Education

7 October 2019

Internal ETBI report vindicates Atheist Ireland claims about religion in State schools

Today the Irish Times published details of an internal ETBI report that vindicates what Atheist Ireland has been saying for years about the teaching of religion in Education and Training Board schools. ETBs are supposed to be the State-run alternative to denominational schools, but unfortunately...

24 September 2019

Dail to debate Objective Sex Education Report this Thursday

This Thursday the Dail will be debating the Oireachtas Education Committee Report on Objective Sex Education, which was published last January. Please contact your TDs between now and Thursday to ask them to speak on the issue in the Dail debate, and to support the...

1 August 2019

A Secular State Protects A Pluralist Society – Part 4 of 5 – Education

In July 2019 Atheist Ireland took part in a meeting of the Dialogue Process between the Government, Churches, and Non-Confessional Organisations in Ireland. This page is part 4 of Atheist Ireland’s policy document submitted to the Irish Government as part of this process. The parts...

12 July 2019

Please ask your TDs to ensure that all abuse victims in Louise O’Keeffe case get compensation

Please contact your local TDs and ask them to ensure that all the victims of abuse in Irish schools, similar to that in the Louise O’Keeffe case, get justice and compensation. The Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar has apologised to victims of abuse in day schools. But...

25 June 2019

How parents stopped Castleknock Educate Together school using Catholic agency Accord to deliver sex education

Guest post by Graeme Carter, of the parents’ group No Accord in Educate Together As of Friday 7th June, the Catholic charity agency Accord will no longer be delivering the Relationship and Sex Education curriculum in Castleknock Educate Together National School. The school’s announcement of...

22 May 2019

Who should you vote for if you want State-run schools to respect the rights of atheists and secularists?

This Friday, 24th May, we will elect Local Councillors, who will also be members of Education and Training Boards and the Boards of Management of ETB Schools. Three weeks ago, Atheist Ireland wrote to all political parties, asking them to support the right of students...

29 April 2019

Atheist Ireland questions for local election candidates about religion in ETB schools

Atheist Ireland has written today to all political parties that are contesting the Local Elections on 24th May, asking them to support the right of students to attend ETB schools without attending religion classes, and for students who do not attend religion classes to be...

24 April 2019

Donegal ETB, in Minister for Education’s constituency, unlawfully coerces students into religion classes

Atheist Ireland has obtained under the Freedom of Information Act an email and letter from last September, from Donegal Education and Training Board, in the Minister for Education’s constituency. In that internal exchange, the ETB’s Director of Schools advised Moville Community College to “write to...

24 April 2019

Atheist Ireland holds protest outside TUI National Congress to protect the right to opt out of religion class

Atheist Ireland is today holding a protest outside the Teachers Union of Ireland National Congress in the INEC Centre in Killarney, Kerry, to coincide with the Minister for Education, Joe McHugh, addressing the conference. We are highlighting two things: 1. The Teachers Union of Ireland...

12 April 2019

Cultural Catholics still give cover to the criminal church that runs our schools

We need to end the alliance of convenience between the Catholic Church and cultural Catholics that enables this criminal church to maintain control over most of our State-funded public schools. We need to move towards a secular State-funded education system that treats all children equally...