Have a voice

DinoBot

Hi,

I came across this petition from the educate together people. They offer the ONLY alternative to the religious schools in this country !! I know most of you might not have kids at the moment but where will you send them when you do. To the local school ?

I think atheists are too quite when it comes to politicts. I think it is time our voice was also heard.

98% of all primary schools in Ireland are privately-owned religious institutions and
are obliged to uphold the ethos of 1 of the major Churches.

With huge need nationally for new national schools, particularly those which provide a multi denominational environment for families, there is a huge opportunity pre election to make your voice heard, and ensure that all politicians are aware of the demand for CHOICE in education.

To sign the petition goto:

http://www.educatetogether.ie/

Dades

Signed and sealed, though hypocritically intend to send any male spawn to the same RC school I went to.

*shrug*

coffee_cake

Will sign I suppose... I went to a school that was jewish for the jewish kids and non-denom for the rest of us... only real difference was them doing hebrew when we did classics, and getting off early on a friday. No religion classes.
Don't know much about educate together, though if I've kids they wont be going to an RC school

Dr Pepper

Petition is here.

Interesting article here about this, IMO, appalling situation.

Also, if you have all day, a very long boards thread here.
First few pages cover most of what's discussed in the thread!

joe_chicken

bluewolf wrote:

Will sign I suppose... I went to a school that was jewish for the jewish kids and non-denom for the rest of us... only real difference was them doing hebrew when we did classics, and getting off early on a friday. No religion classes.
Don't know much about educate together, though if I've kids they wont be going to an RC school

So would you send your kids back to your school?

Why not, specifically, a Roman Catholic school?

Dades

Dr Pepper wrote:

Also, if you have all day, a very long boards thread here.

Slight prob with your URL... this should be it:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055000841

Dades

joe_chicken wrote:

So would you send your kids back to your school?

Why not, specifically, a Roman Catholic school?

Before y'all go down this road again (inevitably) don't forget the past threads!

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2054879900

Zombrex

I went to an Educate Together school (the Bray School Project in .. erm.. Bray) and I whole heartidly recommend them.

While people might think there isn't a whole lot of difference between a school like this and the average Catholic primary school, you are exposed to a wider range of people at an early age, (there were over 10 different religions in my school) and these schools tend to have interesting views on things like ethics which, while only a young'n, had a profound effect on me.

For example I always remember my school refusing to accept the Tescos (Quinnsworth back then) receipts for computers promotion as they refused to participate in what was basically just a money making scheme by Tescos (you had to spend like £50,000 in tescos to get one £500 computer). They also taught sex ed (as basic as it was for primary school) in a complete no moral position (thought parents where invited to a big meeting before hand, and some children were removed from the class by parents on religious grounds).

Every so often the principle would come around to the older classes (mainly when a teacher was off sick) and would discuss topics in the news or science. All very basic stuff, but still stimulating for a young mind.

Having not gone to a Catholic primary school I don't know how much different it was, but from remembering my discussions with my friends that did they seemed to have a pretty narrow minded education.

coffee_cake

joe_chicken wrote:

So would you send your kids back to your school?

Why not, specifically, a Roman Catholic school?

I never planned to settle down in the area I grew up in so sending kids (if I had any) to my old school isn't something I've considered. Plus the principal was changed after I left to someone I disliked a lot.

Why not RC? I'm not RC, if I have children they won't be baptised, and so they won't even be able to get into an RC school. I won't have them going through the communion and confirmation as part of school hours either.
From all I've heard, religion classes were either a priest/nun lecturing on the greatness of christianity, or possibly an open-minded priest/nun discussing things. If I have children, I would prefer they study religions themselves and not have attempts of brainwashing done to them.

I've very picky about these hypothetical children >.<