I completely agree, unfortunately the constitution says that the government has to provide education with respect to the wishes of the parents, meaning if the parents don’t want it then they shouldn’t have to put up with it.

This article has an important error. The meeting is actually going to be held tomorrow, Wednesday 23rd! For more information, please see http://www.ET2Ldublin.org or join Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/educatetogethersecondary/

Its a great idea. I hope the campaign gets what they need. Our education system needs more of these schools.

Btw Marlon.. Great post!

Thanks… Conor…. Hopefully, the article and my post will generate thought!

Marlon, Conor. Our school system should be just these types of school. If parents want to raise their children with a specific religion let them take on that education role in the home.

Jason… I’m a firm believer of seperation of church and state. So I’m with you on this. However, the Irish Constitution supports the governance of elected officials with and overview of the Catholic Church when necessary. When this is officially striken from the constitution. Growth in non-denominational education will be difficult.

@marlon

If you like separation of church and state and you don’t like religion being taught in schools, then you moved to the wrong country. (Article 6 Bunreacht na hEireann)
Assuming you can travel freely, there are many countries in the EU you would probably be happier living in.

Thank you for spending a little time here

@ Little Red Thumb Biggot
If Marlon’s paying taxes and sending his kids to school here, he has as much of a say as the rest of us.

LOL… Little Red Thumb Boy! I find you quite comical. The past week I had the pleasure of reading your comments with amusement. I find your postings instigate and agitate the balance of online decorum and open intelligent discussion.

Without a doubt, you seldom disappoint with your comments. When the public is discussing a topic where there may be a disagreement of opinion… You always take the extreme and outrageous viewpoint, viewpoint that a majority of the readers are abashed at reading.

Furthermore, your reference relating to… If you don’t like it here…. Then you can move elsewhere, is getting tire some. This is truly a veiled attempted at knocking emigration of foreigners to the shores of Ireland. No matter… The taxes I pay into the government that you are benefitting from, gives me the right to forward positive criticism about “our” government whenever I wish and how I wish without retribution.

Finally, the fact that you hide behind your moniker (Little Red Thumb Boy) proves that you are aware that your missives are nothing but trash.

So on that note…. Go sit on your little red thumb and rotate.

Thanks Fred!

@fred
Im not sure he does Fred.

IF he is paying his taxes is is legally compliant in every way then he can send his children to achool here.
He is not entitled to demand that the school system changes because he doesn’t like it.

There is no need for the little schoolboy remarks about my name, lets keep it mature please.
A different view to yours does not make someone a bigot, its just a different view

@the artist formerly known as Little Red Thumb Bigot
You’re right. Disagreeing with me doesn’t make you a bigot. Telling people they have no right to an opinion on this issue because they weren’t born here does.
It’s a bit ridiculous that you post under a pseudonym that was invented so you could offend people and then get offended when I slag it. If you want to talk about maturity then grow a pair and post under your real name, you child.

Further on Little Red Thumb Boy… What if I told you that I am a citizen of this country, with confirmed Irish roots, tax compliant, fully employed, college educated (several degrees), multi-lingual and from a First World Country? Would it matter… Probably not…. Because your opinions are not solely opinions… They may begin as an rational, but they always end with a jibe.

Like:
- You don’t like religion being taught in schools, then you moved to the wrong country
or

- Assuming you can travel freely

These jibes are not necessary and are bigoted.

So my friend…. Instead of wasting your time and the time of others with bigoted off-putting marks…. Why don’t you use your Little Red Thumb and place it where it will be most effective… And probably give you loads of satisfaction.

Hey, little red thumb boy, maybe YOU should move to more enlightened country instead of telling other people to do so, it’s backward thinking apes like you that have the country the way it is. Marlon has made a very good suggestion about replacing fiction with reality in the form of civics classes instead of religion. Surely it would be more beneficial to our children to learn about how their country is run and governed instead of being thought superstitious nonsense. It’s not like the country doesn’t need an educated electorate, just look what the mostly catholic educated and dominated electorate has returned since independence! A series of gombeen parliaments made up venal hypocrites, gangsters and liars who allowed health, education and social policy to be run by ideologues and agents of a foreign power, home rule was followed by Rome rule in every true sense of the word. The Irish constitution needs to be torn up and re-written for the 21st century and beyond with all reference to religion and especially catholic religion removed, by all means frame people’s freedom to practice religion but keep it free from any religious interference and so too our schools.

Nicely said Ed!

So you’re against Choice In Education?

No, I’m all in favour of choice in education, especially the choice to educate your children in a non religious/sectarian school which is near on impossible in the Theocracy of Ireland. The catholic church runs most of the schools, the teacher training colleges and most secondary schools. We also have protestant schools, muslim schools, not sure about jewish or hindu schools but the end result is an apartheid system based on religion operating as the the irish education system. There’ll still be plenty of choice available with religion taken out of the equation, religion is lifestyle choice and if people want it for their kids then go to wherever they worship and seek it there. We need a system like the one in France. We do not need religion in our schools it is divisive and filling young peoples heads with fantasy and fairytales instead of facts is not education, kids can go to the library for that kind of fiction!

Aisling, I think @CABK makes a very valid point. No matter how non-denominational you think the secondary school system is, it’s quite the opposite. If you were to substitute every bit of Catholic rhetoric on the syllabus for Hindu or Muslim, it would be blindingly obvious to you as a Christian. That’s how one sided and closeminded these classes are. Atheists or no-religion (as the census says) are willfully derided and ignored.

That should, of course, have read ‘cities’. Baffling typo is baffling.

Sorry Aisling, but the prescribed religion books are very much Catholic only. My last check on my daughters was 550 pages in total. of this 400 were catholic only, then around 90 pages covering other religions (mainly Judaism, which as we know is So dominant in ireland; and 10 pages on Islam).

There was 1 page on humanism and atheism, which was basically saying “these people just don’t know”.

You can download a copy on iTunes, and it costs €25. All proceeds going to the Catholic Church/alpha press.

Agree with Alien 8 – I just looked up the actual exam paper for Junior Cert Religion – a few token queistions around other religions on a broad level but indepthly about catholics and also no room for things not being fact. For example one question was:

1. This picture shows Jesus and the miracle of Jairus (waking up the dead child for those who remember). Give an example that shows the picture depicts this miracle. Name another miracle of Jesus.

Also taking from the marking scheme on this question: Marking Criteria:
An excellent answer will show knowledge of the characteristics of the Kingdom of God
in the words and actions of Jesus by accurately stating one miracle that Jesus performed
other than the raising Jairus’ daughter.

So zero points if you want to point out that you don’t believe Jesus existed and that you do not agree that he performed any miracles. No room for independent thought or opinion there.

Check and mate!!
Also;
Jenga!, Bingo!, UNO and Snap!!!