Secularising the education system

Denerick

I feel Ireland (When it manages to get a few pound together) should secularise all the national schools and take them away from the control of the Catholic Church (I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in this feeling:p) Allow faith schools their autonomy if they want, but ensure that most schools have a secular ethos.

Its one thing feeling this should be done, but will it EVER happen?

crotalus667

Denerick wrote: »

Its one thing feeling this should be done, but will it EVER happen?

Not without a giant land grab (almost all the schools are on property owned by the catholic church)

5uspect

The Labour party recently proposed that the Church hand over these schools as payment owed for child abuse.

adamd164

http://www.secularireland.org/wiki/index.php?title=Education

Nodin

5uspect wrote: »

The Labour party recently proposed that the Church hand over these schools as payment owed for child abuse.

Some schools as part of the indemnity agreement. However they did not suggest a change of patronage, so the church would still be in charge.

mikemac

Where are you going to find hundreds of millions (billions) to buy this property from the Churches?

And yes, I mean all churches, you can't land grab Catholic Church land and leave Church of Ireland or other religions land alone
What's up OP, you talk about secularizing the education system and then mention one and only one church.

Denerick

Well thats the problem in Ireland; the churches own the land. Hence it would cost billions to buy the schools. I suppose the government could tighten the rules on the teaching of religion to a point, but not before the churches would start throwing their property rights in everyones faces.

Its an awkward situation. Our childrens minds will continue to be destroyed yet we don't have the political will or economic muscle to make the reform needed.

Coriolanus

I'm not sure it's actually a big deal. I went to a Cross and Passion, ostensibly under the baleful eyes of the church and even religion lessons were pretty light on religion, was mostly ethics and philosophy that was discussed.

I'd have to see some fairly strong evidence for the current system having an indoctrinating agenda for me to back any kind of land grab.

Fallen Seraph

There. There's your blank cheque to take whatever you want from the church.

Whether it's economically viable to *support* your newly acquired schools might, however, be a more relevant issue.

lostexpectation

all these hubub has only cemented religious control of schools not reduced it.