Does religion have a place in 6th Year Graduations?

Pittens

In my old school again the few muslims that were in it didnt give two ****s,its just Irish culture,same with any athesits.

The remarkable thing is just how controlling these Catholic schools are and yet all the ANGRY ATHEISTS are graduates of said schools.

Very Bad Job done by Evil Mind Controlling Catholics.

Pittens

By the way what ever happened to ideas of multi-culturalism, which would have to include multiple different types of faith schools from Catholic, Protestant, Hindu, Jewish and Muslim as well as secular schools.

When did that go out of fashion?

Nodin

Pittens wrote: »

By the way what ever happened to ideas of multi-culturalism, which would have to include multiple different types of faith schools from Catholic, Protestant, Hindu, Jewish and Muslim as well as secular schools.

When did that go out of fashion?

I wasn't aware that multi-culturalism had a specific educational policy attached to it.

Ideally everyone goes to secular schools, and learns how their Jesus is the best in their own time.

owenc

Well, in our school they send out letters to the people whos parents signed a form to say that they want their children to attend church services, of which they sign if they want to go.. most people don't go though.

Mr. CooL ICE

eightyfish wrote: »

We had a mass to end the year during my 6th year too, in 2000. The students got the chance to pick the song that was played at the end of the mass. Survey sheets went around, collected by students, and after a couple of days the chosen song turned out to be... 'Smack My Bitch Up' by The Prodigy.

Says it all really.

No, they didn't let us use it.

Hehe, we used the intro of One by Metallica

Des Carter

Ha HA this is funny because of the amount of students who wear religious medallions during the leaving.

Killer_banana

I'm in leaving cert now and out graduation ceremony is a mass. I don't agree with it personally and quite a lot of other people I know don't either.

I do realise that I chose my school but no matter where I'd have chosen I would have to have gone to a catholic school and they all (in Galway at least) seem to put as much, if not more, emphasis on religion than my current school.

I have no issue with catholic schools at all, I just think there should be more schools for people of different faiths or no faith at all. Educate Together schools have children of all faiths and they learn about a wide range of religions and celebrate the holidays of the all as well. I don't see why they aren't secondary schools like that.

owenc

Killer_banana wrote: »

I'm in leaving cert now and out graduation ceremony is a mass. I don't agree with it personally and quite a lot of other people I know don't either.

I do realise that I chose my school but no matter where I'd have chosen I would have to have gone to a catholic school and they all (in Galway at least) seem to put as much, if not more, emphasis on religion than my current school.

I have no issue with catholic schools at all, I just think there should be more schools for people of different faiths or no faith at all. Educate Together schools have children of all faiths and they learn about a wide range of religions and celebrate the holidays of the all as well. I don't see why they aren't secondary schools like that.

Do they not just have schools for no religion there, here we have catholic schools and then schools with no religion for anyone to join, theres no such thing as a protestant school either, i think its kind of chidish basing school on religion.

Mike 1972

Pittens wrote: »

By the way what ever happened to ideas of multi-culturalism, which would have to include multiple different types of faith schools from Catholic, Protestant, Hindu, Jewish and Muslim as well as secular schools.

When did that go out of fashion?

Possibly when it was realised that that to do so in just about every town in Ireland (and area of Dublin/Cork/Limerick) might just present some practical difficulties (not to mention that segregation is not a terribly good idea either)

owenc wrote: »

Do they not just have schools for no religion there, here we have catholic schools and then schools with no religion for anyone to join, theres no such thing as a protestant school either, i think its kind of chidish basing school on religion.

There are "Christian" and "Methodist" schools in Belfast but most of the Schools are either State Schools or Roman Catholic.

Although the 1947 Education act in the UK does include a requirement for "assembly" in state schools "of a broadly Christian nature" (open to correction on the precise terminology) although Im led to believe that a lot of mainland UK schools ignore this.

In the Republic virtually all schools are either Roman Catholic, Protestant or "Multidenominational" (with the overwhelming majority being Catholic) in many parts of the country there are no non-RC schools or any which do exist are fee paying or hopelessly oversubscribed

SeaFields

Prob been mentioned before but this is what I'd do.

A representation of students meets with the teachers organising the graduation ceremony and the principal. Make it clear that ye wished to be seen as equals in this meeting rather than the usual teacher-student relationship.

Air the views that ye do not see a part for religion in your graduation ceremony. As the ceremony is about the students and not the school, ask that the wishes of the student body is respected.

Say ye feel ye will have to organise a separate ceremony if the school persists with its policy.

Maturity is the key here OP.


Let us know how ye go!

owenc

Mike 1972 wrote: »

Possibly when it was realised that that to do so in just about every town in Ireland (and area of Dublin/Cork/Limerick) might just present some practical difficulties (not to mention that segregation is not a terribly good idea either)



There are "Christian" and "Methodist" schools in Belfast but most of the Schools are either State Schools or Roman Catholic.

Although the 1947 Education act in the UK does include a requirement for "assembly" in state schools "of a broadly Christian nature" (open to correction on the precise terminology) although Im led to believe that a lot of mainland UK schools ignore this.

In the Republic virtually all schools are either Roman Catholic, Protestant or "Multidenominational" (with the overwhelming majority being Catholic) in many parts of the country there are no non-RC schools or any which do exist are fee paying or hopelessly oversubscribed

Yes but those schools are far and few between, most of these so called state schools are protestant as said on wikipedia as there is no were for them to go.. but still no religion is involved! Well in our primary school (which was a protestant majority) we had a reading from the bible and then that was all, we sang hymns and then had grace at dinner lol! Then in our secondary school which dosn't have any majority as its a grammar school, we have a hmyn and then a bible reading and a prayer. I think the catholic schools make then goto church (mass) everyweek, they make them learn irish and they FORCE them to do their confirmation and the communion thing. Then in the catholic secondary schools you do pretty much the same except for confirmations etc, and you have no choice you are also forced to learn irish, but not forced to learn anything else. My next door neighbour even says that they have a room were the priest comes in and does confessions!!

Mike 1972

owenc wrote: »

I think the catholic schools make then go to church (mass) everyweek, they make them learn irish

As far as Im aware Irish is not compulsary in RC schools here (or at least not all of them) and I know of at least one RC school which is attended by kids from Hindu and Muslim (among others) families.

Presumably they wont be forced to go through communion ceremonies ???

Anyway were going slightly O/T here ?

McChubbin

eightyfish wrote: »

We had a mass to end the year during my 6th year too, in 2000. The students got the chance to pick the song that was played at the end of the mass. Survey sheets went around, collected by students, and after a couple of days the chosen song turned out to be... 'Smack My Bitch Up' by The Prodigy.

Says it all really.

No, they didn't let us use it.

It came down to either James Taylor's "You've got A Friend" or Green Day's "Time Of Your Life" in my school. Pretty close battle, it was... ended up with James Taylor. I was annoyed, being the only person who voted for "Another Brick In The Wall"...

On the plus side, my graduation ceromony involved little religous namby-pamby as there was a seperate mass on in the church over the road. I wen to an all-girls Catholic school but when I first started, they were in the middle of phasing out the nuns.
Made things easy, IMO...

owenc

Mike 1972 wrote: »

As far as Im aware Irish is not compulsary in RC schools here (or at least not all of them) and I know of at least one RC school which is attended by kids from Hindu and Muslim (among others) families.

Presumably they wont be forced to go through communion ceremonies ???

Anyway were going slightly O/T here ?

No ,the non-catholics don't do it but if the catholic dosn't do it my friend tells me the teacher isn't very happy with them!!! Sorry I was just telling him about the assembly thing. I always go off track.:rolleyes::rolleyes: Are you in antrim town? Just wondering where abouts in antrim you were.

argonaut

hotmail.com wrote: »

Religion has no impact in the teaching of maths, Irish, English, geography, science, history and so on and so on. Why do we have these religious schools.

Simply put, it's because, for many years, Ireland was pretty much the Church's bitch.

Anyway, I went to a CBS school, not because I'm religious in the slightest - or that my parents are - but because it was near where I lived, cheap, and, hey, my friends were going there which is really what you care about as a kid. Naturally, the Catholicism was kind of creepy at times, but you got used to it. And, uh, no, we weren't forced to go to Mass or anything like that, but I suppose the school was really just nominally Catholic more than anything.

That said, if you're in a state school, of course there shouldn't be religion involved. I'm not even sure how including religion in that context can be justified tbh.

Mike 1972

owenc wrote: »

Are you in antrim town? Just wondering where abouts in antrim you were.

Antrim town yes. Been here about four years.

owenc wrote: »

I always go off track.:rolleyes::rolleyes:

No worries. I do it all the time........:o

owenc

Mike 1972 wrote: »

Antrim town yes. Been here about four years.



No worries. I do it all the time........:o

Ok thanks just wondering, cause its kind of rare on here to acutally find someone from up here like up here lol.

Lone Stone

I got kicked out my religion class in 6th year kapow !!!

How ever i do think you guys are doing the right thing with the petition goodluck :pac:

gino85

i dont think they should have it during the graduation to respect the folk who follow another religion or are athiest but maybe they could have it earlier during the day for the students who want to go to it

Cook!eMonster

Well my school is a community school, and we have an element of religion to the ceremony, the first half is mainly religious, and the second half is all about us and out memories. We are a Catholic school though, not an Educate Together or anything, so there is a definite aspect of religion there, luckily, it doesnt take over our whole ceremony

aDeener

Einhard wrote: »

And what if there's nothing to eat in your town but marrowfat peas? What do you do then? Starve?

go to the next town where they have delicious garden peas

skywalker_208

argonaut wrote: »

Simply put, it's because, for many years, Ireland was pretty much the Church's bitch.
.

Agreed. Had the same crap in my final year a few years go. Mass at the end of it.. all got blessed etc. Couldnt opt out of it either or you would be the black sheep. Absolutely rediculous and unnecessary

Xluna

No,of course it does'nt.

twinQuins

aDeener wrote: »

go to the next town where they have delicious garden peas

The solution to life's problems isn't to ignore them. It's high time people learned that the status quo can - and should - be challenged.

Mike 1972

skywalker_208 wrote: »

Couldnt opt out of it either or you would be the black sheep.

Whats so bad about being the Black sheep ?

I mean seriously in a few weeks/months youll be out of the damn place and can look back and laugh at the ridiculousness of it all.

Noreen1

owenc wrote: »

Yes but those schools are far and few between, most of these so called state schools are protestant as said on wikipedia as there is no were for them to go.. but still no religion is involved! Well in our primary school (which was a protestant majority) we had a reading from the bible and then that was all, we sang hymns and then had grace at dinner lol! Then in our secondary school which dosn't have any majority as its a grammar school, we have a hmyn and then a bible reading and a prayer. I think the catholic schools make then goto church (mass) everyweek, they make them learn irish and they FORCE them to do their confirmation and the communion thing. Then in the catholic secondary schools you do pretty much the same except for confirmations etc, and you have no choice you are also forced to learn irish, but not forced to learn anything else. My next door neighbour even says that they have a room were the priest comes in and does confessions!!

Eh?

Well, like the vast majority of people in Ireland, I went to a secondary school with a Catholic majority. There were several Protestants, of different denominations attending the same school.

As it happens, one of my close friends happened to belong to one of the minority denominations. I remember asking her if she felt marginalised in any way, (probably not the word I used as a teenager:D),and she seemed genuinely surprised at the idea.

RC went to their own religious instruction class, other denonimations went to theirs - no big deal, really.

If there was a mass for a particular event (death of a student, or whatever), Catholics basically attended, or were collected by their parents (unusual, but happened occasionally) Protestants were welcome to attend, or otherwise, entirely as they chose. Alternative activities were arranged by the school for those of the Protestant denominations.
It seems to me that due respect was shown for all denominations

Noreen

Nightwish

I went to a Catholic school and of course the graduation ceremony was called the Graduation Mass. I simply didnt go. I dont part take in Mass unless it is something to do with family and it would be insulting not to go i.e. funerals, weddings etc. I know it seems drastic to miss out on graduation but I didnt like most of the people I was in school with so that influenced my decision.

Mike 1972

Nightwish wrote: »

I know it seems drastic to miss out on graduation.

Not really

Terri26

eightyfish wrote: »

We had a mass to end the year during my 6th year too, in 2000. The students got the chance to pick the song that was played at the end of the mass. Survey sheets went around, collected by students, and after a couple of days the chosen song turned out to be... 'Smack My Bitch Up' by The Prodigy.

Says it all really.

No, they didn't let us use it.

Not allowing you to play "smack my bitch up" I assume was banned not just because it was a mass. Even in a secular school service I doubt any school would allow it as it is not appropriate

What must students fail realise is this is the school's graduation. They make the rules. In universities it's the same. The university decide where you sit, what happens and in the case of Trinity College the colour scheme you have to wear. Yes some people chose to ignore this and that's their chouce. However the rules remain the same.
In our school there are two parts to the graduation. Firstly the mass and the second part is the secular service where we give out the awards, do the speeches etc. Our students do not have to go up for communion if they do not wish to but we do expect them to respect the wishes of those who want to.

eightyfish

Terri26 wrote: »

Not allowing you to play "smack my bitch up" I assume was banned not just because it was a mass. Even in a secular school service I doubt any school would allow it as it is not appropriate

Em, well yes obviously. My point was that the majority of students didn't take the mass seriously by nominating that song. In fact, the only people who took it seriously were the priests.