How you can help Atheist Ireland’s court case on the right to not attend religion in schools

Atheist Ireland is taking a case to the courts in relation to the education system, and you can help if your family has been directly affected by religious discrimination in schools.

Here’s the background. We have campaigned vigorously for years to change the education system. We have sent submissions to various bodies, lobbied politicians, met the Department of Education, and attended Ireland’s examination under various UN treaties.

We have done all we can to bring about change through these measures, but the slow progress is not satisfactory for families who continue to endure disrespect and discrimination in the education system.

The Law Library has now accepted us to take a court case through its Voluntary Assistance Scheme (VAS). We have a legal team in place and have met with a solicitor with an excellent track record on human rights cases.

So where are we now? If you are a parent from an atheist and secular background, you can tell us of your experience in seeking the right to not attend religious instruction in schools. Preferably this would be a recent experience, and it can be at primary or second level. If you have correspondence from the school, this would be great but it is not necessary.

You must be willing to put your name forward, along with others, to the case, but it will not cost you anything as the case is being taken through the Voluntary Assistance Scheme.

We already have families on board from within the Atheist Ireland membership, but we can also discuss the issue with other atheist and secular parents who are experiencing discrimination, particularly where your local school refuses to allow your child to leave the religion class, or to supervise your children outside the religion class or arrange another subject.

If you are willing to speak with us, can you please contact humanrights@atheist.ie, to see if we can use your experience to bring about change to the system so that it respects the rights of all. You can also support our legal case and our work for secularism by joining or rejoining Atheist Ireland.