{"id":16742,"date":"2026-04-07T09:54:05","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T08:54:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.socialdemocrats.ie\/?p=16742"},"modified":"2026-04-07T09:54:05","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T08:54:05","slug":"survey-on-school-ethos-must-be-a-catalyst-for-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.socialdemocrats.ie\/ga\/survey-on-school-ethos-must-be-a-catalyst-for-change\/","title":{"rendered":"Survey on school ethos must be a catalyst for change"},"content":{"rendered":"

The government cannot continue to sit back and ignore this ongoing crisis<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The government must act on a survey which found 41 percent of parents of children attending a Catholic primary school would prefer their child to attend a multidenominational school, according to Social Democrats Education spokesperson Jen Cummins.<\/p>\n

Deputy Cummins said:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe findings of this survey are clear and stark. More than 40 percent of parents with children attending a religious domination primary school would prefer their child to attend a multidenominational school.<\/p>\n

\u201cIreland has changed irrevocably in recent decades, yet there has been one constant \u2013 the totally disproportionate number of Catholic primary schools in the country. In total, schools with a religious ethos comprise 90 percent of primary schools in the country.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is now 14 years since the divestment process in schools, which was supposed to transfer patronage from religious to multi-denominational, was first commenced. Progress since then has not just been slow, it has been almost non-existent \u2013 with only 32 schools switching during that time.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo child should effectively be forced to attend a Catholic, or any other religious domination, primary school because of the chronic lack of supply of multidenominational schools. Yet, shamefully, that is exactly what is happening.<\/p>\n

\u201cParental and family choice \u2013 about school ethos – must be respected and catered for by our education system. The government cannot continue to sit back and ignore this ongoing crisis.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Social Democrats have urged the government to work with school communities and put in place a reformed, and properly resourced, divestment programme. We have also said faith formation should not be happening during the school day. Those pleas have, so far, fallen on deaf ears.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is clear the divestment process has never really gotten off the ground. The question for the government is, what does it intend to do about it? This latest survey must be a catalyst for change \u2013 so that parental choice about school ethos is finally respected.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe government must also put in place clear guidelines for schools so that children can meaningfully opt out of religious faith formation during the school day \u2013 in line with their constitutional rights.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The government cannot continue to sit back and ignore this ongoing crisis The government must act on a survey which found 41 percent of parents of children attending a Catholic primary school would prefer their child to attend a multidenominational school, according to Social Democrats Education spokesperson Jen Cummins. 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