Teach, Don’t Preach: New Website Launched

Atheist Ireland has launched a new website as part of our campaign for a secular Irish education system based on human rights law.

http://teachdontpreach.ie includes information, resources and a discussion forum about secular education, and sample letters to help you to opt your child out of religious education classes in your current school. We would welcome any feedback on how it could be improved.

http://teachdontpreach.ie also contains a draft document in which our Education Officer Jane Donnelly argues that secular education is a human right, and that the Irish Government denies that right to its citizens. It covers the following issues:

1. Secular Education is a Human Right
2. Structure and Patronage
3. Access to a School of One’s Choice
4. Information and Knowledge Conveyed
5. Second Level Schools
6. Teacher Training
7. New VEC Community Schools
8. Child Sexual Abuse
9. Conclusion
10. Appendices

We will be sending the final version of this document later this month to the Irish Human Rights Commission, which is preparing recommendations for the Irish Government on the place of religion in education from a human rights perspective. The Commission has asked for the opinions of citizens and groups before 31 January 2011.

This is a lengthy document, but it is very important part of our campaign for a secular education system based on human rights law. Please let us know how you think it could be improved, and please also send a separate submission yourself to the Irish Human Rights Commission.