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 parents are forced to send our children to Catholic schools, as there is no other option in many areas. This is because the State ‘provides for’ (Article 42.4) the education of minorities in mainly Catholic Schools. And parents are legally obliged to send their children to these schools under the School Attendance Act.
And under human rights law, Catholic schools do indoctrinate children. The Catholic Church defines ‘indoctrination’ as ‘forcing children to take part in religion or prayers etc’. But that is not the definition that human rights law uses.
Human rights law defines ‘indoctrination’ as not respecting parents’ convictions be they religious or philosophical. Under the European Convention, every child has a right to access an objective, critical and pluralistic education.
If students have not got access to an objective, critical and pluralistic education then the state is pursuing an aim of indoctrination by not respecting parents’ convictions. These were the key legal points that were upheld in the recent UK Supreme Court case on religion in Northern Ireland schools.
Bishop Deenihan also says that “various groups, supported by funding from ideological philanthropical entities, many from outside the State, continue to lobby politicians and media” on this issue.
Atheist Ireland is a voluntary advocacy group. And under SIPO law, groups that campaign on changing law and policy in the education system cannot legally get funding from outside the country to assist with any campaign.
However, the Catholic Church can get as much funding as it needs or wants from outside the country to promote Catholic education. And their ideological position on the education of all children, which is contrary to the Constitution and human rights law, is funded by the state itself.
The ideological position that the Bishop is complaining about is human rights law and the Irish Constitution. Both the Constitution and European Convention oblige the State to respect parents’ convictions.
In fact the Irish Constitution goes further. Article 42.3.1 says that the State shall not oblige parents’ in violation of their conscience and lawful preference to send their children to schools established by the State, or any particular type of school designated by the State.
The courts in Ireland have said that Irish parents have more rights under the Irish Constitution then they do under human rights law.
It is not rocket science to understand that atheists and secularists object on conscience grounds to Catholic education. We object because it does not respect our philosophical beliefs. Our children have no access to an objective, critical and pluralistic education in Catholic schools.
On top of that, these schools give no practical application to the constitutional right to not attend religious instruction in these schools.
So where are our Constitutional and human rights? We leave them at the gate of Catholic schools.
The Bishop should give consideration to the fact that discrimination hurts, disrespect for our philosophical beliefs hurts, and the total disregard for our rights by Church and State drives us as volunteers to campaign politically to get our rights.