support Materials’ document says ‘Children learn about religion and beliefs’ and ‘this increases a child’s religious literacy’. It does not say ‘this increases a child’s literacy about religions and beliefs’.
It says ‘Children also learn from religion’ but it does not say they ‘learn from atheism’ or ‘learn from nonreligious beliefs’. We don’t believe they should learn ‘from’ any religion or belief, as that is not objective, critical and pluralistic, and the imbalance adds to the problem.
Various ETB school websites refer to ‘the five major world religions’ but not to any major nonreligious beliefs. Typical wording is ‘Strive to be equitable in teaching about the five major world religions (Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Judaism and Hinduism) and also be equally respectful of all other belief systems.’
The ETBI ‘Non-religious Philosophies of Life Support Materials’ document says atheism is simply a rejection of the assertion that there are gods. Atheist Ireland does not share this contentious description. We believe atheism is a positive affirmative belief about the nature of reality and morality.
Our position is consistent with international human rights law, and with the European Court of Human Rights recognising atheism as a belief in the context of being a coherent worldview that is that is cogent, serious, important, and worthy of respect in a democratic society. The European Court has held that ‘secularism’ is a philosophical belief worthy of respect in a democratic society.
In the recent case at the UK Supreme Court on indoctrination in Northern Ireland schools, it found that:-
94. The Grand Chamber in Lautsi set out the threshold to be met in relation to parents’ non-religious philosophical convictions for those convictions to attract protection under article 9 ECHR and to engage the respect guaranteed to a parent’s “religious and philosophical convictions” under A2P1. In Lautsi the Court found that the threshold requirement had been met in relation to secularism. It stated, at para 58, that:
“… the supporters of secularism are able to lay claim to views attaining the ‘level of cogency, seriousness, cohesion and importance’ required for them to be considered ‘convictions’ within the meaning of articles 9 of the Convention and 2 of Protocol No 1. More precisely, their views must be regarded as ‘philosophical convictions’, within the meaning of the second sentence of article 2 of Protocol No 1, given that they are worthy of ‘respect’ “in a democratic society”’, are not incompatible with human dignity and do not conflict with the fundamental right of the child to education.”
Teaching of Religion and Beliefs in Educate Together Schools
Educate Together said in its 2011 submission to the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism:
“In Educate Together schools, all members of the school community are encouraged to share their religious and non-religious beliefs with the whole school community….
School facilities are often made available to families wishing to organise faith formation classes, such as those which prepare children for the Catholic sacraments. These classes operate on an ‘opt-in’ basis outside the compulsory school day.
This model is also distinct from the common perception of a non-denominational or secular model. In such a strictly secular model, religious symbols or practice are sometimes restricted or prohibited in a school, and there is not always an explicit moral and ethical curriculum…
In Educate Together schools, Moral and Spiritual development is actively taught through the Learn Together curriculum. Different religious and non-religious festivals are regularly celebrated by the school community to develop understanding and respect for different traditions.”
In 2015, its brochure ‘What is an Educate Together National School?‘ records a change of label:
“The Board of Directors… took an important decision… that Educate Together would no longer describe itself as a ‘multi-denominational’ organisation but would use the term ‘equality-based’.”
However, this refers to the organisation Educate Together, and not to the ethos of Educate Together schools. All Educate Together schools are registered with the Department of Education as multi-denominational.
In a website article on ethos they use the word ‘mark’ instead of ‘celebrate’ religious festivals, but then go on to describe events that they host as ‘inclusive celebrations’ that incorporate elements of religious festivals.
“Marking religious festivals – At the core of Educate Together’s equality-based ethos is that pupils in our schools are exposed to different beliefs and perspectives in a respectful way that encourages critical thinking. Our schools endeavour to mark religious festivals such as Diwali, Eid, Christmas, Hanukkah, Vaisakhi and others throughout the school term.
In December of each year, for example, many Educate Together schools host annual Festivals of Lights, Seasonal Get Togethers and Winter Fairs. These are inclusive celebrations that incorporate elements of Christmas, Hanukkah and the Winter Solstice as well as other belief systems and philosophical convictions.
Religious aspects of these festivities are approached from a learning perspective, rather than from a promotional perspective. At the heart of these celebrations is the principle that all members of the school community are welcome and equally respected.”
A key question is at what point does a school ‘marking’ a religious festival, or hosting an ‘inclusive celebration’ that incorporates elements of religious festivals, cease to be ‘teaching about’ religion objectively, and become participation in religious practice? Human rights law and the Toledo Guiding Principles require that schools stay on the ‘teaching about’ side of that line. It is ambiguous what side Educate Together schools are on. Putting children in the position that they must celebrate religious festivals as opposed to learning about them, is indoctrination.
The right to not reveal your beliefs in multi-denominational schools
Parents have the right to not be put in a position that they must reveal their religious or philosophical beliefs to their children’s school or teachers.
This is one of the human rights principles that the UK Supreme Court raised in the recent case regarding indoctrination in Northern Ireland schools. It is part of the negative aspect of the right to freedom of religion and belief.
This is not part of the ethos of any schools or the principle of any courses in schools on religion, beliefs or ethics in multi-denominational schools in Ireland, whether they are developed by Patron bodies or the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment.
- Nearly all schools require parents to come to a meeting to discuss their child not attending religious instruction.
- Most ignore Section 62-7(n) of the Education (Admission) to Schools Act 2018 which requires them to put in their Admission Policy the arrangements for not attending religious instruction.
- Many claim that they do not teach religious instruction but religious education and therefore Section 62-7(n) of the Education Admission to Schools Act, does not apply.
During the teaching of religious education, teachers discuss and refer to the religious and philosophical beliefs of their students. Students are encouraged to speak about their beliefs with other students in the class.
In Community National schools, teachers are required to know the religious or philosophical beliefs of their students. Part of the Goodness Me, Goodness You course is to put together a project with their parents on their beliefs and discuss it with the rest of the class.
Multi-denominational schools and teachers are not aware of the right of parents and students not to be put in a position where they feel obliged to reveal their religious or philosophical convictions.
The UK Supreme Court case that recently ruled on this based its ruling on the European Convention on Human Rights, which also applies in Ireland.
Conclusion
The Department of Education’s survey on the future of primary schools is misleading.
- It implies that you are being given an option to choose non-religious schools, when in reality you are not.
- It also implies that your child’s human right to an objective, critical, and pluralistic education is subject to surveys of your family’s neighbours.
What appears to be a choice is limited to two options that disrespect your rights and those of your children. And the Department will then portray the outcome of this misleading survey as if this is what parents want to happen while those of us who have a right to an education that is objective, critical and pluralistic for our children, are ignored again.