Removing religious influence from schools not in my remit, says Minister

moretothegirl wrote: »

First off I definitely think it should be first come first served, I will admit I am unaware of the situation so I won't say that what your telling me is bull, I will admit I am shocked that that case could happen though. I completely agree that that should not be allowed happen under any circumstances. I have my beliefs, but I would NEVER think that because I am baptised that I am in any way more important than anybody else baptised or non baptised.

I understand your point, I really do. However, it seems like an issue in which someone will always be left unhappy as I still feel there are many people who wish religion to stay part of the school so the question is who do we alienate, the people who have chosen not to take part in any religion, or those who want religion in school? There are no easy answers to this.

This is why I stated that I think the Educate Together schools are the way forward, they need to be supported more and more need to be set up. This will enable choice within communities.

In this day and age religious discrimination and segregation in primary schools is archaic and appalling. The fact that the status quo suits the majority of Irish people does not make it right, in fact the education system here is in direct contravention of the human rights charter, so much for a modern western country.

Schools do not pick pupils based on the local catchment area, they accept pupils according to who applies and they set an application which specifically asks for a baptismal cert. They are perfectly within their rights to give preferential enrolment to the children that meet their religious criterion and not those who apply first or live closest. Look at the case in Dublin where all those kids were left with no school & the council had to cobble together a port-a-cabin for them.

We had a look around our local schools and were told not to bother applying to some, they were already oversubscribed and the chance of them picking a non-Catholic, who they would have to make alternative arrangements for during sacraments, etc, was nil. I hear of people who have to travel 40 min round trips to get their kid to an ET, it's just not good enough that people who contribute equally to the state funds are having such trouble fulfilling a basic requirement for their children. Public funds should be spent on state schools for the public, not elite religious establishments that segregate and discriminate. If someone wants to send their kid to a faith school that can discriminate against my kid, why should I have to fund it?

If schools discriminated or segregated pupils based on race or disability there would, quite rightly, be a public outcry - even though the majority of pupils in school are neither. Why is religious discrimination not only accepted here, it's often lauded?! It's shameful. :mad:

very true- they are national schools.
Th eclerical patron thing is just an administrative arrangement. It never did bestow any ownership or control and can easly be removed. It should be removed. If it is not to be removed and if this matter is openly decided rather than decided by cute hoors then state funding should be removed. State funding fro state schools. We as parents were denied the right to educate our children free from religious balderdaash and I very much resent that. the number of people holding ssuch resentment will grow and have effct but if there is inaction perhaps the effects will be very undesirable as perhaps must be the case.

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

Ignorance is always a bad thing. Why shouldn't schools teach about religions?

Schools should teach about religions. They shouldn't teach that one particular religion is the right one or that the incredible claims that religions make have any basis in fact.

Am I the only one hoping that we can get political influence removed from decision making in this country?

No I was just suggeting that the current shower of gombeens couldn't make an intelligent informed decision to save themselves. They **** up everything.