What’s your most controversial opinion? **Read OP** **Mod Warning in Post #8023**

Ok, so your opinion is they won't even get to negotiate with government? So you'll be wrong if they even have a negotiation or a meeting? It's unusual for someone on Boards to lay out the conditions for them to be wrong, so fair play on that. We'll see in the coming weeks whether government meets with them or not.

I'd be very surprised if that happens. I'd be surprised if they don't get a settlement from it.

What’s this nonsense?

It’s not just my opinion, it’s a fact. Government have said they won’t negotiate with them. That’s not a matter of opinion.

I won’t be saying any more about this topic either, it’s not the thread for it and I hate the way that the thread will go on for pages and pages about any particular topic. Your original opinion was controversial, but this isn’t a negotiation.

What’s stupid about it? I pay taxes, I don’t pay teachers salaries. I’d be left with nothing if I did. By that rationale, teachers pay themselves!

(That’s shortened the time for the most stupid thing you’ve read in a while 😂)

And where does the dept of education get their money from? Perhaps a magic money tree

Woudlnt have the history, common experience, traditional rituals and music, it would never get the buy in existing religious events have.

Easy say it but the lived reality for many parents in some schools who choose not to go through communion for example is their child is just "left out" I have seen it myself, child desperately upset, excluded from the entire event. Parent patting themselves on the back for a job well done.

Its not as straightforward as people make out is the point I am making. And it would not necessarily be the utopia people claim either.

The money that is used to pay teachers is still obtained from the taxpayer

Its funny how some people react if they have religion "beaten" into them.

Most developed countries seem to get on fine without religious claptrap "rites of passage" in most of their schools.

And? That was never in dispute. What’s disputed is the idea that because that poster pays tax, they’re paying teachers to teach religious nonsense in schools. They’re not. People pay tax on their income in accordance with Irish law, that money goes into the public funds, and Government decides where public funds are allocated in the budget. Then the Department of Education, pays teachers salaries. Teachers aren’t paid to teach the religious curriculum, and recognised national schools receive public funding on the basis of delivering the national curriculum.

The claim that “we, the taxpayers, pay teachers” is demonstrably misleading. By that rationale, people who have never paid tax, pay teachers, as it comes from public funds. It’s an idea that often raises it’s ugly head in various contexts regarding public spending, that the person making the point imagines that because they pay taxes, they are entitled to a say in how their taxes are spent, and they shouldn’t be spent on whatever that poster objects to. It’s nonsense really, nothing more than self-centred thinking.

Do they though? Which countries?

Exactly. I think learning about religion in a balanced way is surely a good thing. All religions.

The benefits of trying to teach science, history and geography at primary school level, especially before fifth class would be very questionable, and you might very well put them off it for life .

Young kids don't care. They can't focus on that stuff. Maths is enough of a battle as it is and you can only squeeze so much focused learning out of a 6 year old. They like stories. Learning through simple stories. Religion is good for teaching them general moral ideas through simple stories that can be enjoyed if taught properly.

And stop saying abnormal and developed country without giving some evidence. Cause it sounds like you don't actually know.

It's not. Religion has no place in schools. I can't think of any better evidence than the fact that everything that was taught to me in primary school with regards to religion came from about 5% of the Bible.