Education

28 February 2012

Hibernia College teacher training course teaches untrue claims about atheism and atheists

Hibernia College Dublin, in its Higher Diploma in Arts in Primary Education, is teaching as part of its Religion module several untrue statements about atheism and at least two defamatory allegations about modern atheists. This includes course notes that claim that “What bothers very few...

28 February 2012

Report of Atheist Ireland meeting with Council of Europe delegations on human rights

On Monday 27 February, Michael Nugent and Jane Donnelly of Atheist Ireland met two Council of Europe delegations who were in Dublin monitoring Ireland’s record in protecting human rights. They are the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), and the Advisory Committee for the...

29 January 2012

Secular Sunday #5 – Make Your Voice Heard

Wakey Wakey! It’s time for another Secular Sunday. First things first: TODAY at 2:00 pm, Atheist Ireland presents “Is Anything Sacred?”, a public discussion of Irish and international blasphemy laws. Our speakers are two world-class experts on blasphemy law: Austin Dacey, Ph.D. from New York,...

15 December 2011

We must respect human rights of parents who want secular schools

The Irish Independent today published this article by Michael Nugent about the human right to a secular education. It includes the key points that Atheist Ireland made in our response to the interim report of the Forum for Patronage and Pluralism in Irish Education. The...

1 December 2011

Atheist Ireland response to Forum on Patronage and Pluralism

Ensuring Effective Remedies for an Objective, Critical and Pluralistic Secular Education Atheist Ireland has responded to the interim report of the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism. The Forum is to send its final report to the Minister for Education by the end of December. We...

28 October 2011

Atheist Ireland submission to Department of Education on school enrolment

This is a link to Atheist Ireland’s submission to the Department of Education’s discussion paper on a regulatory framework for school enrolment, submitted to the Department today. Atheist Ireland submission to Department of Education on school enrolment    

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9 September 2011

Atheist Ireland meets Irish Government Forum on Primary Education Part 2

Here is a summary of the questions and answers part of the meeting last Tuesday between Michael Nugent and Jane Donnelly of Atheist Ireland, and the Department of Education’s Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector. We were questioned by the Advisory Group...

7 September 2011

Atheist Ireland meets Irish Government Forum on Primary Education

Yesterday, Tuesday September 6, Michael Nugent and Jane Donnelly attended the Department of Education’s Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector. We were there to elaborate on, and answer questions about, the written submission that Atheist Ireland previously made to the Forum. We...

22 June 2011

Teaching about Religions and Beliefs

by Jane Donnelly   The Mater Dei Institute is at it again. Link to the pdf of their Submission to the Forum on Education In their Submission to the Forum on Education they again recommend the Toledo Guiding Principles but state that this education cannot...

9 May 2011

Parents talk about the obstacles in obtaining a secular education for their child in Ireland

Alex Meehan of the Sunday Business Post interviewed some parents recently who have persevered in trying to get a secular education for their children. Although parents have the right to ask for their children to be exempted from religious classes at school in Ireland, those...