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.
Deputy Cummins said:
“The 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.
“Ireland has changed irrevocably in recent decades, yet there has been one constant – 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.
“It 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 – with only 32 schools switching during that time.
“No 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.
“Parental and family choice – 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.
“The 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.
“It 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 – so that parental choice about school ethos is finally respected.
“The 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 – in line with their constitutional rights.”