Education

13 May 2026

New ETBI/Educate Together teaching cert must respect the right to an objective education

The ETBI and Educate Together have just launched ‘Aitheantas’. This is a Framework for the Recognition of Certification to Teach Ethical, Multi-Belief and Values Education, in both ETB Community National schools and Educate Together schools. These Patrons’ curricula are the Goodness Me Goodness you course...

23 April 2026

Yes, Bishop Deenihan, Catholic schools do indoctrinate children who are forced to attend

In a recent Article in the Irish Times by Patsy McGarry, the Bishop of Meath, Tom Deenihan referred to “negative, ideologically driven and adversarial depiction of Catholic schools” as “grim places of indoctrination that children are forced to attend by Church and State”. But many...

21 April 2026

Atheist Ireland opening speech to Oireachtas committee on not attending religious instruction

Atheist Ireland appeared at 6:30 pm today before the Oireachtas Committee on Public Petitions and the Ombudsmen to discuss our Petition ‘To give practical application to the right not to attend religious instruction in school’. It is being live-streamed on the Oireachtas website. This is...

21 April 2026

Atheist Ireland to appear before Oireachtas committee today to discuss religion in schools

Atheist Ireland is appearing at 6:30 pm today before the Oireachtas Committee on Public Petitions and the Ombudsmen to discuss our Petition ‘To give practical application to the right not to attend religious instruction in school’. It will be live-streamed on the Oireachtas website at...

9 April 2026

Atheist Ireland asks UN to question Ireland about schools, oaths, and religious discrimination

The United Nations is examining Ireland this year under the Universal Periodic Review. This is a unique UN Human Rights Council mechanism, established in 2006, that reviews the human rights records of all 193 UN Member States every four and a half years. Atheist Ireland...

7 April 2026

Primary school survey is a misleading distraction

The Department of Education survey that shows 40% of parents want multi-denominational schools is a distraction. Our human right to an objective education should not be subject to the preferences of our neighbours. Also, the survey was misleading, only giving parents an option to choose...

13 March 2026

Non-discriminatory exemptions needed in ETB schools

Atheist Ireland is continuing to engage with the ETBI regarding the human rights of families in ETB schools. The following is some of the content of our recent letter to the ETBI. We hope to continue to engage with the ETBI to ensure our human...

24 February 2026

Atheist Ireland Submission to National Conversation on Education

Atheist Ireland has made the following submission to the National Conversation on Education, hosted by the Department of Education. Feel free to use the information here to prepare your own submission to the Conversation. You can make your own submission, at this link, by this...

11 February 2026

ETB school ethos does not respect equally the beliefs of atheists

The ethos of Education and Training Board schools at primary and second level does not respect equally the philosophical beliefs of atheists and secularists. ETB schools and colleges are presented by the Department of Education as the alternative to denominational schools. But they are not...

5 February 2026

Religious Education in Northern Ireland to be reviewed after Court judgment

The Department of Education in Northern Ireland is reviewing the core Religious Education syllabus. It has also issued Guidelines on withdrawal from Religious Education. The Review follows the recent UK Supreme Court judgment in relation to JR87. That found that the current religious education syllabus...