Sir, – Education Equality welcomes the call by Minister for Education Jan O'Sullivan for changes to the Equal Status Act to ensure greater access to our national school system for children of parents of minority religions and no religion, insofar as it is an acknowledgment of a serious issue which needs to be addressed ("Minister calls for places for unbaptised pupils", Front Page, December 28th).
While Labour’s proposals have not been set out in detail at this stage, it would appear, from the Minister’s comments, that they will involve some form of quota system whereby a certain percentage of school places would be set aside for children who are not of the same religious denomination of each school.
The parents who we represent do not want their children to be accommodated, tolerated or labelled in this manner. Our parents want the State to honour its obligations to their children and ensure they are granted full and equal access to the State-funded national school system, obligations which are placed on the State by the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights and our own Constitution.
In addition, no details have been provided as to how Labour intends to address the issue of exposing children to religious indoctrination against their parents’ wishes during the entire school day. Again a clear breach of human rights.
The Minister’s earlier announcement of her intention to remove rule 68 of the national school rules, which currently requires that religious instruction is the most important part of the school day, is largely symbolic in nature. The removal of rule 68 will not lead to the removal of the integrated curriculum that ensures religious instruction permeates the entire school day.
In fact, the Minister has stated that denominational schools will continue to be entitled to hold faith-formation classes during the school day.
Many of our parents, whose children have been offered places in denominational schools, speak of the bittersweet feeling which accompanies such an offer. They consider themselves “lucky” to have been able to secure a place without having to compromise their own beliefs. However, they are fully aware of the challenges that lie ahead of them as their children will feel ostracised during large parts of the school day and they will hear their teacher, a person of great influence, express views and beliefs which will often be in direct contradiction to their own.
Education Equality is disappointed to see that Ms O'Sullivan is quoted as saying: "I'm not saying denominational schools shouldn't have their own religious faith taught during school time . . . They are entitled to do that". It is true that the Constitution protects the rights of religious institutions to uphold their ethos. National schools are educational establishments. There is no constitutional or human right of religious schools to have the State fund religious education, during school time, which conflicts with some children's beliefs.
There is, however, a constitutional and basic human right to freedom of religion. Teaching faith formation in one religion’s beliefs in the only school system that we have, in a way that imposes it on children of other religions and none, violates that right. In order to protect religious freedom, denominational schools do not need to be removed, but the way they operate does need to change.
Education Equality is proposing that faith-formation classes be held at the end of the school day, outside of normal school hours. This would ensure that no child’s human rights are violated, while also allowing those parents who wish to do so to opt their children in to faith formation.
We believe this is a pragmatic solution to the issue and will ensure the human rights of all children are fully respected.
Education Equality will continue its campaign for its twin goals of equal access and equal respect for all children in our education system, regardless of religion. We hope that all political parties will support these goals and we can take another step in cherishing all the children of the nation equally. – Yours, etc,
APRIL DUFF,
Chairwoman,
Education Equality
Dublin 8.