Secular Sunday #492 -The rights of atheist and secular parents in Irish schools
This week’s Secular Sunday. To avoid missing out, sign up here to receive Secular Sunday by email *|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|* Editorial The rights of atheist and secular parents in Irish schools Last week we reported that the Department of Education is ignoring a Supreme Court judgment from 1998, Campaign to Separate Church ...
Another court judgment that supports the rights of atheist and secular parents
In Ireland parents have a constitutional right to raise their children in accordance with their philosophical convictions. The State is constitutionally obliged to respect that right in the education system. Despite this Church and State continue to ignore the findings of the courts in Ireland and evangelise all children into ...
NCCA removes names of Religious Education Reference Group members from its website
The syllabus Religious Education Course was updated in 2019. The NCCA recently removed from its website the names of the Religious Education Reference Group members who shaped the course. In the interests of transparency, we have published their names below. This Religious Education Reference Group was heavily influenced by religious ...
Government Department policies clash on Freedom of Speech
The government has two different policies in relation to freedom of speech. The Department of Justice has published its policy on a way forward to protect freedom of speech in the General Scheme of the Criminal Justice (Hate Crime) Bill 2021. However the Department of Education still has a policy ...
Secular Sunday #490 – Pressure increases against new Catholic Sex Ed course
This week’s Secular Sunday. To avoid missing out, sign up here to receive Secular Sunday by email *|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|* Editorial Pressure increases against new Catholic Sex Ed course Pressure increased this week against the new Catholic Sex Education programme Flourish, which will tell primary school children that they are perfectly designed ...
Education Minister cannot rely on NCCA to deliver objective sex education – the law must change
In the Dail yesterday Donnchadh O’Laoghaire from Sinn Fein asked the Minister for Education about sex education in schools. You can view and read the full exchange here. In her response the Minister acknowledged that RSE was an important right for students. She also said that: “The Department of Education ...
Education minister repeats pledge to change law if necessary to ensure inclusive sex education
In the Dail yesterday Donnchadh O’Laoghaire from Sinn Fein asked the Minister for Education about sex education in schools. The Catholic Bishops have introduced a course called Flourish to primary schools. Flourish is Catholic sex education, and the programme is to be taught alongside curriculum Relationship and Sexuality education. Here ...
Sinn Féin supports changes in law to ensure that inclusive sex education is delivered uniformly
Sinn Féin supports changes in the law to ensure that inclusive sex education is delivered uniformly across all schools regardless of the religious ethos of the patron. The party has told Atheist Ireland that: "Sinn Féin share your view that, legislative reform of Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) in schools ...
Solidarity and People Before Profit TDs say Objective Sex Education Bill must be passed
Solidarity and People Before Profit TDs say the Oireachtas should pass their Objective Sex Education Bill, to ensure that school ethos cannot influence the delivery of sex education by the Catholic Bishops in their role as patrons of most of our schools. Paul Murphy TD introduced the Bill in 2018. ...
Thomas Pringle TD calls for inclusive sex education not the Catholic Flourish course
Independent TD Thomas Pringle has called for age appropriate, inclusive, and diverse relationship and sex education in Irish schools. He says: “Get your rosaries off our ovaries.” How long has this slogan been around Ireland? From hospitals to schools and everywhere in between we have the evidence of the Catholic ...