In his homily at a Mass to open the academic year, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin warns that removing the Church entirely from Irish education could be “a deliberate misreading of Irish history”.
"Catholic schools are most welcoming of people of different faiths. This is not a reason for maintaining patronage of most of the primary schools in the country, when more and more people want something else." – Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin
At a Mass to mark the beginning of the new school year, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin warns that a narrow one-size-fits-all financial model can easily become a straitjacket for disadvantaged schools.
“In recent years, faith schools have been poorly served, at times, by news media. Too often, there is a failure to ensure that hyperbole and opinion are counterbalanced with evidence-based facts.”
Education and Training Boards to measure demand for multi-denominational schools and consult with existing school owners such as the Church about the possible transfer of schools to a new model.
Research shows that 96% of all Chairs; 96% of all principals; 97% of all teachers and 94% of all parents regarded these small schools to be making a valuable contribution to primary education.
Baptising children simply to be able to attend a specific school is an abuse of baptism Archbishop Diarmuid Martin warns.
Secularist approach to the study of faiths in new programme 'Education about Religions and Beliefs & Ethics' may even be imposed on faith-based schools.
Report by UCC academics says there needs to be a very significant improvement in the teaching of RE as many pupils and some teachers see it as a doss subject.
Research shows Catholic schools have been the leaders in areas such as social inclusion, special needs and Traveller education.
Demand for Catholic education growing: 60m students attend 200,000 catholic schools worldwide.
Regrettable that debate on inclusion and inclusivity has focused on religious affiliation.
Good religious education is a “fundamental part of the DNA of a pluralist system”.
Recommendations go further than anything found in most other Western countries.
