Faith formation should be removed from the classroom, with Sunday school (or extracurricular classes) being the obvious time & place for it, if that’s what parents wish for. Primary school children are currently spending 10% of their class time on religion, which is over double the amount in other OECD countries, surely this time could be used more constructively, especially when you consider Ireland’s poor scores in literacy and maths in the international PISA survey.

Ireland spends the highest percentage of class time on religion in the OECD table of developed countries at both primary and second levels; this really needs to change if we’re going to move up the educational ranks.

Really and truly, an out and out ban should be brought in forcing churches to relinquish the power they have over schools. Sure, there are plenty of people who want their children to be taught their religion therefore it is up to them to set up sunday schools in their churches ect. and it should not be funded by the taxpayer.

Hours spent teaching kids religion is brainwashing and indoctrination. Instead they should be taught critical thinking and science. As the real story if far more amazing than any fairy tale. And it doesn’t involve talking snakes!

This should really be a very simple debate. Religion should have absolutely nothing to do with a child’s education. If you can’t handle that then you have all the time in the world at home and at mass to brainwash your child. Anything else is just shoving it into people’s faces.

The education report is a step in the right direction but doesn’t go far enough. Fact and fiction need to be separated in the education system. Culture and facts are not the same thing. Just because some adults wish to believe things doesnt make them valid subjects. The majority of parents in certain US States want creationism taught in schools and the teaching of evolution removed but the law doesnt allow this.

I agree that tax payers money and teaching time should not be used for the indoctrination of children. If you want your child to have a religious education classes outside of school hours or a Sunday school arrangement should be set up. The argument of asking to be removed from religion classes does not work as catholic schools make children say prayers several times a day. No school should have a religious ‘ethos’ as its not a teacher job to conscript followers into a religion. The church should provide these services if they are wanted. Schools should be neutral.

Fundamental change in this area is long overdue and as other contributors have already correctly pointed out, religious indoctrination should have no place in a modern and progressive education system. And there is strong public support for change – according to a report in The Irish Times today, 61% of parents favour the state and not the church running schools.

Another welcome recommendation in the report is the abolition of the rule (introduced in 1965 I believe) that states religion is the most important subject in the school day. It was absurd to insert such a rule in the first place and it now needs to go – a relic of another era.

Does this mean closing the muslim schools too?

The principle is correct but please don’t chose Educate Together in it’s existing form
It has an open enrolment policy and is based on a first come first served basis which means that a child can live in any area and as long as they turn up early enough on enrolment day they get a school place
This has the potential to disenfranchise the child living local to the school
ET should be forced to change their enrolment policy before they can be part of this process

The report is a welcome step in the modernisation of our education system. However, and this view will not be popular in this forum, for those of us who want our children educated in a particular ethos we should not have unreasonable impediments to make the appropriate arrangements to enable this.

All or None! If religion is to be taught in our schools then insure that all religions are represented. Since this is impossible… Then insure that no religion is taught in our schools. it is important that this country should move towards seperation of church and state. If a parent is concerned with the moral and spirtual development of their child, then they should modify their lifestyles and teach their children themselves… Or fund religious training outside of school.

Though many issues exist in the US, I can attest that in general, seperation of church and state works very well in the US and the school system. I spent my primary and part of my secondary education in Catholic Schools. For this, my parents paid a fair tuition. I had friends of other religious denominationsspend four hours every weekend for related trainings.

What’s so difficult to intiate something like this in this country?

The bottom line is this…. This country is becomomg more diverse. All things decided to benefit the general public should embrace all of our differences. Anything extra should be paid for by the individual.

Lots of double speak and lack of clarity from catholic church rep Michael Drumm on the News at One. It appears everyone has “misunderstood” or “misinterpreted” report, except him of course…

Govt must not allow themselves to be diverted in this task by all too predictable foot dragging from the catholic church.

This minister and the rest of his labour cronies really don’t like the catholic church!

Reading this report, I am left with the undeniable conclusion that I should go back to school. Not because of satellites or social inclusions, but because the only thing I really understand is “it mustn’t cost anything”. Woof.

If you don’t want your child learning religion then tell the teachers not to include your kids in that aspect of education, a few done this when I was in school and there was no problem. The hard liners like some above are a minority not the majority so I don’t think the country should bend over to their demands