“It is heartening to see, even in these challenging times, how school children and adults alike can take a theme of injustice and turn it into inspiring poems that tell similar stories often with hopeful messages for the future,” said the organisers.

“It is not just a matter of re-opening the schools, it is putting in place the measures necessary to keep the schools open," says CPSMA general secretary Seamus Mulconry.

“The theme for Catholic Schools Week this year encourages us to see that we all have a responsibility to care for the earth, not just for our own future, but for the future of every one of God’s creatures,” says Fr Paul Connell.

CPSMA AGM told that deletion of Rule 68 “may have unwittingly edged us closer to a situation whereby the State is no longer providing for education through a plurality of providers, but is itself providing a monolithic-type state education”.

Getting rid of religion in primary schools will not solve curriculum overload problem – Catholic Primary Schools Management Association.

“The demand for Catholic schools is strong. The demand for other forms of patronage is growing. The process of diversification is still too slow.”

Arbitrary cap on faith-based admissions prevents the Church from meeting the demand from Catholic parents for places for their children and could cause schools to turn away Catholic families on the grounds of their faith.

The NCCA wants more time to be spent teaching maths, Irish and English as well as a proposed new course called Education about Religion, Beliefs and Ethics instead of religion.

“We wish to assure parents that the Minister’s announcement does not alter the ethos of Catholic schools" - Bishops' Council for Education.

Some concerns that new programme will "adversely affect religious instruction and a faith-based school’s characteristic spirit.”

"The majority of schools have space to enrol children and would be happy to do so' - Catholic Primary Schools Management Association.

Tribute paid to teachers' contribution to the holistic development of their pupils.

The total number of priests in the world increased by 895 to 414,313.

Seeing the nativity scene will help students of St Raphael’s Special School to visualise and understand the Christmas story.

New features incorporated into the calendar include a ‘Thought for Today’ voiced by contributors including members of the hierarchy.