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There are specific exemptions to allow schools to discriminate by selecting children based on their religion. Crazy I know, but there ya go.Giving a preference to a child of a particular religious background is against the equality law is it not?
There is a widespread misunderstanding in Ireland as to the religious nature of national schools - for instance, there is no such thing as a Catholic national school (and none is so named) - people of all religions being taught together in the same school is at the core of what national schooling in Ireland means, and all of the national schools have "no religious discrimination at entry" as part of their ethos.[citation needed] However, Section 7(3)(c) of the Equal Status Acts 2000 to 2004 provides that a school does not violate anti-discrimination legislation where "it admits persons of a particular religious denomination in preference to others or it refuses to admit as a student a person who is not of that denomination and, in the case of a refusal, it is proved that the refusal is essential to maintain the ethos of the school". Although recently introduced religious discrimination, primarily by the Catholic Church, is incompatible with the Equal Status Act, the Equality Authority has thus far failed to react against it.[citation needed]
Ethos, or characteristic spirit, is an important concept in the any legal understanding of education in Ireland. It is best defined (legally) in the 1998 Education Act. "the characteristic spirit of the school as determined by the cultural, educational, moral, religious, social, linguistic and spiritual values and traditions which inform and are characteristic of the objectives and conduct of the school"
...I wouldn't imagine that there's many places available in the catholic schools for athiests,...
In our local schools, AFAIK being a RC is not checked.
The vast majority of Primary Schools I've been associated with have a section on their enrolment forms asking for the Religion of the child.
The vast majority of Primary Schools I've been associated with have a section on their enrolment forms asking for the Religion of the child.
The vast majority of Primary Schools I've been associated with have a section on their enrolment forms asking for the Religion of the child.
Well, what percentage of students are non Catholic in over subscribed Catholic schools? I'd suggest very few, if any.
If that's the case then religious discrimination is rife. I'm reading a book now called the God Virus.. it's all about the children., that's what religious people want, that's when children are impressionable, and when they can be best infected with the religious virus.
I genuinely believe that peoples constitutional rights are being trampled upon by the religious discrimination policy.
Well, what percentage of students are non Catholic in over subscribed Catholic schools? I'd suggest very few, if any....
St. Mochta’s N.S. and St. Patrick’s N.S. will offer places to children in the following order:
Category 1
At least two thirds (140) of the Parish places will be offered to Roman Catholic children. Up to one third (70) of the Parish places will be offered to children of other faiths and none. Category 1 applicants must fulfil one of the following criteria;
(a) Have a sibling(s) in one of the parish schools.
and/or
b) Be residentwithin the boundaries of the Parish.
and/or
(c) Be a child of a current member of staff. (Teachers, Special Needs Assistants, Secretary, Caretaker)
My son attends a Church of Ireland school and he had to get a 'release form' from our local catholic church where he was christened before he was offered a place.
My local Church of Ireland school has a clause in their enrollment policy which states that they reserve the right to leave a place empty rather than offer that place to a child of another religion. In my experience they will never accept a child of catholic background unless at least one parent is of protestant (not necessarily Church of Ireland) religion.
I don't know if the school my little un is going to go to rejected people on grounds of religon but I do know they rejected people who applied later then others.
The other thing I know is that the Church does give a lot of support to the school, one nun for example acts as a teaching assistant and another does a lot of admin and support work. They're paid for by the parish, not for by the school and would probably be lost as resources if the school had to give up it's RC ethos
The other thing I know is that the Church does give a lot of support to the school, one nun for example acts as a teaching assistant and another does a lot of admin and support work. They're paid for by the parish, not for by the school
I genuinely believe that peoples constitutional rights are being trampled upon by the religious discrimination policy.
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